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3 week old babies suddenly dying

Z

Zookeeper

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My 3 1/2 week old axoloti babies have suddenly started dying and I don't know why. They are feed BBS and the bigger ones in a different tank are also given finely chopped bloodworm. I do 100% water changes daily and removed any food particle that I see 3 hours after feeding them so they get partial water changes at that time. I am feeding them 2 sometimes 3 times a day and they have been thriving up until 2 days ago when I lost 0 babies in 1 tank overnight with another 20 babies dying during the day. The bigger babies in a different tank seemed to be doing okay until today when I lost more first 2. I have now lost all but 2 in the first tank and those in the second tank don't appear interested in eating. What am I doing wrong
 
keiko

keiko

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Could be either a water quality issue or some infectious disease. Have you cleaned the tubs they are in properly? Especially if they are in plastic tubs you need to rinse the tubs with hot water and wipe them clean every now and then to stop bacteria from growing in them as well as little bits of wastes sticking to the sides. If it's something infectious then it's important to keep them as separated as possible and avoid using the same tools in different tubs to stop it from spreading.
 
Z

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As the day has gone on they improved and started eating again. 1 of the smallest ones that I thought was close to death improved and became active again. I think it is the heat which has been 42 degrees outside over the past 3 days. I have them in air conditioning and whilst the parents are showing no signs of stress (I guess them being in a big tank makes a difference.) the babies are more fragile. I wash the containers well but not in hot water so will do this from now on. This is the first time trying to raise babies but have done a lot of research.
 
auntiejude

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In my experience the 4 week mark is when you'll get a die off. Those that aren't thriving, with genetic or congenital issues, those that have trouble feeding - all just seem to die in the space of a day or 2. Unfortunately it is nature's way of ensuring survival of the fittest. I lost half of one batch in one day - heartbreaking, but all of the rest survived to go to new homes.

All you can do is a thorough clean of your tubs, thin out the ones you have left so they are in smaller groups, and give them some TLC. It's nothing you have done, it's just one of those things.
 
Z

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Thanks for the responses. Only lost 1 overnight and it was the smallest baby ( 1/2 the size of the others) the rest seem to be doing well and eating again. Am air drying the containers and equipment after washing them in hot water now so hopefully that will help.
 
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