Illness/Sickness: Urgent... Injured Axolotl sucked into aquarium gravity vacuum

The injuries just happened within 30 minutes of this post.

My 6 week old Axolotl, Ares, was sucked up into the aquarium vacuum while cleaning the tank this evening. I had turned my back for a moment to grab something and when I turned around I didn't see him in the tank, he was smashed into the end of the vacuum suction. I immediately removed the water suction, but his left arm was stuck in the grating near the top.

His tail has been shredded, down to the cartilage and blood supply; his gills damaged, and he will not bear weight on his left arm. He had such lush, beautiful gills before. Now the gills on the left side of his head have been torn off and bent. I removed him from the tank with his two siblings in it, place him in a freshly cleaned 2.5gal aquarium with fresh water. Is there anything I can do? I feel terrible for what happened... I am quite attached to this little guy, even at 6 weeks. Below are photographs of his injuries...

Axolotls have amazing healing abilities. Maintaining high water quality will give the best chance for your axie to heal. So keep on top of checking the water parameters and regular water changes. It may be easier to place him in a tub of fresh, cool, dechlorinated water and do 100% water changes daily so you can monitor him carefully and ensure water quality is good. Keep an eye out for fungus (appears as white cotton wool like stuff) particularly where the injuries have been sustained.

Syphons can be lethal, use one with a bore large enough to take them on a ride without damaging them, or use one with a filter over the end ie a net. Dont be tempted to use a small bore, a young axolotl can get eviscerated easily if it gets stuck on th end.

I'm so sorry to hear what happened - one of my axxies got stuck to my siphon end once and I felt awful (all it did was take a layer off her slime coat, and she was a bit miffed with me). My Dad uses a tight/pop sock over the end of a siphon to stop babies or anything else getting sucked in, and it works quite well on filter grills too.

I don't know if this has been suggested yet, but you could also try a tea bath on top of what has been mentioned above - which is all sound advice. To tea bath, make a cup of tea with hot water (without milk or sugar) using a regular (not herbal or fruit) tea bag in a dark mug (the tannin tends to stain on the lighter mugs). Let it go cold. You can then add it to hospital tanks or tubs. It has no reported ill effects, tightens their pores, soothes their slime coats, prevents infection and calms them. I used it on a head wound for my male and within two days he was right as rain!

Petersgirl said:

I'm so sorry to hear what happened - one of my axxies got stuck to my siphon end once and I felt awful (all it did was take a layer off her slime coat, and she was a bit miffed with me). My Dad uses a tight/pop sock over the end of a siphon to stop babies or anything else getting sucked in, and it works quite well on filter grills too.

I don't know if this has been suggested yet, but you could also try a tea bath on top of what has been mentioned above - which is all sound advice. To tea bath, make a cup of tea with hot water (without milk or sugar) using a regular (not herbal or fruit) tea bag in a dark mug (the tannin tends to stain on the lighter mugs). Let it go cold. You can then add it to hospital tanks or tubs. It has no reported ill effects, tightens their pores, soothes their slime coats, prevents infection and calms them. I used it on a head wound for my male and within two days he was right as rain!

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It just happen to my wild axolotl baby not too long ago, the baby skin got ripped off on his back, I will keep in mind about tea bath next . Fantastic advice. Babies are very tough I thought he was a goner but he bounce back in a few hours later. Still keep close eyes on him though.