Help Please - axie has broken leg

Hello, my axie is about 2 years old, and has been very well until a week ago. I noticed that one of his back legs has been bitten, almost off, but he can still use it. It is very swollen, though. Now I noticed that his tail has also lost flesh, and the tip is showing bone I have two in the tank, they have always lived together and are the same size.

My tank has all the water parameters okay, and the other axie is still feeding fine. Today the sick axie stopped eating, he took the food in his mouth several times but spitted it right out. He is also moving around a lot less than the other one. I am very worried and hoping for a quick answer from someone who can tell what to do, and how to put the axie in the fridge.

I have been looking for the instructions on how to put an axie to the fridge - put I cannot find them anywhere! I mean details like, how long for, tank water or tap water, should I use the same Start right etc in that water and what else should be done to that water before putting the axie in it? Should I change the water daily? Should I introduce the colder water slowly (tank temperature is 19 degrees celsius) or just put the axie in it straight away? (is there a thread already that tells all these details?)

Or are the salt baths the answer? I cannot find any instructions on in which cases to use salt baths, either, and how they are done. The search of this forum doesn't work for me, and this is driving me crazy... so I had to post a new thread to ask you.

I appreciate your help, thank you in advance!

How warm is your tank? How long has it been since it ate? It may be not eating just because it's stressed.

Fridging: You should have a small container with a lid. It should be filled with fresh, dechlorinated water. You must have a container (I use old milk jugs) of fresh water in the fridge as well, for daily water changes (to keep the temperature the same). As for how long, usually a week is fine. If you put them in a container with room temperature water, and then put the container/axolotl in the fridge, it will acclimate fine. Taking them out is just the reverse of that.

Salt baths are usually done in conjunction with fridging. This involves a solution of 2 teaspoons/liter of aquarium (or kosher) salt for 10 minutes twice a day. Make sure, if you're fridging, that your salt bath solution is also refrigerated.

If you don't see any signs of infection, I wouldn't worry about salt baths. The same goes for the fridge. Axolotls are master healers. If you're not noticing any infection, they'll usually heal fine.

Hi,

at first you should seperate the bitten axolotl from the other one. Just put him into a quarantine tank, a large bowl or a clean bucket with (dechlorinated, if necessary) tap water. That will keep the other axolotl from biting him again and seperate him from all the bacteria and fungi in the tank.

If its just for the bites I do not think it necessary to put him into the fridge. But have a closer look on him that he does not get any infection (especially fungus).

Some pics would be helpful to give any further advice...

hi
firstly find a container and fill it with fresh dechlorinated water, just pop axie in and cover, preferably with something dark and pop him in the fridge.
fill a bottle with dechlorinated water and pop that in the fridge also, this will be for water changes and salt baths.
the salt baths sould be 2 teaspoons of salt to 1 litre of water 2-3 times a day 10 mins at a time.
you can give him a salt bath before going into fridge if you have clean water. axies can stay in the fridge for weeks if need be so dont be to concerned about how long.
water changes should be done daily.

would be cool to see a picture ... don't know how salt or a fridge could help. If the damage is way heavy it might be good to cut off the leg ... if its not that heavy it might help time and clean water to regenerate the leg. Pic wouldn't be without importance ...

Thank you for all your answers! I put the axie in the fridge now, I'll get a photo of it soon if I can. I really don't know what an infection looks like, I am worried of the leg getting so swollen though.

He ate fine after I first noticed the bite, and two days ago he ate only little and today none at all. (I feed them every two days or so.)

I have never before had to put either of them to the fridge, so this is all new to me. Should the salt baths help if there's an infection? or is there any point to them in this situation if no infection occurs?

It is strange that he has bite marks now, they have not been fighting ever before, so I wonder why this is? Maybe I can't let them stay together anymore in the future?

Thanks again, I'll go and take a photo now

Infections are usually characterized by redness and swelling, and fungus by a fuzzy or slimy growth.

I would try the fridge first, and see if that helps the swelling.

Sometimes they just get ahold of each other at the right angle and cause bite marks. I've had many fights that result in no injury, and the occasional fight that does cause damage. It's just a luck of the draw.

It was difficult taking a good photo, but I hope you can see it here now. The plants came in with the net, I'll remove them tomorrow. the bite mark is not vicible here that well, but the leg is swollen and has some reddish marks, the tail has reddish marks too, but is not swollen. (He's gills have looked like that a long time now, first I was worried about them too, but then he started to grow new "strings" to them)

The swelling of the leg seems to be a "natural" reaction to the bite; I can not see any fungus (and bacterial infections occur rather seldom).

I would keep him in clean water and observate the leg.

The gills really do not look so good, they are very short and slim. Can you tell anything about the axolotl and how it is kept? (size, what do you feed them).

I feed Axolotls this age (and presumably size of about 25 cm?) only once to twice a week; he does not look very slender... but he is not really fat either!

Phoenixtear said:

The swelling of the leg seems to be a "natural" reaction to the bite; I can not see any fungus (and bacterial infections occur rather seldom).

I would keep him in clean water and observate the leg.

The gills really do not look so good, they are very short and slim. Can you tell anything about the axolotl and how it is kept? (size, what do you feed them).

I feed Axolotls this age (and presumably size of about 25 cm?) only once to twice a week; he does not look very slender... but he is not really fat either!

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that! I'll keep him in the fridge and see if he will start eating again, and if the swelling will go down.

The other axie has longer and fluffier gills, this one has always had shorter and stubby ones, but they do actually look a lot better now than when I got him a year ago - I don't know how well they were kept before that, I adopted them from an aquarium... Both had short gills and I noticed that they have several broken toes too, that have healed. The aquarium place knew only a little about them, I had to search here a lot to find out about everything...

They are both about 25-30 cm in length. I feed them shrimp, mussels, frozen Lance fish, strips of beef, sometimes earth worms and dried brine shrimp. And I have been worrying that I feed them too rarely! :crazy:

Thanks for your answer, I'll write back if there's any change.