Please help me im so worried!

i got a new axolotl and put him in a tank with just normal tap water, as the pet store owner said he would be fine with tap water and a filter, now the water is all cloudy and murky and my axolotl has peeling skin and floats at the top of the water around where the filter blows water out, also he is taking in alot of air, WHAT DO I DO!!!!!!!

(Message edited by pinhead on October 09, 2006)

oh yeah also he isnt eating but i guessed it was from moving home, with the stress and all, but im dropping those frozen squares into his tank after i had broken them in half and stuff is this ok?

um this is what im planning to do so far
1.put him in a seperate tub
2. empty out the tank
3.what should i do now>?

um im too afraid if i put him in a diff tub when its cycling he will get too stressed cause hes only been in his new tank for like 2 days so what i want to know, is do you really have to cycle a tank? cause i know someone who has had their axie for 7 years and they have never cycled it all they use is a pump

You have to de-chlorinate the water and use water conditioner at the very least!
I would go and buy these things really quickly, also adjust the ph to around neutral.... better your axie be in healthy water than regular tap water, the chlorine would be burning his skin terribly.... at the very least get him in some bottled spring water .... check out axolotl.org for more information

Regards Eastern_axle

Ok, put him in a tub with dechlorinated water. Get dechlorinator that removes chloramines as well as chlorine. Change the water at least twice a week, more if the tub is small or he dirties it up heaps. Never listen to pet shops without doing research!!
The cloudy water is from ammonia and the peeling on your axie is ammonia/chlorine burn! He will die if he is left in there!!! The ammonia is building up cause the tank isnt cycled. Cycling is VITAL! After 7 years, your friends tank would be well and truly cycled.

Check out this site: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

Dont worry about adjusting pH for now as the pH up and down solutions are only temporary and the pH swings will cause more stress than bad pH.

Keep a thermometer in the tub and keep the water down below 20 degrees C. Using plastic bottles filled with frozen dechlorinated water works well.

Buy test kits for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite if you dont already have them as u will need to test the tank water while it cycles.

Reading www.axolotl.org as cori suggested is a very good idea!!!

Hope this all helps!

Ohh yeah, Dont empty the tank! It is starting to cycle and you will destroy the process if you do that. Just keep the filter running and do regular water tests. Keep your axie in the tub while the tank cycles and when the levels are as follows you can put him back in: ammonia - 0, nitrite - 0, nitrate - 20 or under.

Try feeding him different foods such as earthworms or blackworms. Mealworms are good as a treat but they are high in fat and have to be decapitated first.

To increase ph safely put a handfull of shell grit or crushed coral in a stocking and place in water ( rinse coral/grit extremely well first )

To decrease ph safely put a handfull of peat in a stocking and place in water ( should be rinsed as well )

This alters ph while not being too drastic,
your ammonia and nitrat/ite levels are the most important at the moment but remember that they are even more toxic when ph is at one extreme or the other so care should be taken with ph as well

Regards Eastern_axle

ok i have put some of the decloninator in maugher's tank, but its still a little blurry and im too scared he will get stressed if i put him in a different tub, is it fine if he is in there while its cycling?

You have to take him out of the tank! put him in a tub of treated water that has been properlly adjusted, and not too deep water..... Good luck

Regards Eastern_axle

We have cycled with and without axies in our tanks. Yes you can cycle with an axie. You've learnt the hard way, what not to do, thru misinformation from that petshop. Am surprised they said that esp. if they keep fish, unless it was someone who doesn't look after the fish tanks.


I think your axie has been thru enuf trauma with the burns, IMO, so I would suggest you place him in a tub of fresh dechlorinated water. We actually did complete daily waterchanges on the tub, my sister did 75% changes every 2 days.

With the tank leave it to cycle and test every few days and as Anna says, no need to do waterchanges on the tank while cycling.

If you choose to cycle the tank with axie in it, you will have to be rigorous about checking the water quality, ie: test the water daily for ammonia and nitrite. If dangerous levels are found, usually 20=30% water changes are needed to ensure it is safe enuf for your axie. Otherwise you'll find the same thing (burns/gasping) and/or illness leading to possible death.

(Message edited by kapo on October 09, 2006)

umm so a tub with some drops of that declorinator?

i dont have the tester kits yet cause its like 100 bucks at the pet store, is it essential to use them? p.s. you guys here all rock even though mi such a noob you guys make me feel really welcome thanks!

sorry, does the tub need any things in it? shelter etc

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Quoting isaac on Monday 09 October 2006 - 12:40 (#POST108125):</font>

umm so a tub with some drops of that declorinator<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>

Check your dechlorinator bottle. How many mls does it say to use per 20/30 or 40 litres of water. Do you know how big your tub is and how many litres of water it takes/you'll put in? Our smallest tub was a wide bucket (about 15litres of water) with a lid, our dechlorinator was something like 2.5ml for that; but depends on which one you use and what it says. Try and make sure you use right quantity. If in doubt post what it says here and someone will help.

Also, when doing a waterchange, if poss. do the dechlorinated water at least a few hours or night before so it gives it time to degas/age. We have 3 buckets of dechlorinated water resting overnight before waterchanges.

Also regarding the test kits they are essential! But if you're unable to afford them (they're about NZ$70 here for master test kits) you can either buy the ammonia and nitrite separately (here they are about NZ$15 each) or take a sample of tankwater to the petshop and ask them to test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and give you the figures (write on a piece of paper). Keep a book/record/note of this and the date it was done and do this every time you get tankwater tested at petshop. *(This will be an easy way to track where and/or when your tank is cycled or in its cycling stage.)




<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Quoting isaac on Monday 09 October 2006 - 12:43 (#POST108127):</font>

sorry, does the tub need any things in it? shelter etc<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>

You can put a hidey hole if it will fit (plastic pvc pipe ) as well as an airstone. Also, make sure to put something on top of the tub; so your axie doesn't either jump out or if you have cats get attacked by playful cat.

I got my test kit from an online shop for alot less than $100 bucks. Check it out. www.theaquariumshop.com.au . and dont worry Isaac, when I first joined it was cause I lost an axie due to bad pet shop advice. At least now you are doing you research. Good luck!

ok, the water in the tub has gone pretty cloudy because i left it to stand like you said, and put in the solution, but maughers in there now, after i waited for it to age overnight, i hope hes going to be ok...

o-k maugher isnt eating and hasnt been for a while, im scared that if i keep moving him to different tubs he will be too stressed to eat, any suggestions?