# Help with Pumilio Eggs



## milez803 (Jun 10, 2009)

I just realize that i see white clear worms over the eggs of my pumilio, out of 8 or 7 eggs, i only see 3 left, not even sure if these three are gonna survive, these are the first set of eggs i seen so far. Any advice how to get rid of these worms that is attacking my froggie egg? 

Milez


----------



## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

they will only get to the eggs which are already bad. no need for concern. they are most likely some form of nemeretan worm. as your frogs begin to produce healthy eggs, you will see that they remain unaffected by the worms

james


----------



## milez803 (Jun 10, 2009)

thanks for the advice, i believe this is the first set of eggs they produce, i was hoping to be lucky and have at least couple tads make it. (First eggs, leuc don't want to call or produce any). If the worm no longer appear on the eggs and there are still some egg left, i can assume those are good eggs left?


Milez


----------



## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

only time will tell

james


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

james67 said:


> they will only get to the eggs which are already bad. no need for concern. they are most likely some form of nemeretan worm. as your frogs begin to produce healthy eggs, you will see that they remain unaffected by the worms
> 
> james


 
*cough* free living nematode *cough*

Ed


----------



## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

im not sure what your getting at ed.

as i understand it most free living nematodes are not predatory (or feed on bacteria)

from MY experience i have yet to find nemerteans parasitising fertile developing eggs. i find it much more likley that these are feeding on bacteria or fungi that have already infected the eggs.

perhaps you can shed some more light on this for me?

james


----------



## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

He means they're a _completely_ different branch of the animal tree to Nemerteans. Free living nematode worms include "Grindal Worms" and "White Worms". Two different phyla.


----------



## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

As I understand it, you're talking two different critters here. A Nematode is the harmless critter you are referring to.
Kingdom: Animalia
clade: Nematoida
Phylum: Nematoda
A Nemertean can attack and kill live things and can wreak havok with our microfauna populations. 
Kingdom: Animalia
Superphylum: Lophotrochozoa
Phylum: Nemertea


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Free living nematodes can attack infertile or decomposing eggs as well as potentially feed on the jelly mass surrounding the eggs (or on the microbes that begin to degrade it). 

If your interested you can get some of the chemical composition here http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/38064/1/1401660111_ftp.pdf 

It is unlikely to be nemerteans as there isn't much for them to target.... and free living nematodes rapidly colonize any food source that is touching a moist surface.... 

Ed


----------



## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

Nemertea
Nematoda

gotcha  

sorry i had some classifaication issues in my head where i was under the impression nematoda was a sub categoty of nemertea.

thanks cor the clarification.
james


----------



## milez803 (Jun 10, 2009)

thanks for all the information, as of today, all the eggs are gone.. so i assume this first batch of egg all went bad..even thou it look kind of healthy..i guess wait for 2nd batch... thanks again for the knowledge..! 


Milez


----------



## parkanz2 (Sep 25, 2008)

Sorry to hear that Milez. Here's to many viable batches in the future!

When you have a "catastrophe" in one of the lay sites like this, is it best to remove the lay site and sanitize to be safe? Or if an egg is healthy, it shouldn't have any trouble with any residuals?

Thanks


----------



## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

pumilio eggs are nearly impossible to raise outside of the enclosure. they rely on parental care and successes without it are few and far between. in this case removing the eggs would have accomplished nothing.

james


----------



## parkanz2 (Sep 25, 2008)

james67 said:


> pumilio eggs are nearly impossible to raise outside of the enclosure. they rely on parental care and successes without it are few and far between. in this case removing the eggs would have accomplished nothing.
> 
> james


If you were replying to me, I didn't mean removing eggs. I meant sanitizing the deposition site after the eggs that were laid there died. As a biosecurity measure. It's probably not really significant, just curious on what people generally practice for "intra-tank biosecurity"


----------



## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

i guess i misread/ misinterpreted what you were saying. ive seen no issue with leaving the area alone (but thats just my personal experience)

james


----------



## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I would agree. Sounds like the Nematodes did a fine job cleaning up the site.


----------

