Hi ya, looking for axolotl advice..

I have some health questions regarding my 2 axolotls. I suspect one is constipated and just want to talk to some one who's pet has been through the same thing. He looks so miserable and i dont know what to do. The pet shops all say the same thing "do a water change". I am forever doing water changes, but there are no improvements.

What do you use for a substrate? Gravel? Small rocks?

Post a picture of your axie and his tank please.

i have river stones. They are about 2 to 3 cm's wide. I made sure they were large, flat stones so the axies can't possibly swollow them.
After i wrote the above, i had some advice from another pet shop. He said my tank is not cycled. He gave me instructions to stop changing the water, use pimafix for the fungus and to add sea salt into the tank. He also gave me a sponge out of his tank full of the good bacteria. I have yet to put the salt in. I'll try and get a photo on here (still new and trying to work it all out). The more i read, the more i think i should put them both in the fridge to de stress and remove any possible bowel blockages.
Both my axolotls seem to like each other a lot, is it ok to put them both in the same container in the fridge?

...as you can see, they have a fungal problem. And the black ones rear end is swollen a little. It was never that big, and one day it was just a lot larger all of a sudden. Left side more so than the right. I was told the fungal infection was a result of adding water with chlorine. I ALWAYS use stress coat de-chlorinator, but had the advice that it removes chlorine in seconds. Turns out it takes an hour. So i have upset their skin. In saying that, i have stopped doing that and have not added any chlorined water in 3 days.
I'm quite upset over it - i have been given bad advice and i am resposible for the mess that they are in

lray said:

...as you can see, they have a fungal problem. And the black ones rear end is swollen a little. It was never that big, and one day it was just a lot larger all of a sudden. Left side more so than the right. I was told the fungal infection was a result of adding water with chlorine. I ALWAYS use stress coat de-chlorinator, but had the advice that it removes chlorine in seconds. Turns out it takes an hour. So i have upset their skin. In saying that, i have stopped doing that and have not added any chlorined water in 3 days.
I'm quite upset over it - i have been given bad advice and i am resposible for the mess that they are in

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I don't think the de-chlorinator takes hours, if it does then maybe you should get a tap water conditioner witch works quiker, most if not all are instant but fungis may be caused becaused by highf tempurture, stress from a number of things such as bad water chemistry or maybe they caught it of somthing.
to treat it i would do salt baths and put your axolotl with the fungis in to the fridge.
have a read of this link, Salt bath Picture Tutorial

The enlarged cloaca region is a sign that your black axolotl is a male and the black tips on the luectics black tips on his fingers meen he is sexually mature.
Have a read of this Axolotls - Biology

How big is your tank, it seems a bit bright for axolotls since they come from mercky lakes in mexico and don't have eyelids, do you have any hides apart from the pirate ship so they can hide if its to bright and what is the tempurture of your tank?

Any questions feel free to ask.
Sam:happy:

i have started to leave the water for 24 hours with a dose of de-chlorinator. So that should make double double sure there is none in the water.
As for the black finger tips on Whitey (very original name, i know) It peels off and hangs from his fingers when its being treated for fungis. I actually think i am winning the war on that part. I put them both in the fridge about 30 mins ago. Not with salt though. I thought id see what they looked like during the next few hours before i started doing the salt bath. I have put them together in the same container in the fridge. Is that ok? They like each other and i didn't want to sepperate them.
So you think the black one is a boy then? The white one has a very large cloaca too. Maybe 2 little boys? Strange that they get along so well together..
And lastly, the tank has 2 x 13 wat lights in it. I make a point of only turning 1 on, and only at feeding and cleaning times so i can see what i am doing. Like you said, they like darker environments. I had to turn them on in order for the camera to take the picture clearly. Then i switched them off again.
you also asked how big the tank is, its 100 liters (26.4 gallons). I was told it was suitable for 2 axolotls.
Thanks for talking to me about this, too. Its very hard finding people who know anything about the axolotls. I appreciate you chatting with me