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Illness/Sickness: Sick Axolotl!

KelseyL

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Hi,
I have 2 axolotls; one is a leucistic and the other an albino both are GFP. They are my first axolotls and I have raised them from tiny tadpoles.
Recently I had both of them contract a fungus on their gills. (Unfortunately, it was completely my fault. The temperature in the tank got way too high during the day and I had also missed a cleaning).
I did a lot of research and started fridging them both in separate containers right away. I gave both of them salt baths twice a day following instructions on this forum and started to see results (the fungus and affected gills fell off); however, I noticed that my larger axoltol started getting blood spots on his tail and the other's unaffected gill started looking a little sad (loss of colour, and shrinkage). I read that salt baths can be pretty intense for them so I left them in the fridge but stopped the salt baths.
I continued to change the water everyday and they have been in the fridge for 1 week.Today I took them out for their daily water change and both of them look very green (I don't have any black lights)! In addition my larger axolotl looks very bloated and still has the blood spots on this tail (he had waste in his container which neither of them has had since the first day but the waste was also unusual. Normally he has solid, large... well poop, but today it was all loose sunk at the bottom). Both also don't seem to be healing really. The fungus is gone but they're not looking too pretty. I'm so confused and I don't know what to do! Do I continue putting them in them fridge? Do I take them out and keep them separated in warmer water?
Please help! There are no vets within miles of where I live who look at axolotls either so any info or suggestions you have I will take!
 

KelseyL

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British Columbia, Canada
Update:

Because they seem to be getting new symptoms in the fridge I decided to take them out to warm up a bit. They were in the fridge hovering around 5-7°C. I've kept them in separate containers overnight in a cold room to slowly return to temperature. Their current water temperature is
About 16°C. They both no longer look so green however now both are bloated and floating.
Again any info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I've tried endlessly searching the forum and haven't really found anything so I'm just trying anything at this point. One of my axolotls (the original floater) is known for eating too many bubbles and floating around until he passes the gas. I fridge him the first couple times for it when he was so little but have come to find that feeding him can usually help him pass the gas. They both haven't eaten in a week (being in the fridge) so that is my next plan of action. To see if they chi pass the gas.
If you know anything or I've any suggestions I'm all ears!
 
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  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
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  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
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  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
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  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
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    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
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