Sick Axolotl....advice needed!!!

Hi, just found this site today and am very impressed!! My partner and I got 2 axolotls in November last year. One unfortunatley died about 2 weeks ago. We discovered our Nitrate and Nitrite levels were insanley high and have since fixed the problem. Our remaining axolotl, Axle, doesn't seem right though. He is a black and speckly. He used to have big, fluffy gills but in the last few days we have noticed them shrinking and they don't look very healthy at all. He is being lethargic and not swimming as much as he used to. We have two filters, one for aeration, in a 70L tank. He has been eating however he seems to spit most of it back up. Our pH, Amonia and Nitrate levels are normal. We feed him frozen worm cubes. PLEASE HELP!!

Hi Ss,
When you say your ammonia/nitrate etc levels are normal, what are your readings?
Does Axle have any white cotton around his gills where they have been 'shrinking'? If so this is probably a fungus which thrives in bad water conditions (it may have moved in when your previous axolotl died).
Also, how often do you feed him and is it possible for you to upload a photo of him?
Black and speckly sounds like a wildtype to me.

The amonia level is 0 and Nitrate is almost 0 (has been coming down over the last week). The pH is neutral. We used to feed them every second day, but we were advised to reduce that to every three days. For the last few days we have given Axle smaller amounts of food, around half a cube at a time as he seems to struggle sucking it in. He just nibbles at the food and makes a big mess. I will upload a pic when I get home(am at work now!). He has very long toes and strong legs. He has small amounts of white slime on him, but not around his gills, as far as I can see.

The white slime could could be a range of things, a photo would help to determine if it's unhealthy or not.
Axolotls have a natural slime coating that is more visible on the darker breeds, but if it's flaking off and leaving redness in areas it might be the beginning of a fungus.

Hope to see a pic up soon.

I have posted a pic of Axle now and one of him when he was healthier (with Rose who died two weeks ago). He isn't moving much and seems to like sitting by and on the filters. he doesnt seem to have any slime on him. it's not the best picture, he's in an awkward position!!! his gills have almost no frills on them now....... anything we can do???

Hi S and S,

First: Axle is way too thin!

The frozen bloodworms shoud be defrosted before being fed to him. Once they have defrosted, they should also be rinsed vey briefly to remove the melt water.

I would also add variety to his diet - have you tried earthworms? They are by far the most nutritious food for axolotls. There are many other things that you can feed, too - the Caudata Culture page has articles on feeding that you might find interesting.

What dimensions does a 70 gallon tank have? What is the temperature in the tank? When you say nitrate (NO3) is coming down, do you mean nitrite (NO2)? Normally NO3 levels will rise as ammonia and NO2 levels sink.

How did Rose die - was there some sort of bacterial infection or other (contagious) disease?

-Eva

To be honest with you, it doesn't look like Axle has much life ahead of him.
Problems like this should be brought to light as soon as possible, looks like this one has been left for a couple of weeks.

The water looks very couldy and dark, how often do you clean the tank and do you pick up his droppings/uneaten food?

the tank is very clean, the photo is bad(my camera isnt the best). we change 1/4 of the water weekly and scoop any waste out whenever we see it. we syphoned the gravel yesterday.

Rose died quite suddenly. she acted strangley for a few days, swimming with her head out of the water then she seemed to become paralysed.

Hi S and S,

Poor water parameters are usually the initiator of a vicious cycle of ill health. High ammonia and nitrites in particular can cause toxicty and chemical insult to vulnerable axies. Illness and death can come swiftly, and even survivors can end up permanently 'damaged' and predispose to illness and stress much more easily.

You want to aim for 0 ammonia and nitrites and <60 nitrates. What are your current water parameter readings now?

You haven't mentioned anything about water temperature or if there are excessive water currents. With two filters i would expect quite a current.

Nutrition wise, frozen bloodworms are fine but you might like to consider adding variety. Live earthworms, blackworms, pellets and occasional treats will ensure he receives the best nutrition. He is looking rather emaciated currently.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/foods.shtml

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/foods2.shtml

Now to the sudden deaths. Let me guess, was rose swimming frantically along the length of your tank in an almost dolphin like manner? With head bobbing out, maybe even gasping? Axies do this when they are very uncomfortable or extremely ill. Here are some common causes.

