Nematodes?!? =(

[MourningGory]

When I woke up yesterday morning I began changing my Ts water only to notice my young G. Pulchra's water cap looked to have very very tiny white worm like things in it. So right off I changed the water and checked later that evening,and there they were again. Today I've switched his enclosure completely,gave him clean substrate,and a new water dish. My other T shows no signs of any problems at all. So is there anything else I should be doing? Is it a definite that my little beauty is sick? Hes still eating and otherwise seems healthy. No signs of dehydration. His legs aren't crumpled at all either. Could it be something else? Thank you in advance for any advice you all maybe able to give. I'm still new to the hobby and I can hardly sleep or concentrate with all that's going on. I guess you could say I'm pretty upset.:cry:

 

[kristinnandbenn]

I don't know much about nematodes, but I would say quarantine your pulchra from the rest of your collection, and change your feeders to be safe.

 

[jbm150]

Could be phorid fly maggots if they're wormlike. If they're tiny white specks, likely springtails. I don't think it's much to be worried about yet, keep an eye on your T and report back any new observations

 

[PsychoSpider]

If the spider is still eating, it most likely does not have nematodes. Does it keep its palps curled under its fangs? From my experiences with nematodes the spider keeps its palps curled under its fangs. Another things to check for would be a white mass on the spiders mouth. Like I said, if its still eating it most likely doesn't have nematodes. Still, don't take the chance, quarantine the spider until you can determine it isn't nematodes. I had nematodes in my collection last year, and it killed off a good portion of my collection. Good luck

 

[MourningGory]

Thank you,thank you,thank you for all the information.At this time I have quarantined him until I'm certain of the situation.His palps are fine and his appetite is great.When I thought it could be nematodes the first thing I did was check his mouth area for any signs of infection and saw nothing.I know you shouldn't "assume" but I just thought maybe it was the beginning stages so I wouldn't be seeing that too much yet.I'll keep you all posted on his progress,and thank you again for putting this newbies mind at ease.:biggrin:

 

[PsychoSpider]

Thank you,thank you,thank you for all the information.At this time I have quarantined him until I'm certain of the situation.His palps are fine and his appetite is great.When I thought it could be nematodes the first thing I did was check his mouth area for any signs of infection and saw nothing.I know you shouldn't "assume" but I just thought maybe it was the beginning stages so I wouldn't be seeing that too much yet.I'll keep you all posted on his progress,and thank you again for putting this newbies mind at ease.:biggrin:

No problem, I lost a lot of T's to nematodes, so I'm very glad yours doesn't seem to be infected with them. Still, keep him quarantined for a little while and keep an eye on him. Keep us updated, feel free to ask any questions if you have any.

 

[ZergFront]

Exactly what psycho said. If you ever get the oppurtunity to look in the mouth, do so. If it doesn't have white stuff, they are probably just phorid fly larvae or even the larger more harmless nematodes in the substrate. There are other types of nematodes besides the ones that invade animals. I've had a couple that mind their own in the soil.

 

[MourningGory]

Well it has been awhile and I think it's safe to say my baby is doing just fine and seems quiet healthy. He actually just molted earlier this week and looks beautiful! Thanks again to everyone who responded.

 

[Ivymike1973]

Glad to hear your little buddy is OK

 

[paassatt]

I've noticed that a lot of my spiders will defecate in their water dishes, and after some time as the feces breaks down in the water, it'll start to resemble little worm-like creatures. Perhaps your problem was poop in the water dish all along?