Diagnostic Exercise: Fluffy, White, Cotton Candy-Like Growth on the Gills, Fins, and Skin of Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum)

A colony of 30 salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) was housed at the University of Chicago in a tank containing 240 gallons of water. Tap water was treated with a commercially available water conditioner (AmQuel, Kordon, Hayward, Calif) at the rate of 5 ml of product/10 gallons of water to remove ammonia, chlorine, and chloramine. Another product (NovAqua, Kordon, Hayward, Calif) also was added to the water at the same rate to remove zinc, copper, and chlorine, to act as a buffer and maintain pH in range of 7 to 7.5, and to provide a protective slime coating that is recommended for many aquatic species. Water was maintained at 15 to 20 degree C with a thermostatically controlled immersion cooler (Instant Ocean, Aquatic Systems, Mentor, Ohio), and circulated continuously in a closed system at 600 gal/h by a silent aquatic pump (Quiet One, Rainbow Lifeguard Aquatic Products, El Monte, Calif) through a micron filter (Magnum, Marineland, Moorpark, Calif) treated with a diatomaceous earth filter powder (Diatom Aquarium Filter Powder, Vortex Products, Ponce de Leon, Fla). The filter was changed and recharged with diatomaceous earth powder every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and each week two-thirds of the water was drained, replaced, and treated as described.