1 - Water parameters are so bad that it causes discomfort - chemical insult etc.

2 - Axie's gills are so tattered and shrivelled that oxygen exchange capacity is diminished to the extent it needs to come to the surface for air.

3 - Parasitism. If you notice odd twitches and as if trying to scratch itself. They can become so irritating that the axie goes into 'frantic' mode.

If rose subsequently developed paralysis (neurological damage) and then died suddenly, i suspect point 1 is the likeliest cause.

Cheers

Hi S and S,

Shriveled gills, stress, and inappetitance are usually an indication of water quality issues, or tank environment issues.

There may be several contributing factors, such as:

Water movement

You mentioned you have two filters at work in your 70 litre tank. Water currents will stress an axolotl and this stress can kill them. Do you have anything in place to obstruct the flow or diffuse the current issued by the outtakes of these filters? For a 70 litre one filter is ample to provide aeration to the tank.

To prevent water movement stress you can either afix a spray bar to the filter's outtake to diffuse the flow (with a little ingenuity you can make this yourself as it is just a perferated tube), you may place an obstruction in front of the outtake to break the current, or some filters have an adjustable outtake which will allow you to redirect the flow to the tank wall so the current does not disturb the axolotls.

Water quality

If the Ammonia or Nitrite levels are higher than '0' this is toxic to the axolotl. If there is no reading for Nitrate then this would indicate the cycle has not yet completed or has completely crashed. A complete cycle's readings should be Ammonia and Nitrite at a consistant '0' and the Nitrate should be 10-60.

In a fully cycled tank the Ammonia and Nitrite is broken down and converted to Nitrate rendering them non toxic. Nitrate 10-60 is not dangerous, if the Nitrate climbs above 60 however then this is dangerous and then partial water changes will need to be done to bring it down to acceptable levels.

What sort of test kit are you using? If you are using dipstrips these are notorious for giving inaccurate readings. The most reliable test kits are the test tube kits. If you are using test tube kits are they within their expiry date?

Bloodworm while a good food nutritionally is also as you have discovered very messy. Uneaten bloodworm will get everywhere, including sifting under the substrate where it will rot and wreak havoc with water quality, bloodworm can also contribute to water cloudiness.

Water Temperature

The optimum temperature range for an axolotl is 14-18 degrees celcius. The axolotl will tolerate temperature up to 23C, but if the temperature is over 24C then the axolotl will likely get ill due to heat stress which can quickly lead to death.

Impaction

Impaction is caused by the axolotl consuming gravel which they can't pass. You mentioned you have gravel in the tank. Any gravel smaller than 2cm in length presents a danger to axolotls. Impaction occurs when the ingested gravel blocks the gut, this can lead to death.

If you suspect your axolotl has swallowed stones, fridging will help the axolotl to relax and pass the stones.

Hides and Light

Axolotls have no eyelids and don't care much for light as they are nocturnal. Are there sufficient hides in the tank so the axolotl can get away from the light during the day if it is disturbing him? Hides make axolotls feel secure, if the axolotls are constantly out in the open with nowhere to hide away this can stress them.

For now....

For now, I would move the axolotl out of the tank and place him in a tub of fresh dechlorinated water until the problem can be ascertained and corrected. The axolotl needs to be kept in a stress free, cool, still, dark environment which will hopefully encourage him to eat as he is far too thin.

If there is nowhere cool to keep the axolotl, you may need to consider fridging him. Fridging will slow the metabolism to the point where the axolotl will not be inclined to eat, but the weight loss will also slow down which is an advantage and will help buy time to find and deal with issues in the tank environment.

While living in this temporary accommodation the axolotl will need his water changed 100% each day with fresh dechlorinated water.



Fridging Procedure:

• Prepare a tub of fresh dechlorinated water (select tub that is long enough for the axie to stretch out to his full length).
• Put enough water to cover the axolotl's back, ensure he can touch the ground but cannot float.
• Set fridge for 5-8 degrees celcius, no lower than 5 degrees.
• Keep jugs/bottles of fresh dechlorinated water in the fridge
• The axolotl will need his water changed 100% daily with the fridged dechlorinated water.

Eva has linked an excellent article on acceptable foods for an axolotl. The most nutritious food is earthworm, but if the axolotl will not eat earthworm I would offer liver, beef heart anything to get some food into that axie, something is better than nothing at this point.

