Axol Very Sick! Please Help!

I have had Axol for about 7 years now. Up until now he has been a very happy and healthy axie... A week ago my dad brought home a new mate for him, one who has apparently brought a fungal infection in to the tank. Whilst the new axolotl(mouse) has responded to treatment with Triple Sulfa, poor Axol seems to be getting worse rather than better. What started as a small patch of fungus near his mouth, is now covering alot of his face including one eye right down to his mouth, as well in this area he appears to have lost his skin, I can see white which I am presuming is bone? Water temperature in the tank has been around 18 - 22 degrees which I understand may have let the fungus thrive. The tank is 3ft, filtered and has an airstone. The water is at a neutral PH,it is also regularly cleaned. A half water change was done before the new axolotl arrived and a 3/4 water change was done once the fungus was discovered. This morning I moved Axol to our bar fridge temperature controlled at 14 degrees. Neither of them have eaten for the last 5 days. My question is basically is there anything else that I can do for him, with the degree of damage is there any hope that he will recover?
I realise this is a long post but I thought the more information I could give the more likely it would be that some one could help. Any advice that anyone has to offer would be much appreciated (by both myself and most importantly Axol and Mouse)

Put him in a waterproof container, filled up enough so that he is just covered with water and can touch the bottom with his toes. Then stick him in the fridge (as long as its over 5 degrees) and change the water daily (keep a bottle of dechlorinated water in with him so its the same temperature. change ALL the water). Also, give him twice or three times daily salt baths (2 teaspoons of salt per litre) and make sure he isn't in the salt bath for more than 15 minutes at a time. He might not eat in the fridge because his metabolism will have slowed right down.

Its best to keep new axolotls in a quarantine tank for 30 days, just to be sure that they don't bring any nasty surprises along with them

Good luck with Axol, keep us posted on his progress!

Thank you for that!
I have him in the fridge the water with him is treated with the Triple Sulfa. Should I continue with this treatment or just go with the salt baths. The fungus doesn't seem to be spreading but it's not getting any better either.

Also what type of salt is the best to use?

non iodised.
If possible some from the pet food store for aquariums.

That's good we have some aquarium salt, so tomorrow I will start bathing him twice daily for around 10 minutes at a go. If anyone has an opinion on whether to continue with the Triple Sulfa that would be a great help too! And one more question has anyone ever had / known of an Axolotl to survive such a bad infection?... I am keen to do anything that will improve his chances of survival... Is it likely that it will clear and how long should it take for the skin on his face to regenerate if so... He has battled on thus far and I just really hope that he pulls through.
Thank you for your help so far. I really do appreciate the help, it is so hard to find anyone in an aquarium that has an idea about axolotls...

Most people treat fungal infections with just salt treatments. Continuing the Triple Sulfa is OK, but it's probably not going to help. It kills bacteria, not fungus. I hope your axie pulls through.

Thank You all for your help. Axol had his first salt bath today. So only time will tell, hopefully it will help.
The Triple Sulfa does say that it will treat fungus, but if it is not going to help I will discontinue it's use. One thing I did notice with it that may help anyone else using it, is that it dramatically increases the Ph of the water! (Which I did lower)
Axol does seem to be much happier in the fridge, I will keep the salt baths up and see how he goes.

Back Again... It's been 2 hours after the salt bath now and I have noticed that there is a large amount of blood worms in the container with Axol that he must have coughed up... It's been about a week since he has eaten anything... Should I be concerned about this? Why has he coughed these up?

There are many things that can cause it to regurge, I suspect that the axolotl stuffed itself before it was put into the fridge. Digestion is significantly slowed down in the fridge due to the cooler temperatures and the axololt was unable to digest the huge meal so it was regurged.

Ed

Thank You, that puts my mind at rest a little... I was a bit worried that he might also have developed some sort of internal problem as well as the very obvious external one. I am really hoping that I see some improvement soon. Is it possible that his skin is regenerating at all under the fungus? How bad can a fungal infection get before it passes 'the point of no return?' I realise that I seem to be asking a lot of questions here, it's just that it is really hard to see an axolotl that has absolutely thrived for so many years deteriorate so quickly.

