# Newt with eye parasite



## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

One of my newts has a white string attached to his eye. I am wondering what it is. It's about 4-5mm long and I can't remove it with a casual brush. Do you have any suggestions? I think it came from some feeder fish -_- which is EXACTLY why I have been trying to breed my own.


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## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

It has been identified as anchorworm, which is tropical. I have put this newt in a beer fridge (in water with air holes etc), with a gradually lowering temperature. It actually increases their immune system to be in the fridge and the parasite won't like it. ^_^ I love coldwater newts, which only breed at 16C or less.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Cool. ( get it? Cool? )


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## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

*golf clap*


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

heh,heh
Good luck with it. I have my doubts that coldness will do the job alone, but I guess it's worth a try.


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## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

Yeah it's not doing much, but I am still at a relatively warm temperature and he can go much cooler. I am not entirely sure it's anchor worm, is there anything else it could be from the description?


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## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

So the newt got about as low as 5-6 degrees Celsius for 3 days. I am waking him up from his almost comatose state, his anchorworm seems to be just in need of a good shed to get rid of, as it shriveled and stopped growing.

I'll let you know how it goes, the awakening won't be as sexy as the new kate beckinsale movie and could be less successful, but I bet he gets in lots of fights tonight and sheds rather soon.


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## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

Update: He shed as soon as he was in warmer temps. There is no sign of anchorworm or any other parasite, in this tank at least (damn guppies being so lousy at living...)


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

That's good!


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

That's right, freeze the poor guy, pick at his eye, and set him off to fight and get toasty. So humane  

(I am totally kidding)

It's really cool that you were able to get rid of it. How is the eye? Does he appear to have any sight difficulties (in which we could add blinding him and then attempting to get him to eat to the above tragic string of humane actions LOL).


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## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

It's hard to tell. The eye itself is intact, but they are pretty eye-sight depleted to begin with. They hunt and communicate mostly by smell. So if he did go blind, he sure hasn't noticed it as much. The parasite was actually just above his eye, but it was close enough.


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