Illness/Sickness: Red Axolotl

Hi guys, question on a very stressed axolotl. I was switching over my axolotl's tank to a larger one and after breaking down the smaller tank I ended up with an issue with the larger one so I place my axolotl in a one gallon tub with the intention of doing water changes to keep him happy while I fixed the new tank. I figured since I had one once that had gotten lost in the mail for ten days and suffered no ill effects that a day or so in the tub would be fine. Previous tank was 15 gallons, new one is 29.

The next morning (so about 15 hours in the tub, and a water change before bed) he looked awful. Covered in a stress slime coat, curled tail, and very red. For the past two days I've been keeping him in the tub doing 90-100% water changes two to three times a day, stress coat, and tea bath (no salt). I use a temp gun to determine the water tub and the temp of the water going into the tub (which I also leave on the counter) to make sure no temp shock.

This is a picture from just now in his tub (the background is the counter seen through the clear tub). He looks a LOT better, however he's still clearly very stressed and red in places he shouldn't be. Two days ago his eyes looked all sunken in due to the slime on him. He's still moving, I just tried feeding him before doing a water change but he showed no interest (very unlike him).

He has always had small gills, and he is a 'blue' gill so that really dark almost black in his gills is also normal.

The new tank has been running with some StressZyme and some of the original tank's sand for about two days (also has some live plants).

QUESTION: Is it better to keep him in the hospital tub and continue doing the water changes, stress coat, and tea baths until he looks 100% better or is the tub just causing more stress and should I try to get him back to full health in the tank itself?

My house is very cold so the tub temp is 60 degrees. I use well water that he's always been happy with.

Having done more research it is looking like this is septicemia and not just an extreme stress reaction. Will be continuing treatment in tub with an antibiotic recommended by local exotic shop.

I hope that the antibiotics are helping.
Please keep us posted on progress.
Good luck.

I would start looking for a vet to get a professional medical opinion, it could be the difference between life and death

12 hours in a 25% dilution of Furan-2 solution (made solution full strength for fish then diluted it 25%) have done wonders for little Gagnog: Destroyer of Worlds!

He's not as red (the pink hue from his sides is almost gone), he's holding his tail out, he swam over when I opened the tub lid rather than just laying there, and most importantly he ate with gusto.

I've been doing my water changes by having two tubs so I can just set up the clean one, then I use a coffee cup to scoop him up and move him so he's never out of the water.

I'm dropping the tea bath treatment and bumped up the Furan-2 solution to a little under 50% dilution.

I will get pictures tonight.

From my understanding some axolotls can have an allergic reaction to the aloe in stress coat? I'm not sure if you have been using that this entire time so I may be wrong on that!

Also is the tubs temperature staying cool enough? You or someone else might have mentioned this already and I could have missed it I am just throwing out some ideas.
Edit - sorry I noticed you said 60 degrees, whoops. Maybe the fridge may help a little bit? Fridging guide link:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...ick-axolotl/85263-axolotl-fridging-guide.html

The vet is never a bad idea though and I hope the little cutie feels better soon!

Best

That's a good thought but the stress coat was only added about half a day after I found him in such distress. Although hearing this I will drop the stress coat and stick to the Furan-2.

I think what really happened was the fact that for the past year I've kept in him in a tank with too much sand on the bottom (about five inches in place due to the landscaping that I did) and although I was doing water changes I think that sand built up a healthy bacteria load which was all well and good until I removed some of the decor for the new tank and disturbed it. I think he started to get sick then while still in the tank and then the stress of the tub tipped him over the edge.

His new tank which is cycling has only 1/2 an inch of sand so I can keep it cleaner.

The tub temp is 60-62 as I keep my house very cold this time of year (I'm strange, I like it cold).

He was looking *so* much better this morning, and eating. I think the Furan-2 is working.

I honestly trust this reptile store more than any of my local vets. My reptile store actually deals with axolotls and the vets around here really do cats, dogs, and the occasional reptile.

Here he is this afternoon. He's certainly not 'healed' and is still red, but it's not nearly as mottled or pronounced. Also acting more alert.

I will keep you posted on him!

The red has receded further and he's getting more annoyed with being in a small space. He may have to hang in the tub for a while though, his gill filaments really took a beating through all this. He's always had small tentacles and fairly small filaments but they are pretty damaged now, not sure how long it will take for them to grow back in.

Off to work, pics when I get home.

Very active this afternoon, he ate again (good boy).

Face red has receded, and you can't see the veins in his body with the same definition as before, although they are still visible on his feet. Some of the mottling on his face is his color, he's a slightly dirty face lue. His gills are going to need some time regrow.

The light conditions aren't the same but he is doing so much better. Keeping up with the Furan-2 and two to three times a day water changes for another two days.

Now:



Before:

Still doing well. Ate like a pig tonight. Going to keep up the Furan-2 for a day after all the red is gone (it's almost gone today) then switch over to a very dilute Melafix while his gills are healing up and growing back.

Seems to be healing well. I would have still spoken to a vet for professional advice before administering furan-2 or melafix just to be safe

He's doing very well, I'm very pleased.

I know this is a hot topic around here but honestly I don't feel all that safe taking an amphibian to a vet particularly a rarer one like an axolotl. There is no saying if their advice would be based on experience or not. Someone on my reptile forum took their snake to a self-proclaimed reptile vet and that vet couldn't even identify the snakes claspers and 'diagnosed' this perfectly normal part of a snake's anatomy as extroverted hemipenes. I'm not saying there are no good exotic vets out there but they are far and few between and very difficult to find.

I trust the reptile store, they work with axolotl, they knew what the condition was and had treated it in the past. Furan-2 also comes highly recommended on axolotls dot org.

He ate again today, the red is almost gone. He's prowling around like his old self.

All better and having fun exploring his new tank which cycled easily thanks to the sand from the other tank.

You can't see his veins any more, all the redness is gone, he's active and eating like a pig to put back on some of the weight he lost. The gills will take some more time, but he's not dashing to the surface so they must still be working.

Again he's a 'blue gill' so the dark on his gills is pigment and normal for him.

This pic is cropped so the tank looks smaller, but it's a 29 gallon, to see the whole tank visit the tank's thread: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f1173-...etc/107846-axolotl-paludarium.html#post473354

Quick update! My little guy is doing great. Very active in his new home and his gills have grown back some of thier filliments.

I'm glad he is all better and that tank is beautiful!!

Thank you! He loves to explore it.

One last update! Look at those gills!!