Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

Illness/Sickness: Axylotl not himself

HeidiP

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Location
Rosewood, Australia
Hi all
My daughters Axy hasn't been himself for about 8 weeks, he eating very minimal amts and has gone off all the foods that he loved worms, raw meat & pellets. We had to replace his filter about 4wks ago which ended up stressing him out as it was too high flow so it is turned off.. Have tested ph etc levels and all is normal..He has lost a little bit of weight and isn't his active curious self. He just stays in his cave. He was standing in his tank and noticed this patch on his cloaca, does anyone know what it is.. Axyl is 4yr old, we've had him 3 years. Many thanks
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    78.9 KB · Views: 169

Skudo09

Active member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Messages
1,146
Reaction score
20
Location
Australia
The It may be best to seek veterinary treatment. The blackened cloacal region may suggest parasites possibly.

By replacing your filter and media and switching the filter off you will have likely disrupted the nitrogen cycle. Could you post parameter readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH and temperature?

I recommend removing the gravel substrate. Gravel has potential to be accidentally swallowed and may cause constipation or impaction and in worst cases can be fatal. Bare bottom or fine silica based sands are better alternatives.

What meats are you feeding? If mammalian meat, I would discontinue feeding these meats. They are not a natural source of food for axolotls and may be difficult to digest and are not the most nutritious options. Stick with earthworms and axolotl pellets.
 

HeidiP

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Location
Rosewood, Australia
Our local vet has no idea about axy's.. .. I did ask him a few months ago to acquaint himself with them. Will try and find Axy vet here in Australia.. He has been feeding prime beef steak as he started to refuse earthworms and axolotl pellets about 5mths ago.He has been on large gravel for 3 years,but will get new sand substrate for him he hates a bare glass bottom, worked that out not long after we got him.. What sort of parasite do you think it may be? Tested water during week (turned filter off weeks ago once we realised it was stressing him) and levels normal for axy's as per John's axolotl.org site. We turn it on occasionally during day for about 5 min as it causes him to retreat to cave... Filters off now and he's out... What about mealworms as a food to try? Many thanks H
 

Skudo09

Active member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Messages
1,146
Reaction score
20
Location
Australia
Unfortunately it can be hard to find vets with experience with axolotls as they are not commonly seen in vet clinics. I don't know exactly what kind of parasites but a vet could examine a faecal sample to determine if parasites are present and what type they may be.

Beef steak is not the best nutritionally and may be difficult to digest. What type of earthworms have you offered? If the red wigglers, these produce a particularly foul tasting substance that may be a factor. You could try some European nightcrawlers if you can find some. Some BCF stores sell catchall crawlers bait worms which are European nightcrawlers. But I don't know if you have access to a store that sells these. Mealworms are ok as an occasional treat but their chitin or hard exoskeleton can be difficult to digest and may cause constipation if fed too often. You could try some Fish Co Fuel Company axolotl food frozen cubes. These are not exactly considered here as the highest quality but I have had success with these in the past. You would need to defrost them first.

Could you post the exact readings of the parameters? I am concerned that the change of filter and not running the filter may have caused your cycle to crash which will not help the situation. If the outflow is too strong, you could place something in front of the filter outlet to baffle the flow a little such as an ornament. Some have used sponges which may help. Here is a link on the nitrogen cycle and cycling aquariums.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml


Some people have kept axolotls on gravel without issue but it is taking a risk that just is not worth it when there are safer options available.
 

HeidiP

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Location
Rosewood, Australia
Just tested water
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ph 7.2
Water temp sitting at 24 C bit too high dropped in ice bottles.
The common garden earthworms were always dug from our garden, we don't use pesticides or chemical fertilisers. Will change substrate next weekend, don't want to unnecessarily stress him further...
Went into a shop to get new filter, lower output, was talking to owner about dilemma and straight asked him if he knew anything about axy's , his answer was yes.. Showed him the photo of axyls bum, he said not parasitic but he had one come into store from breeder with same condition and it died. He is going to contact them tomorrow, it's Sunday here, and will ring me asap. He seems to think it will need antibiotic treatment but he will let me know. Hopefully I can save him as my daughter & I will be devastated. He also mentioned constipation and peas will help with that.
I did buy a tub of mealworms, cracked the head off but he wasn't interested. Bought new Axy pellets as well, not interested either.
I put the diffuser bar on filter and turned on side and it has slowed flow immensely and he's not retreating to cave nor bending his tail...
Cheers H
 

Skudo09

Active member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Messages
1,146
Reaction score
20
Location
Australia
Oh my goodness, my apologies, I didn't realise I had not added that it could be a sign of a bacterial infection. However, again, this is best seen by a vet and antibiotics may be required. Be careful using any fish remedies from stores as many are toxic to axolotls,

With no sign of nitrate, I would be suspicious that your tank is not cycled. Watch the parameters very closely as spikes of ammonia and nitrite are likely to occur during the process.

Yes, the temperature is too high. Ice bottles unfortunately are not the most reliable method of cooling though and unless you are extremely diligent in changing the bottles over to fresh ones before they melt completely, it can be difficult to maintain a consistent temperature. Temperature fluctuations can be just as stressful as the very high temperature. Do you have a fan or two you could place so they blow across the water surface? This would be a better method. You could also wrap damp towels around the outside of the tank.
 

