New, and Desperate

Hi there,

I am very new to the forum only having found in the last 10 minutes, and also quite new and inexperienced with Axolotls.

About two or three months ago, my boyfriend and I explored an opportunity to buy an Axolotl from my local pet shop. I have never had problems with this store, and buy my parrot, fish and reptile products quite contentedly from them. However, I am thinking now that they gave me unhelpful information about Axolotl care.

I have read some posts in your forum relevant to my suspicions and have since decided that I should be asking you as experienced Axolotl ‘lovers’, for advice.

I absolutely adore my little brown Xerxes, and I feel like I have done everything I was told to keep him healthy and happy. He is in a large, two foot tank with sand and so plants (which he adores playing under) and a cave. He has a filter and I change his water regularly. He eats black worm things (blood worms or tubifex?) and frozen turtle food. All of this was what I was told to do.

Poor little Xerxes has been getting progressively sicker and sicker over the last month and now he has completely stopped eating. His little hips protrude and he just looks terrible and emaciated. He also has a fungal infection (as a fish enthusiast I am very aware of what this looks like). I am treating him with a recommended product from the same shop.

I am going out this arvo to buy him completely new products. Here is my list:
Big Bucket (water change)
Thermometer
Ph test kit
Ammonia test kit
Nitrate test kit
Filter cartridge
Some lovely soft plants

This is a last resort, to save my smart little darling, and I am desperate for any advice you can offer. I am so terrified he is going to die. He is just like a dog to me and I am sure you will understand he has as much significance in my life, as my lizard and my bird.

Nat and a very sick Xerxes

Hi Nat,

sorry to hear of your troubles with your new axolotl. It would be good if you could get those test kits asap and then post back your ph, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite readings to help determine if it is a water quality issue. Also find out the water temperature to make sure it is not too warm for him.

With the fungal infection, I recommend you do salt baths rather than use medication from the shop as it is less risky. I think you should also put your axolotl in the fridge as the cool temperature will reduce Xerxes's stress. Keep the temperature 5C or higher and change the water daily with dechlorinated water.

What kind of substrate do you have in your tank? How big is your tank?

Anyway with the food I am not sure what frozen turtle food is, but bloodworms are good food, as are salmon pellets and earth worms, to name a few.

Hope it goes well and it would be helpful if you found out your water parameters and temperature.

I wish I had found this forum earlier. What a fabulous idea! I will post all of the stats the second I have them. I will also post a picture of Xerxes and his tank when I get home from work today. We put a clean/frozen bottle of water into his tank every morning because we live in Brisbane and it is often humid and warm. I am so stressed about my little guy.

Could you please explain the salt bath idea to me? Honestly, I will do everything you suggest, but I am terribly clueless and inexperienced with Axolotls. And how should I put him in the fridge, in a container? Should I use a lid? I will let some water sit out tonight to dechlorinate because I just don’t feel like my chemical version is working.

Xerxes has sand on the bottom of his tank, and a cute rainbow cave to hide in surrounded by plants. The tank is about 2ft x1ft and 1ft high. I am not very good with maths and conversions and gallons sorry. The sand seems to be sticking to him in long strings… = C

Is it possible that he is lonely? Should I get him a friend when I have his tank checked for water quality?

Thank you soooooo much for replying. It helped settle my mind a little to read your advice!

Axolotls don't get lonely so don't worry about a friend for Xerxes. Your tank is probably just the right size for one adult axolotl so you would need a new tank if you got another axolotl.

With fridging, put a tea towel or something over the container so the light going on does not stress him out. It is better not to keep checking the container for the same reason. I use a tuppaware container that is about 5L but you just need something big enough for your axolotl to fit. I use a lid but leave a little gap at the top then wrap the container in a tea towel. They can spend a long time in the fridge with no adverse effects. Mine was in there for nearly three weeks during a heat wave. The only thing is, your axolotl probably won't each much or anything at all but their metabolism slows down from the temperature so he won't need to eat. The important thing to remember is to change his water once a day with dechlorinated water. I keep a bottle in the fridge next to the container so the new water is the same temperature as the old.

Salt baths should be 1-2 teaspoons of salt per litre for 10 minutes three times a day until about 3-4 days after the last sign of fungus has disappeared.

Sand is a good substrate so don't worry about that Gravel is bad so was just checking you didn't have that.

Seeing as you live in Brisbane it is possible the tank is too warm but will see when you post the temperatures. Axolotls should be kept in under 20C of water ideally but can handle up to 24C usually. Anything above 24C will kill them in a day or so. Here is an article on cooling methods if you find that temperature is a problem: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cooling.shtml

Good luck!

Nat,

you should fridge in a container with a lid, most people recommend an ice cream container, also you should cover the container with a towel to avoid startling the axie when the light comes on. You will need to change the water daily so make sure to keep some dechlorinated water in the fridge for that purpose.
To give a salt bath you need to put 2 teaspoons of salt per liter of water, do this 2 to 3 times a day for 10 to 15 minutes but no longer. You should make this in a different container than the one you are fridging your axie in and always make a fresh one for each bath. Also since you are fridging your axie, the water in your salt bath needs to be at the same temp as the fridge.
Hope this helps.

:happy: Thank you very very much. I am so super excited about tonight now. I feel completely prepared. Your advice is so valuable to me, and especially Xerxes!

Can he forget how to eat? He just simply won't. I can dangle his worms and turtle food, and where he used to dive and love eating, he just refuses now. I just don't know how to encourage him. When I say he is very sick, I mean horribly! Will he cope in the fridge? He hasn't eaten for nearly three weeks now, no matter how hard I try.

Ok, I can't WAIT for tonight so I can make help him! I just rang my boyfriend and he is very enthusiastic (he is also incredibly sorry for how bad Xerxes is).

Thank thanks thanks!!! -hug-

Try earthworms. They're more wiggly, and usually more tempting. You may have to chop them into small bits.