Rotis is not looking too good :(

You may remember a few weeks back we addopted a pair of axis that had been living in dredful conditions.

Got the tank looking fab, stones gone, water slowly being cycled, feathery gills were looking fluffy, red and devine....Then...

My partner (thinking he was being kind) popped in a bunch for freeze dried shrimps on Saturday afternoon so that they had planty for food for the weekend. I dread to think how many but he thinks maybe 8-10. When we arrived at work this morning there was a foul smell of decay, fluffy mouldy shrimp floating all over the top of the tank and one very sick looking Rottis. The second axi looks pretty good, perhaps a little pale in the gills but still active.

I removed all the debris, changed over 50 % of the water with fresh aged water, she still does not look any better. She is very limp, slow, almost as if she is just tipping to one side. Her head is down on the floor of the tank which is really unusual as she always is at the front of the tank looking at me. Should I remove here and put her in the fridge with totally clean aged water? I am almost scared to move her incase I stress her out more.

My partner feels dreadfully guilty and is sworn off feeding them.

Think she'd be best in the fridge, above 5 degrees celsius, for a few days. It might be worth putting the other one in there too if he's not quite right. You'll need to change their water daily for dechlorinated water. Because axies are carnivorous, what they don't eat decays very quickly releasing ammonia into the water. They'll be fine without food over the weekend for the future. Probably monitor the water parameters daily for a while, and do 20% water changes if ammonia and nitrite are above 0 daily or every second day until things settle down.

I'd so kill my partner if he did that lol

I agree. Get them out of the tank, into some fresh water in the fridge, and then sort out your tank levels.

good news, fingers crossed.
Got to work this morning and Rotis's feathers were pinking up and she has been trotting over to the front of the tank to look at me. The water smeels fine and is clear again. Still replaced about 1/3 of the water again today and aged it before adding.

I am so relieved, we kinda would up with Rottis n guedo by defalt as their old owners did't want them. ( I am a soft touch) But I have become very fond of them and their very different personalities. I love having them by my counter office so I can chat with them and miss them on the weekends !!

Hi Magpie,

Sounds like a lucky escape, I would as others have said keep a close eye on your water parameters. It won't take long for your tank to sort itself out keep the water changes up.

Good luck