Help! Sick Axie, not eating, blood blisters?

Hi, sorry to make my first post one asking for help, but my axolotl is real sick. he hasn't eaten in almost 7 weeks, which i thought at the start was due to temp drop caused by winter, but it's warm again now and he still isn't eating. A few days ago he got some red spots on his tail, which i looked up on the axolotl.org website and saw that salt and antibiotics can help with that. I put him in some salt, and gave him an injection of the antibiotics mentioned on the website, however the spots have now turned into what i can only describe as blood blisters? he has lost alot of colour from his gills (were pink now white with dark veins) and has become sluggish, while he used to be extremely active, particularly in warmer weather.. Any ideas?

i have heard of putting them in the fridge but wasn't sure if this temp. difference would harm him more? (Tank is 21 degrees C atm, he has lived at temps between 18-24 degrees his whole life and has been fine)

Really anything above 22-24 degrees can stress your axie. Axies prefer cooler climes. With the summer coming up, if you're able to keep it below 20deg cel. that's good

If you put him in the fridge, above 5 deg cel. min. (test using thermometer in glass of water for 30mins). The cooler temps slow their metabolism down.

How big are the blood blisters or are they just spots? Did you use 2-3 teaspoons of salt per litre/pint? How soon after the saltbath did you give the antibiotics?

If u do put him in the fridge (we had two that lost colour for several weeks that we put in the fridge), make sure you have a spare container (or bottle) of dechlorinated water next to the container, as you will do complete daily waterchanges at same temp. (It's easier having 2 containers in fridge 1 with your axie and other with decl. water for the waterchange next day, eg icecream containers., 3 containers = if you intend continuing saltbaths ) .

Also, what do you usually feed him, when he does eat?

(Message edited by kapo on October 06, 2006)

I have just discovered red spots on my El Guapo, too. They look like spots of blood in his tail. He's refused food for a few weeks and getting really skinny, but the blood spots are the newest affliction.