Sick axolotl needs help or new home - fl

Hi guys.

I just joined this because I need help.

A few months ago I bought an axolotl at a pet store because he was cute and because the lady working there said they were low maintenance. Since then I have learned not to believe people working in pet stores. I bought him to go in a fish tank and I was told the only thing I needed to purchase was blood worms. At the pet store the axolotl was housed with gravel and other fish so I assumed that everything would be fine.

I put him (or her) in the fish tank with other fish at first, but decided to check into anything else he may need. I did not expect I would have to purchase a new tank and if I had known before I bought him, I probably wouldn't have gotten him. But I had already grown attached so I spent some on a new tank.

I'm a college student so I don't really have the funds to care for him, but I really tried to do what I could. I thought a new tank would make him happier but recently I found wounds on his back. They are stringy looking and I believe that it's fungal. After doing more research I realized that the Florida heat probably didn't help the situation.

Right now he is living in the fridge and I am giving him salt baths daily. I am trying my best, but this breaks my heart. I love my little axolotl and I really don't want to accidentally kill him. It is the worst thing knowing that I probably caused his suffering.

I need help. I would be willing to give him to anyone with the knowledge and funds to properly care for him. I will try my hardest to care for him if no one can take him, but I need advice. I am clueless and terrified that I will kill him

Please help me.

Stop giving him salt baths daily. That will probably do more damage than good at this point. Moving him to the fridge was probably a good idea.

I hope someone can help you!

Pictures of your little one will help the experts to figure out what is going on and provide advice.

these are his wounds. please let me know what you think.

The salth baths are prolly giving him those wounds brother. Put it down, thats brutal to look at. Its always your responsibility to do the proper research before you buy a pet.

Unfortunately, people often are mislead by poor advice given by pet shops. This experience will have given you an opportunity to understand the importance of doing your own research on any pet you buy and not rush into acquiring that animal until you have ensured you can provide the basic care requirements of that animal and that you can commit to that animal for the life of that pet.

Onto the wounds, axolotls have amazing healing abilities. I would not be too quick to jump to euthanising just yet. Keep him in cool, clean, dechlorinated water and do 100% daily water changes. It may be easier to keep a second tub pre-prepared each day to transfer him into to minimise stress. I don't think fridging is necessary as long as you can keep him cool (I believe they heal best at around 10degrees Celsius). A black tea bath may help soothe the skin which also has mild antibacterial and antifungal properties. Other more experienced members may be able to offer further (or better) advice.

I agree with everything Skudo09 says, no need to put him down because of an injury just yet! but living in florida I'm having trouble keeping the temp down too, you could try fans on top of the tank but it's pretty humid where I am at least and they don't seem to help much, luckily I can just keep my ac cranked way down! if that's not an option for you you could try rotating out frozen water bottles to keep the tank cooler... It looks more like an injury that got a fungal infection/ simply got infected to me (I could be totally wrong though) but for now probably clean cool water would help

Could those threads around the wounds be anchor worms,,,,,seeing as it was housed with fish?

charleybambino said:

Could those threads around the wounds be anchor worms,,,,,seeing as it was housed with fish?

Click to expand...

I don't believe so. It looks less wormy and more filmy. I think it might be fungus actually. It's grown a bit, but I've been changing the water daily.

This has been a valuable learning experience about researching pets before purchasing. I'm trying my best to take care of him, but I would really appreciate if someone more experienced could take him in. I just feel terrible that my actions have caused him so much pain but I appreciate the input everyone has given me.

It definitely looks like fungus to me and much worse. I would consider salt baths at this stage but be sure to read the salt bath tutorial in the sick axolotl section of this forum to ensure you are doing the baths correctly. Salt baths are very irritating and stressful so it is important to give them correctly. I have posted links to a the salt bath tutorial and another link on fungus that may help.

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...axolotl/72698-salt-bath-picture-tutorial.html

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...-axolotl-general-discussion/96018-fungus.html

I figured it would be important to give an update about my axolotl. Thank you all for the input. I was able to keep him alive long enough to find another owner who was a bit more experienced. I decided that she would be able to give him the care he needed. It breaks my heart to give him away, but she has told me that he is already doing better. She has agreed to keep me up to date on his condition. I should have done more research before I got him, but I am so happy to have gotten him out of that pet store where he was housed with other fish & pebbles. Even though he was injured and sick in my care, I now believe he has a chance to thrive. I appreciate all the support I got from everyone on this website. I don't think he would have survived without the input I got here.