Do you have a pic of him? The point of no return really depends on the axolotl, I've had one survive when he was 50% covered in fungus. Has it gotten better?

I don't have a pic of him as yet (Camera seems to have gone walkies)The fungus doesn't seem to have gotten any better, it seems to be getting longer, though not spreading... So I suppose thats both good and bad. I am about to give him another salt bath so hopefully we shall see some improvement in the next few days... He has always been a big strong boy so hopefully he is still strong enough to beat this - with a little help.

Where is the fungus on him? you might want to try lightly pulling off the fungus very carefully. I did this with my axie who had fungus I wouldn't if it's on his gills though, they are super sensitive

The Fungus is on his face. From the mouth up and completely covering one of his eyes. I just gave him his salt bath then and noticed that he is bleeding where the fungus stops and his skin begins. I have also noticed that a few of his toes are deteriorating and the tip of his tail seems to be shredded... I seriously just don't know what else to do... I feel so bad for him... Other people think I'm a bit crazy when I talk about how worried I am, but I guess everyone here understands... How long should it take for the fungus to shift with the salt baths... I am really hesitant to start pulling it off, only because the last time it came off (when he was in the big tank) it just grew back a day later...

I think that you might want to start using medications - it sounds really serious. I'd recommend half a dose of melafix along with the salt baths. I hope he pulls through fine!

Hey gave him his salt bath today and the fungus is still not spreading, so that is good. It sort of looks like some of his skin might be regenerating under it.. Am I seeing things or is this possible? Am going to get the Melafix for him tomorrow. Know of someone who has used it on fish and they said it worked wonders.... Am hoping for a bit of a miracle of my own with it... Keep your fingers crossed for me... His Gills are still fluffy which is a good sign that he is still respirating, and he doesn't seem to be all that unhappy in the fridge... the only time he really gets agitated is when he is put in to the salt bath... And from what my mum has always told me, if it stings it must be getting in there and doing some good... I will keep you updated. Mouse the new axolotl who hasn't really been mentioned also seems to be doing well, in that the fungus that had developed on his gills is gone, the one thing with him though is that he wont let me hand feed him his blood worms... he seems almost scared of them But I am presuming he is eating them from the bottom of the tank, he hasn't become anymore skinny and the filter doesn't seem to have a lot of them in it either...

That's good that he's getting better! I'm not sure about the skin regenerating sorry - but when my axolotl was healing the fungus got thinner before it started shrinking, if that makes sense. Maybe thats what its doing to yours too? Mouse might've just not been handfed at the pet shop, most feed pellets since its easier. Try using tweezers or chopsticks and then gradually start moving your hand closer and closer when you use them (like have your hand halfway down the tweezers instead of the end) and he should get used to you - thats what i've always done when i've had shy axies

if he gets overly agitated ie trying to jump out of the container your salt concentration may be too strong? are you doing salt baths 3 times daily? if not might be worth upping? just make sure he goes back into salt free water after. fingers crossed!

No nothing like that, agitated might have been too strong of a word... He sort of squiggles around a bit when I first put him in but then settles... The amount of movement probably just stuns me a bit because the fridge has certainly slowed him down from his usual self... I have been using around 1 3/4 teaspoons per litre put in to water that has been chilled in the same fridge that he is in, then treated to the correct PH... Sharn..I will definitely start an extra salt bath daily if you think it will help... Skylar... what sort of dosage were you using of the melafix and were you using it as a bath or in the 'fridge' water with your axie?
With Mouse I stayed and watched him for quite some time after I fed him today.... He is eating the blood worms off the gravel at the bottom of the tank, then spitting the gravel out... I might even try feeding him whilst he is in his pipe tomorrow... that way if he doesn't eat it from the tweezers I can leave it in there for him without having to worry about him ingesting gravel... Thank you all so much for your help so far... Sounds like I have been far too lucky so far in not having any axie problems to deal with... It is great to be able to talk to people that have been through it all