My poor sick babys

tori-ann · May 22, 2005

ok well frist my male is very skinny pale color and his grills have not alot of color lost all the frills and look shorter and he seems to have skin pilling off him i know my tank ph level was acid like thanks to so called mate looking after them
last fri i added a female after swapping a male over for her as i had 2 males she seems to have the skin prob too
they both eater atleast
so how do i get my tank back to good ph levels without hurting my babys more
and what do i do to help them with their probs
thanks heaps

tori-ann · May 22, 2005

wanted to add to this now he floats above the bottom of the tank as if he is in space for long times then swims to top gets air and goes back down to bottom of tank

cynthia · May 22, 2005

Tori - Could you give us more information please?

What was the ph reading of your tank?
How long as the tank been set up?
What is the water temp.?
What are the readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
What is the ph reading of your water out of the tap?

To treat the peeling skin you need to remove your axolotls from the tank and put them in a smaller container of water that will fit into your fridge. Then put them in the fridge.

You will need another container to give them salt baths in twice day.

Put extra water in the fridge to use for salt baths, this will allow you to use the same temp water that the axolotls are in.

salt bath info from

http://www.axolotl.org

Place the animal in a salt bath for about 10 minutes once or twice a day. A salt bath is prepared using 2-3 teaspoons of salt (table salt, cooking salt, or iodized salt, but not "low" or "low-sodium" salt) per litre/two pints. Don't leave the Axolotl in the salt bath for more than 15 minutes each time, because the salt will start to damage the Axolotl's skin and particularly its gills.

tori-ann · May 23, 2005

all the water ph and all that is all good was tested today
ive taken the sick one out is in its own tank
man at the fish place saw the sick one gave me all natural pimafix to use for 7 days on the sick fish n his own tank

with putting them in the fridge what the setting in the fridge to be and how long do i leave them in there 4? also can that be done with the pimafix treatment in the water that it in when i put him in there ? with the salt baths when do i stop giving them also can that be done with the pimafix treatment?
thanks guyz it really sick im pretty upset dont wanna lose it i call it an it cause i dont know it sex but the name is sombrero

its tank mate salsa is all good and i know that he is a male sombrero was to sick and skinny for the guy in the shop to sex

cynthia · May 23, 2005

We can not help you correct the problem that caused this infection if we do not have the readings. Please tell us the readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and the temp. of the tank.

Ph usually is not the problem, and it generally does not correct its self.

I read in this forum that pimafix causes liver damage in axolotls, I would not use it.

Use the salt baths as directed above and the fridge.

It should stay in the fridge until it is pretty much all healed. It will slow down in the fridge and not need to eat as often. Change its water (with water the same temp from the fridge) every other day and wash out its container.

tori-ann · May 23, 2005

also the female i thought was a female is male im not sure about the sick one sex cause the pet shop sexed them wrong and messed up
got a new place now they know alot and care about walking fish

tori-ann · May 23, 2005

ph is 7.0
no ammonia, nitrite and nitrate
temp is 17
ok with the whole fridge thing what level should the fridge be i dont want it to freeze or whatever
and table salt is ok for the salt bath?
still didnt get an answer to can i still use the pimafix while in fridge and doing salt baths?
i know u guys say not to use it im just doing what i was told and really like to know can i keep using it while doing what u guys said to do
thanks agian

tori-ann · May 23, 2005

yes the ph went to acid that is what burnt the fish made him sick lose his gills and burnt skin
the ph is back to 7.0 now sick fish is in his own tank with other tank water in it just saying and doing what i was told to do thanks for all the help

tori-ann · May 23, 2005

ph was 6.4 or lower very yellow

cynthia · May 23, 2005

As I mentioned in my earlier post; I read in this forum that pimafix causes liver damage in axolotls, I would not use it.

A ph of 6.4 should not of burned the axolotl. For axolotls, a pH of 6.5 to around 8.0 is acceptable, but 7.4 to 7.6 is probably ideal. pH can affect the toxicity of ammonia.

How did you get your ph from 6.4 to 7?

Are you saying your water was yellow or did you actually test the water?

5-15 °C is optimum healing temp.

In answer to your table salt question - again an instant replay from my earlier post
salt bath info from

http://www.axolotl.org
Place the animal in a salt bath for about 10 minutes once or twice a day. A salt bath is prepared using 2-3 teaspoons of salt (table salt, cooking salt, or iodized salt, but not "low" or "low-sodium" salt) per litre/two pints. Don't leave the Axolotl in the salt bath for more than 15 minutes each time, because the salt will start to damage the Axolotl's skin and particularly its gills.

If your test kit came up with zero nitrate I would test it again.

anne-marie · May 23, 2005

"Too sick and skinny for the guy in the shop to sex" That doesn't sound good. Sounds like a parasitic or bacterial thing, which has already taken up residence in your axies which you have purchased at the shop. When he eats, does he vomit it back up?

tori-ann · May 24, 2005

nah not throwing up he now not eating at all gonna try salt bath and fridge
thanks for all the help i wont be using pimafix

i put the ph level in tank up slowly over a few days and the yellow things is the color it showed when i tested the ph

joan · May 24, 2005

I would cease using the pH balancers. They are only a temporary fix, and a pH of 6.4 isn't that low. If you want to increase the pH, add some crushed coral or limestone rocks to your water.

tori-ann · May 27, 2005

ok the sick one is in the fridge and having salt baths he moving around alot more than he was but not eating any ideas?
where do i get limestone from?

sharn · May 29, 2005

hes not eating because hes in the fridge. it slows their metabolism down

tori-ann · May 29, 2005

ah so do not feed till he starts getting better?
he moving around alot more but still looking sick
and his gills r not growing back yet
thanks

tori-ann · May 30, 2005

just wondering how long he needs to be kept in fridge he moving around alot more but still skinny and grills r still not growing
thanks

cynthia · May 30, 2005

How is its skin? It only needs to say in the fridge until the skin has stopped peeling and is healing well.

Make sure you give him time to adjust back to room temperature before you put him back in the tank. Sit him out on the counter for a day (covered if need be) and let him warm up slowly.

tori-ann · May 30, 2005

ok will post pics up tomorrow its to late now
can he go back into the same tank as my other walking fish? and do i still need to salt bath him? when he goes back into that tank?
also he should start eating when he settles back into other tank yes? and this will help get is gills back up and running?
ta agian

cynthia · May 30, 2005

If he is healed he wont need anymore salt baths and can go back in the same tank.

If he isn't healed I would not put him back in the tank until he is. Catching them to salt bath them is stressful. Keep him in the small container until you are finished with salt baths.

You should be offering him food on occasion during the fridge and salt bath treatments. Once he warms up he should be hungry if he hasn't been so far.

Gills will take a while to grow back and sometimes they don't. Only time will tell.

My poor sick babys

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