Why Do Salamander Larvae Die?

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 12:41

Growing salamander larvae is not easy. Even the most experienced breeders will inevitably suffer losses. Many people, keen on their hobby, sadly watched as the entire brood of larvae perished. Why is this happening? In this article, we will try to answer this question.

Bear in mind that the death of any animal is the result of several factors acting together. In particular, stress is only a concomitant, not a major cause of death. Some of the reasons for the death of larvae given here are hypothetical. Each breeder has his own version of what caused the group of larvae to die.

Western tiger ambistoma larva (Ambystoma mavortium)

Environmental conditions

Water source. In most cases, standing tap water is perfect for breeding larvae. There is no definite answer to the question of which water is the best. Distilled water is not recommended. For some amphibian species, rainwater or spring water will work, but not for those who are accustomed to life in hard water. If the water does not contain chlorine and has a suitable pH level for the species, then it should be suitable for normal development of larvae.

Water quality. The increased levels of ammonia and nitrite in the water make it toxic. This happens if the water contains too many animals, is contaminated with food waste, or is rarely changed. In general, larvae need more frequent water changes for normal development than adult animals. The larvae tolerate 100% water changes freely if this happens every few days. After a few days, the chemical composition of the water begins to change, so the less often you change the water, the harder it is for the larvae to tolerate. If adult newts or salamanders forgive you the water that was not replaced in time, then the state of the larvae from this may worsen.

Compliance with cleanliness. Uneaten food residues must be removed daily (!). If food sticks to the inside of the container, then the larvae need to be transplanted into a clean container. If for some unknown reason a large number of larvae die at once, then the first thing to do is to move the survivors to another container with clean water.

Biological component. This factor is rather hypothetical. The mucus found on the surfaces of an aquarium with a steady nitrogen cycle contains beneficial bacteria. However, mucus that has begun to form in a new tank can become harmful, especially if there are many uneaten food particles left on the inner surface. In this case, transplanting the larvae into a new container and carefully cleaning the old one will prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

Ambistoma larvae Ambystoma barbouri

Temperature. Larvae react more strongly to inappropriate temperatures for this species than adults. Depending on the species, either too high or too low a temperature can be destructive.

The hardness and acidity (pH) of the water. Unfortunately, there is almost no information on what water parameters are required by different types of tailed amphibians. Typically, many species tolerate normal water well, but sometimes problems arise. You need to determine the pH level of your water and compare it to the conditions in which your charges usually live in their natural environment.

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Lack of aeration. Larvae kept in a deep aquarium without living plants and an additional source of oxygen may lack oxygen. The oxygen content in water is also influenced by the temperature of the water: the warmer the water, the less oxygen it contains.

Nutritional Problems

Lack of live food. There are cases when the larvae developed normally, eating only dry food. But the majority of breeders note that it is better to feed the larvae with live food during the first few weeks.

Larva of ringed ambistoma (Ambystoma annulatum)

Lack of favorite food. Some types of amphibians prefer certain types of food. Some, for example, prefer food that floats in the water column, while others like the one that sinks to the bottom. In addition, when a group of larvae is transferred to a new food, some individuals may begin to lag behind in development, since they adapt more slowly to new food than their counterparts. Lagging larvae are more likely to die from various reasons.

Lack of feed. Unlike adult animals, amphibian larvae cannot survive for several days without food. They should eat at least once a day and have access to live food.

Remains of feed. This is the main factor affecting water quality. The breeder must maintain a balance between the presence of fresh feed and perishable residues in the water.