The articles section Eva (aka Blueberlin) also provides a wealth of information on Water quality (most important), cycling, ideal filters for axolotls, cooling an aquarium (invaluable information for Australians with axolotls), appropriate foods (earthworm is best), and much much more.



In a nutshell:

• Is there any water current in the tank?
• What are the exact water parameters for Ammonia (toxic), Nitrite (toxic) and Nitrate (non toxic below 60)? Mixed up readings in Nitrite and Nitrate can be disasterous, please retest all parameters and advise.
• What is the tank water temperature?
• What size is the gravel in the tank?
• Are there any hides in the tank?
• Are there any other tank mates in the tank such as fish?

Thank-you all for the help. I did a reading of the parameters last night. The amonia was 0, the Nitrite was 0 and the pH was neutral. I don't have a Nitrate test kit yet, will get one. We use test tube kits.

We have a thermometer in the tank to monitor the temp. We live in Queensland and it is hard to keep it cool. His tank is away from direct light and he has a log he can hide in. We put ice-blocks(plastic bottles) in his tank to keep the temp down. I think from now on I will leave the air-con on for him while we are at work.

One filter is a sponge shelf filter for airation, which he often sits on. We turn the other one into the side of the tank, it has a swivel head on it. We were advised by the aquirium that we needed both of these filters. Also, do we wash the filters or leave them??

I fed Axle last night, at he ate happily. I will get some worms tonight and try those with him. Would you reccomend feeding him daily until he fattens up a bit??

The gravel we have is very fine, almost sand like. We hand feed him and while he used to dive at the gravel and search for food, he hasn't done it for a while. We clean the gravel every one or two weeks.

You were correct about Rose. This is exactly what happened to her. After she died, we took water samples to the aquarium and found that our parameters were way off. We are new to axolotl care and were very saddened by her death. We really don't want Axle to die as well, I'm desperate to help him.

Hi S and S,

Thank you for the additional information.

You can 'unclog' your filters of any physical debris but do not use soap, hot water, chlorinated water to wash or rinse them. You can actually use some of the tank water to give your filters a good rinse. There is no necessity to scrub them clean as well as we want to preserve the slimy biofilm of beneficial bacteria.

Your axie having a good appetite is a good sign, a strong will to live. You should increase your feeding frequency and offer a variety of nutritious food (earthworms really are quite essential). Allow it to eat as much as it can in one 20-30 min sitting and then remove all excess.

Cheers.

I am having trouble finding beef liver for Axle, would lamb liver be ok?? I have sourced earthworms but will take a few days to get them. I need to feed him something tonight!!

Hi S and S,

Are you looking to find something to feed as a treat or as a long term basis? Here is what i suggest, i would priortise what i think would be best to offer first if you can get your hands on them. I would place the most important ones first.

Staples

1 - Earthworms, bloodworms (live or frozen cubes), blackworms, axolotl pellets

Treats

2 - Small strips of shrimp meat, fish meat (try avoid white fish meat if possible, remove bones)
3 - Small strips of beef, lamb even chicken heart and/or meat.

I actually avoid liver of all sorts. Livers can have high enzymatic content (especially raw ones) that can actually lead to vitamin deficiencies in the long run. Same goes with raw white fish meat, they have thiaminase which can lead to Vit B deficiency over long term consumption.

Cheers.

thanks, maybe a silly question, if I were to feed him chicken/beef strips do you give it to him raw??

S and S said:

thanks, maybe a silly question, if I were to feed him chicken/beef strips do you give it to him raw??

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No such thing as a silly question.

Yes, feed them raw.

QUICK......got home and axle can't swim properly and is struggling to move. should i put him in the fridge as advised earlier????? need quick action please...

also, he hasn't pooped in a while..... if i do fridge him, will we know if he is still alive easily??? i still think there is some hope for axle.

S and S said:

QUICK......got home and axle can't swim properly and is struggling to move. should i put him in the fridge as advised earlier????? need quick action please...

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Yes! Please put him in the fridge and follow the procedure in my previous post. Also, wrap the container in a teatowel so the fridge light going on and off does not disturb the axolotl.

The fridge will help calm and relax him, it really is the best place for him to be.