Tiger Salamander Has Scoliosis?

[Earthling84]

I have 2 tiger salamanders. They are currently in a 29gallon freshwater aquarium. I have tested the water and nitrates (-10) / nitrites (0) / hardness (200) / ph (6.8)

They are in the tank with a gourami, firebelly newt, and african claw frog.

About 2 weeks ago, I noticed one of the tiger salamanders swimming quite oddly. Twisting fast and swimming as if he couldn't control where he was going. After closer inspection it looks like his spine is bent/crooked. Near his tail end it moves out to the side then comes back in, like a sliver moon shape. He can control where he swims, he goes up for air and gulps it fine, and gets up on the turtle docks and sits on them. I have also seen him eating crickets.

I've had him since he was a waterdog, before he lost his gills. Back then he had no problems, and a straigt spine. He lost his gills about 1 month ago, and about 2 weeks ago, or maybe closer to just a week ago is when I first noticed him acting weird.

here's a picture of one of my two salamanders(not a pic of the spine, sorry, I should get a pic I guess)
he is cute - http/www.tabsite.net/fish/DSC_0163.JPG

 

[ALEXF]

I have 2 tiger salamanders. They are currently in a 29gallon freshwater aquarium. I have tested the water and nitrates (-10) / nitrites (0) / hardness (200) / ph (6.8)

They are in the tank with a gourami, firebelly newt, and african claw frog.

About 2 weeks ago, I noticed one of the tiger salamanders swimming quite oddly. Twisting fast and swimming as if he couldn't control where he was going. After closer inspection it looks like his spine is bent/crooked. Near his tail end it moves out to the side then comes back in, like a sliver moon shape. He can control where he swims, he goes up for air and gulps it fine, and gets up on the turtle docks and sits on them. I have also seen him eating crickets.

I've had him since he was a waterdog, before he lost his gills. Back then he had no problems, and a straigt spine. He lost his gills about 1 month ago, and about 2 weeks ago, or maybe closer to just a week ago is when I first noticed him acting weird.

here's a picture of one of my two salamanders(not a pic of the spine, sorry, I should get a pic I guess)
he is cute - [URL="http/www.tabsite.net/fish/DSC_0163.JPG"]http/www.tabsite.net/fish/DSC_0163.JPG[/URL]

wow imagine that, you of all people having problems with your animals.... hmmm

 

[Earthling84]

I highly doubt his condition is in any way linked with the tank. The only thing I can think is maybe the moray eel bit him one night? He is no longer housed with the moray eel. There are no flesh wounds so I don't know if that is a possibility.

Also, a couple months ago when they were water dogs, I first started feeding them bloodworms. I noticed they sometimes gulped up gravel when trying to eat. I am not sure if they swallowed some gravel, but it seemed to me like they might have. Since then I've only fed feeder fish which prevents this problem. Could the rocks from 2 months ago be causing problems now, if he even did swallow them? I don't know how they would bend his spine tho... Is odd, any ideas? The other tiger is just fine, happy and eagerly ate crickets today(the bent one also ate crickets today)

 

[Corleone]

Googling the symptoms brought up a few things about infections, almost all of which are very serious, as well as parasites and tumors.

It could very well have a lot to do with the tank conditions. Best case scenario, the brackish conditions were stressing him, not to mention being with tankmates that would likely make him feel threatened, and improper housing - they need fairly shallow water and after losing their gills, dry land access (not deep water with a small turtle dock at the top). Their temperature also shouldn't be allowed to get as high as the minimum for some of your other fish, so I'm betting he was outside of his 72 degree range?

So, lots of stressful conditions. Best case scenario, he's been under major stress, which will greatly reduce his resistance to any sort of disease.

 

[adam98150]

You mentioned him 'eating' gravel? Bowel impaction comes to mind, they can't digest gravel, and so it stays there. It tends to build up over time, creating problems in the future, these 'problems' are very severe.

Does he poop often?

 

[Earthling84]

I really have never seen either of them poop since I've first got them. They must do it quick when nobody is watching...

 

[Corleone]

With fish, I put them in a bare bottomed tank. It can be impossible to catch them in the act, but it's usually enough to see the end product.

 

[FrogNewt]

I agree with everyone else here--the cause is very likely impaction (swallowed gravel) although stress is almost certainly a huge factor. The trouble with the animals you listed is this:

Chinese Firebellied Newt: Native to China.

ACF: Africa.

Gourami: It depends on the type, but probably somewhere in Asia.

Tiger Salamanders: North American.

All of those environments may have wildly different climates, and more importantly, they most combat and carry different diseases. Introducing animals very distant to one another is always a risk, and these particular animals live in wildly different conditions. Clawed Frogs (which grow big enough to eat everything but a Tiger Salamander) are completely aquatic, as is the Gourami, whereas the Fire-bellied Newt needs about a half to a quarter of a land area, and a Tiger Salamander needs something more like 3/4 land and 1/4 water. Beyond that, the Tiger Salamander will more than likely end up eating the newt and Gourami, and if the clawed frog isn't small enough to be eaten, when he grows up he'll eat the newt and Gourami as well.

I'd recommend getting separate enclosures for the tiger and ACF immediately; the Gourami and FBN can probably stay together for a while.