Hades dead, Gypsy floating, Incredibly scared!

Hey everyone,
Unfortunately Hades my beautiful new boy, Died tonight. He had been floating since yesterday and I dont understand why.
My tank isn't to warm, my ammonia level was quite high but I brought it down with a substance called "Ammo Lock" which reduces 3 ppm of ammonia each dosage.
He wouldnt eat anything but mealworms, as I only had them and pellets at the time, I had been feeding him on mealies. Gypsy on the otherhand eats everything =).( i only give her mealworms on occasions) I also have sand in my tank, and fresh live plants.

I checked on him this morning and i put some ice bottles in the tank to make it quite cold.
But about 2 hours ago I came home, and he had passed away.
Im a bit upset about him, because I lost my first axie Banda last year too.
And I only got him three weeks ago to "replace" Banda and once again give Gypsy a friend.
What is upsetting me more is my favourite and oldest, Gypsy, is floating too.
Shes been eating well, shes plump and very healthy.
Im very very attached to her, and I would be most devestated if she died too.

At the moment, Gypsy is in a container with water just above her back and with ice blocks that i have been replacing, to recreate conditions in the fridge as Mum has no space for her.

Do you have any idea why the ammonia level was too high?
Have you been carrying out regular water changes? If so how much water have you been removing?
I don't recommend using any substances to remove or control ammonia except careful attention to water changes and good tank maintenance ie cleaning up waste and cleaning up uneaten food.
Are you removing or crushing the heads of the mealworms?

naymo said:

My tank isn't to warm, my ammonia level was quite high but I brought it down with a substance called "Ammo Lock" which reduces 3 ppm of ammonia each dosage.
At the moment, Gypsy is in a container with water just above her back and with ice blocks that i have been replacing, to recreate conditions in the fridge as Mum has no space for her.

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Hello Naymo,

I am sorry for your loss matey

Just a quick question though. You mentioned that you've had another axolotl, named Banda that passed away a year ago and now the same unfortunate ending has happened with Hades. My question is, every time you got a new axolotl did you use the same tank? Including the same water, ornaments, plants (if any) and so forth?

Also, this ice bottle method seems impractical on your behalf because you have to change the ice bottle at least every ~hour or so. The ice bottle method can cause major temperature fluctuations (especially in a smaller volume of water) and thus adding to your axolotl's stress. I recommend the esky method. Place the container (with your axolotl) into an esky and then place ice blocks around the container and refill the ice when necessary. Prior to placing your axolotl in the "iced esky" I would try placing the same sized container (with the same volume of water) into the "iced esky" and then use a thermometer to test the temperature in this container. You do not want a temperature that is less than 5 degrees celsius.

Another thing mate, this "Ammo-lock" solution should never be used because it does not eliminate the ammonia from the tank. In actual fact, it protonates the ammonia(NH3), thereby converting ammonia into its less toxic form, ammonium (NH4+). The ammonium may have contributed towards making your axolotls sick. Naymo, if you could post a photo of Gypsy should help in making a proper diagnosis of her illness.

I sincerely hope everything works out for you mate.

Jay.

gr33neyes said:

Do you have any idea why the ammonia level was too high?
Have you been carrying out regular water changes? If so how much water have you been removing?
I don't recommend using any substances to remove or control ammonia except careful attention to water changes and good tank maintenance ie cleaning up waste and cleaning up uneaten food.
Are you removing or crushing the heads of the mealworms?

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Yes I change 20% - a third of the water every weekend. Im not sure if this is okay, but during the week I pick out uneaten food and any debris like dead leaves etc.
I used to crush the heads off them, but Hades was so skiny he only responded to them if they were wiggly vigorously.
Maybe they hurt him?
Well in future Ill definately continue to chop their heads off.

Kal El said:

Just a quick question though. You mentioned that you've had another axolotl, named Banda that passed away a year ago and now the same unfortunate ending has happened with Hades. My question is, every time you got a new axolotl did you use the same tank? Including the same water, ornaments, plants (if any) and so forth?

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Im unsure what you mean by this question Jay, but everytime I got a new axie, I put it in a quraintine tank for 30 days before putting it in the main tank. I got Banda first, then a few months later I got Gypsy (from a different store). I did quraintine Gypsy too. Banda died a few months later.
The thing is I got Gypsy and Hades from the same pet shop, a pet shop that takes great care of its other animals, they just dont know to much on axies. Hades and Banda both came home incredibly skinny, with fungus, Hades was injured and I had to amputate an injury on his tail following the advice from people here.

I put a little bit of water from the main tank into the quranintine tank and the rest was filled with fresh new dechlorinated water, and a couple of plants from the main tank.

Kal EL said:

Another thing mate, this "Ammo-lock" solution should never be used because it does not eliminate the ammonia from the tank. In actual fact, it protonates the ammonia(NH3), thereby converting ammonia into its less toxic form, ammonium (NH4+). The ammonium may have contributed towards making your axolotls sick. Naymo, if you could post a photo of Gypsy should help in making a proper diagnosis of her illness.

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Oh, I feel really bad now, I honestly did know, Im usually careful with what I put in the tank. But I thought this was a great fast product. Ill assure you I'll discontinue use.
I could post a photo of Gyps but she looks incredibly healthy. Then again so did hades (but he was on the skinny side). Thats what confuses me, Gypsy has stopped floating now but she is still in the container, Shes plump, healthy looking and usually quite content, so Im worried with the sudden turn of events.

naymo said:

Hades was so skiny he only responded to them if they were wiggly vigorously.
Maybe they hurt him?
Well in future Ill definately continue to chop their heads off.

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Mealworms are the larvae of the Darkling beetle and their mandibles are capable of chewing through an axolotl's stomach.

naymo said:

Im unsure what you mean by this question Jay, but everytime I got a new axie, I put it in a quraintine tank for 30 days before putting it in the main tank. I got Banda first, then a few months later I got Gypsy (from a different store).

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A picture would come in handy. Seeing as you used the same water (from the main tank) to house both Banda and Hades which resulted in their untimely death, there could be pathogens (possibly bacterial/parasitic) within that water. What exactly caused the death of Banda and Hades? Sorry to make you conjure up painful memories.

Jay.

If your ammonia is high you should do water changes of 20/30% daily until it is stable.
Most chemicals are only temporary fixes and normally poisonous to axies.
Unless you regularly change their water to reduce ammonia it wil continue to spike.