HeidiP

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Location
Rosewood, Australia
Mucked up nitrate reading is at 5pp not 0
There is a vet in woollongong that may be able to help as well, will wait to hear back from breeders through shop I visited. I imagine that they will have seen this before and know what to do. They will also advise what medication to use. I would be very hesitant using over the counter remedies from pet shop. I want expert knowledge. As I said in my first post , I would be devastated to lose him.
Temp is below 20 deg C now and will maintain it, we keep a large supply of ice bottles in freezer and are diligent in swapping them during Qld summers..
I read on axolotl.org that John uses a slimecoat that contains aloe Vera and that is has antibiotic qualities. Would really like his thoughts on it as well, if he has seen this before...
Thank you so much for your help so far Skudo09..
Cheers H
 

HeidiP

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Location
Rosewood, Australia
Update..
Am fridging him, air conditioned bedroom, and his demeanour has changed, his gills are fluffed up again, he's alert and he is eating earthworms, 2 small ones, he even started to stalk them before he sucked them up..yay . I have had no luck with a diagnosis of black rash, despite phone calls & emailed photos of it to specialist vets here in Qld. They all want me to bring him in to them, I have explained I am happy to pay for phone consultation, but I don't want to stress him further at the moment. I have searched internet trying to find a reference to it, all I can find is a colour change as they mature, he is 4ish and I don't think this is the case but not sure actually..
I have a wine fridge I can borrow from a friend and set it to exact temp which I will get tomorrow. Was recommended to me as an alternative to tank chillers as they are very very expensive here$600+.
Have offered him a pea half as that may clear a blockage, if he has one..don't think so..
Have cleaned his tank completely and am cycling a new lower output filter.
Have also put some weed in there to help it cycle,
Will see what happens over next few days..
Cheers H
 

Skudo09

Active member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Messages
1,146
Reaction score
20
Location
Australia
I know you don't want to cause him further stress but it is very difficult for vets to diagnose without seeing the axolotl. It may be necessary to take him into the vet. However it is good that he is showing some improvement.

I don't think that he is constipated, The symptoms you have described are not suggestive of constipation. Peas are usually something recommended and good for fish but I am not sure if they hold the same benefit for axolotls. Earthworms are actually good for constipation.

Chillers are expensive but are the ultimate cooling method. I have clip on fans that seem to work well and on the very hot days damp towels around the tank helps.

How did you clean the tank out?
 

HeidiP

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Location
Rosewood, Australia
It's my daughter responsibility and she does filter rinse out, scoops out poop every weekend , partial water change every 2-3 weeks and then full clean out only when algae starts to grow on sides and rocks, about every 3-4mths.
A full clean is move Axl to temp tank and empty tank out and scrub the glass with soft scourer kept especially for him, hose and scrub rocks and his cave. Refill with aged water and voila full clean.. Have been doing this for the 3 years we've had him.
She is fastidious with not leaving uneaten food in there, he is hand fed so nothing is left in there.
We have a glass top on tank (we have cats, not that they are interested in him, still don't want to take a chance) , what do you have on yours to prevent axy's getting out and allow fans to cool water? Some sort of grid?
Cheers H
 

Skudo09

Active member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Messages
1,146
Reaction score
20
Location
Australia
Do you use dechlorinated water to rinse the filter?

I made a fabric mesh lid as the airflow makes it easier to keep cooler. Glass lids will keep the heat in more. I have cats as well but they have shown no interest and would not likely get to them if they even tried.
 

HeidiP

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Location
Rosewood, Australia
No not tap water, she uses a couple of scoops of the tank water then discards dirty water so it doesn't kill the biological filter. What sort of clip on fans do you use? Can you pop a photo up and of the mesh lid please.
I will try and make one for the tank.. Many thanks
 

Skudo09

Active member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Messages
1,146
Reaction score
20
Location
Australia
It is just nylon mesh bought from lincraft or any fabric store and I have cable tied it to some bamboo stalks on either side. I will post a photo up to show you what I mean. The downside is that it can get a bit dusty so it is good to give it a clean occasionally but it works well.

The clip on fans are from the link below. They work surprisingly well but you may need to use them in conjunction with other methods like damp towels around the tank. But they are effective.

Cooling Fan Double 12V | Guppy's Aquarium Products Online
 

Skudo09

Active member
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Messages
1,146
Reaction score
20
Location
Australia
Ok so hopefully you can see the mesh in the photo and how it is put together. It is kind of makeshift but it works and I am sure it could be done a bit more stylish as well haha but I just haven't got around to making it look a bit nicer. So I have the bamboo rods on either side and a couple of them to weight the mesh down enough so it sits nicely on top. I just used cable ties but you could get creative and sew them in if you have some time and a sewing machine.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    90.6 KB · Views: 114

AxolotlChris

New member
Joined
May 15, 2015
Messages
1,073
Reaction score
15
Location
Hertfordshire, England
A full clean is move Axl to temp tank and empty tank out and scrub the glass with soft scourer kept especially for him, hose and scrub rocks and his cave.

Not sure if you are aware but when you scrub and clean ornaments, rocks, and other items in your tank this can affect your nitrogen cycle as it will kill/remove colonies of the bacteria that feeds off the Ammonia and Nitrites. Also, doing 100% water changes removes all Ammonia and Nitrites that were available so any bacteria you do have in your tank has nothing to feed off. Obviously you've done the same procedures for the last 3 years so perhaps there are other surfaces in the tank that hold the bacteria and perhaps your filter still contains enough to seed the tank but from most examples I've seen from other users it seems that deep cleans and changing 100% water usually damage the cycle.

You also said you went to a shop to get a new filter, has this been installed? If so did you rinse the new filter media with the old filter media?

Hope everything works out for you and your Axolotl!
 

HeidiP

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Location
Rosewood, Australia
Update..
He's back to his old self eating again, the black "rash" has all but disappeared. Still don't know what caused it.
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top