What are we doing wrong! Please help tell us what is wrong!

I recently posted about some problems with my axolotls and still cannot get them better. First one has fungus which I treated with the wrong medicine but did get rid of the fungus (it contained malachite green, methylene blue, and acriflavine). Then one formed lumps on her body that are small, not coloured differently from their skin. We thought this may have been from temperature stress and took the temperature down from 26 to 21 with a fan on 24/7. Then small slugs were all over the glass which we thought were planaria and cleaned out the tank bar for the water we kept the axolotls in to clean it and began cycling the tank again. Everything seemed fine for a week or so and now the bugs have come back and one of our axolotls looks like its skin is peeling or there is fungus again and there is some kind of cottony stuff on the plant (which has been in there the whole time is was treated for any bacteria on it.)

All the while the axolotls have been eating 4 out of 7 days by hand with all mess cleaned up immediately. Their water is changed every 7 days (20%), and they seem happy. They are around 13-15cm long, and I do not know how old they are. PH levels are all normal.

WHAT ARE WE DOING WRONG!!
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MALACHITE GREEN IS TOXIC TO AXOLOTLS!

That ingedient alone would not be doing very much good to your axie's, read some previous posts on the forum about fungus and the like, i'm sure you will find more than enough information to help you with your axie's

Regards Eastern_axle

You mention ph levels but you don't mention the most important ones, which are the main ones to monitor when cycling your tank (which is what is happening since you stripped it as you know). So what is ammonia, nitrite and nitrates?

As your axie/s are in the tank while cycling your waterchanges have to be MORE THAN once a week. You have to do a waterchange according to your toxicity levels (ammonia/nitrite), to make sure it is safe enuf for your axies.

If skin is peeling the ammonia levels may be causing it. If it is fungus, do daily saltbaths twice a day.

AS for the bugs (don't strip your tank down again) do a partial waterchange (20%) every couple of days and try and siphon some of them out.

ah...actually i want to know what's the best rate of the water test result? I know Ammonia should be kept at 0, so what about nitrite and nitrates?
Thanks!

A cycled (good bacteria established) tank readings wud be:

ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate 10-40ppm

so nitrite also at 0. Having fish or more axies and depending on amount of times you both feed and clean up waste from your tank, the bioloads will increase (fish create more waste/ammonia than axies).

A new uncycled tank's 1st water readings will generally read ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0.

Thank you for your information, I will mark it down!

Apologies if im hijacking this thread - but whats the difference between nitrites and nitrates? In laymans terms. And what effects do they cause? Is one worse than the other?

Nitrites are NO2-, Nitrates are NO3-. Nitrites are quite toxic while nitrates are only toxic in large doses.

Thanks Joan - looks like we'll be getting a Nitrite test kit this weekend. Just for peace of mind

If it helps, I invested in a master kit. That has ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, low pH and high pH tests - and was only £20.
It's lasted me a good year, coming on two years now and is the liquid tests. Nice and reliable.

The master kit sounds like a good investment - will i be able to get that from any pet shop or should i go to a specialist supplier? Is there a brand name you would recommend?

You should be able to get a good one from any aquatic supplier.

I have a Canadian Pharmaceuticals one, it's in a green box with an angelfish on the front.

Excellent - Thanks - I think I will pick one up at the weekend - reading other keepers stories i am getting nervous...