Very sick axolotl, i really dont want him to die!! please help!

i've had 2 axolotls for about 8 months now, pedro (yellow) and maxopotl (black). pedro is the sick one. i kept them in the same tank but maxi started beating up pedro - over about 3 months he lost one of his gills, about .5cm off his tail and broke his arm. i separated them about 2 months ago and pedro seems to be getting worse. it's a struggle for him to eat, he's lost a lot of colour, doesn't move around much. he's very thin but he doesn't seem to want to eat. his tail has fully grown back, his gills have grown a little and his arm still isn't full functional. i've turned the water filter down very low so that the current doesn't stress him, the water temp is fine and i dechlorinate the water. i feed them beef heart every second day. is there anything else i can do so that pedro doesn't die??? please help, i'm so distressed!

also, he sits around with his mouth open a lot of the time. his gills are a lot smaller than they were when i got him so maybe he's trying to breath?? i just dont know!! please help!! (oh and maxi is thriving by himself.. big bully!)

Hi Carmen, sorry to hear about your problems with Pedro. In addition to what you are doing, I would say get his temperature down lower. If you cannot get the tank cooler, consider refrigeration. Cold allows them to heal better, and also cold water holds more oxygen than room temp water does. Are there any signs of infection?

Also, reconsider using beef heart as a staple food for both of them. Obviously, it's not immediately harmful, but it's not the best staple long-term. Good-quality pellets are nutritionally more complete, and earthworms and bloodworms are better treats than heart.

thanks for the advice! won't it stress him out if i take him out of the acquarium and stick him into the fridge???

If you put him into the fridge in a good-sized container of his own water, his temp will decrease gradually and he'll be fine. Also keep a jug of dechlorinated water in the fridge, so when you change his water (daily), you'll keep his temperature steady.

Pedro has just died because i put him in the fridge. the temperature was so cold (10 degrees) that had to take him out. he was outside warming up and this morning i found him dead.

im so, so, so sorry for your loss *pats carmen on the shoulder reassuringly* you did the best you could and asking other owners here was a good choice. *walks off sadly*

Actually 10 C is not too cold for an axolotl so I have my doubts that this was the cause of death.....

Ed

Right now, all 6 of my axolotls are living quite happily at 10C in an unheated room. I'm sorry Pedro died - it was probably too late to save him

sorry to hear pedro died; but what was your outside temperature when you placed him out to warm up? Ours thrive in cooler temperatures down to 10 degrees celcius too. Our fridge temp whenever any of ours have gone in is 5-6 celcius.

sorry about my post, i was really emotional this morning when i found him. i woke up my housemate with my crying!!

thanks for all your help guys