FAQ: Deworming your axolotl

Today we're talking about deworming!

One of the questions we receive most frequently is, "How often do I need to deworm my axolotl, and what should I use to deworm them?"

First, let’s start with the basics.

Deworming is the process of using medication to eliminate intestinal or other parasites, or worms.

Gross, we know. 🤢 But necessary.

So, what do I need to deworm my axolotl?

There are a few things you’ll need to deworm your axolotl:

1. A food-grade plastic tub at least the size of a shoebox; your tub should have a hide of some kind, an air stone, a way to keep the temperature in the correct range, and a cover or some way to cover it to prevent jumping - some axolotls are not fans of being tubbed!

2. A five gallon bucket, tub, or aquarium for holding/mixing your deworming water; you'll need to have it available for at least 6 days, so find a good spot where it won't be in the way!

3. Clean, cool, dechlorinated water (we recommend using Seachem Prime to dechlorinate your water, as it does not contain aloe; aloe is toxic for axolotls - learn more in our other post here)

4. PraziPro parasite treatment

Okay, I have all the stuff, so… now what?

This is the process we use to deworm axolotls here at LLA:

Step 1: First, fill a 5 gallon container (we use a 5 gallon bucket 🪣 like the ones you can find at hardware stores) with cool, dechlorinated water

Step 2: Add 1/8th teaspoon of PraziPro to the bucket and stir it in.

Step 3: Tub your axolotl like you would if you took them out of the tank for any other reason, but fill the tub with water from your 5 gallon PraziPro mixture.

Step 4: Replace the PraziPro-treated water in your tub daily with water from your PraziPro bucket mixture. Do this for six days. (Don't forget to use your turkey baster to remove any poops, or replace the tub water with fresh PraziPro mix if the water gets dirty, even if 24 hours hasn't passed since your last water change.)

If you run out of PraziPro water mixture, you can mix another 5 gallons!

Okay, that’s great… but when should I deworm my axolotl?

Here at LLA, we deworm every axolotl when they come in as part of our standard intake process. If you feed live or frozen worms, or any other type of live food, we recommend deworming your axolotl at least once every six months, just to be safe and keep them healthy!

In many cases, the first signs you will see in your axolotl if they are suffering from parasites is a decrease in their appetite, or even a refusal to eat completely. As time passes, their gill floofs will deteriorate (even in perfectly clean, cycled aquarium water), and then they will begin to noticeably lose weight.

We recommend deworming regularly, whether your axolotl is showing these signs or not, because waiting until they do display these signs can make an otherwise treatable situation deadly if let go for too long.