Illness/Sickness: One axolotl died, other is Sick. Please help

Hello,

I am really worried about the axelotl that i currently own. I've had 2 axelotl's for a while now. One died yesterday, and i have had him for only around 2 years. He hadn't been eating for around 2 weeks, and then developed a white spots (i think fungi) a few days ago, so i moved both axelotl's into a new clean tank. Yesterday morning i noticed he was floating upside down in the tank and i thought he was dead, but when i went to get him he started moving but he looked really weak. I then rang up a pet place and they said i needed to buy these tablets to kill the fungi that was on him. I followed the instructions and used the tablets. Everything seemed alright. About 6 hours later i went to feed them and the water had become all yellow and there was black stuff floating around everywhere (i later found out it was his dead skin). The dark axelotl which was the first one i had was dead. I was really sad, and i had tried so much to keep him alive. He is now buried next the biggest tree in my backyard.

I have now turned my attention to the remaining yellow coloured axelotl who looks very stressed. I introduced the yellow one into my fish tank about 6 months ago. At first the dark coloured one was a bit angry because he was used to being the only axelotl in the tank, but after a few weeks they got along quite well together. But now with the loss of his friend, he isnt looking to well at all. His tail is curved on the side, and the frill things on its head are pointed upwards. He also is not eating any food and is looking really thin. I tried to feed him crickets yesterday even holding it in front of its mouth, but nothing. So i just put frozen beef heart in there (which is what he's been eating all his life) in the hope he would eat it. I woke up this morning and checked but the beef heart is still there, and he isnt looking any better. One big problem that i had to do was putting him straight in a new makeshift tank (a plastic box filled with water straight from the tap) without letting the water settle. I had to move him as the one he was in the water was all yellow and dead skin was floating around everywhere (presumably yellow from the death of the other one). And now im noticing white spots emerge on his tail. There are also red veins popping out of its neck.

I don't know what to do from here. I have done a 50% water change on its original tank, and have left the filter running for about 2 hours now. I am going to turn the filter off when i put him back in so i dont stress him out any more, but when should i put him in or should i leave him where he is now because he has moved to 2 different tanks in the past 24 hours... How should i get him to eat, should i move him, and should i medicate him with the tablets as im not sure but i think he is getting the fungi. If anyone could answer i would be very grateful, as i do not want to lose my second axolotl.

Regards, Billy.

I am sorry to hear about your loss.

Do not medicate him with the tablets. I'm not entirely sure but it's quite possible that is what caused the loss of your other axie. What were these tablets? Many medications made for fish are not to be used with axolotls and can contain ingredients that can cause them serious harm (ie. death).

Did you dechlorinate the water you currently have him in? Axolotls can not live in water with chlorine and chloramines (which are put in our drinking water). Also, it is a very bad idea to leave food in the tank as it will soon start to rot and ruin your water quality.

Where in Oz are you? We've had some pretty warm weather so it's no surprise your axolotls have succumbed to fungal infections, their tank needs to be kept under 23-24 degrees. The best way to treat fungal infections is with fridging (google 'axolotl fridging' for a guide) and regular salt baths (a search on this forum will show you many threads on this topic). These may be the best treatments for your axolotl.

Hope this helps you in some way!

Hey thanks heaps for the help Dan.

The medication tablets are called TRI-SULFA TABLETS by AquaMaster. "As an aid in the control of following aquarium fish diseases: Whit Spot, Mouth and Body Fungus, Fin and tail Rot & other external diseases in fresh and saltwater aquariums". I may have put slightly over the recommended dosage, but not by much.

What do you mean by de chlorinate the water? I didn't have time to do anything as i needed to move him straight away.

I live in Sydney, and although its been raining for the past week non - stop i guess it has gotten quite humid. Instead of putting the axolotl in the fridge could i just put some of the water that I'm going to add in the fridge and slowly add it to his current tank?

Also is there more of a chance of fungi being created if there is a large log in the water? its like a branch stick thats a feature in the fish tank, but is there more of a chance that fungi will form if its in there?

Thanks again, Billy.

You should be using a fresh water dechlorinator such as API in your tank with every water change to neutralize/remove any chlorine in your water. Chlorine is harmful to fish and aquatic amphibians.

Also, if you keep turning off your filter you may as well not have one - - a filter works by building a bacteria colony which can take WEEKS (8-12) to develop. Turning off the filter means no fresh water and oxygen move over the filter media and colony and the bacteria quickly die. When you turn it back on with a dead colony you are doing little more than making bubbles - you are not actually filtering anything if you do not have a mature bacteria colony.

Axolotls are not fish so you should never use a fish medication unless you have checked it on here first. Most pet stores known very little to nothing about caring for and treating axolotls so they should not be your source of knowledge.

Fridging your axolotl for a few days would be very beneficial to its health. Just pouring a bit of cold water in from time to time will not have a fraction of the benefit.

Also - I need to comment on the beef heart which you say they have been eating right along. This is very fatty and not at all recommended as a diet for an axie - you should feed earth worms.

You mentioned you added them to your fish tank - were you just using that term as another word for "aquarium" or do you have actual fish in the tank with the axololts?

Mmm... I've only just obtained my axolotls today, and therefore I am not entirely experienced with axolotls just yet. But I will try assisting where I can. Your predicament seems very horrifying, I do hope all goes well.

Firstly, I believe pictures would be extremely useful for more experiences owners to identify whether your axolotl truly has succumbed to a fungal infection. If so, I would recommend visiting the following link:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-beginner-newt-salamander-axolotl-help-topics/f48-axolotls-ambystoma-mexicanum/f58-sick-axolotl/72698-salt-bath-picture-tutorial.html

I would wait until either you could identify the fungus from a source, or for another person here to identify it themselves.


And to add to the fridging recommendation, one of the reason the axolotl must be kept in the fridge and not simply cooling down the tank is because the cooler temperatures in the fridge lowers the axolotl's metabolism down, therefore allowing him to go through time without needing much food. This is especially useful if your axolotl will not eat. A useful link for fridging could be found in the following link:

Axolotl Sanctuary

I would recommend fridging your axolotl immediately before you do anything else, actually. It would be easier to take pictures if it is in small Tupperware container as well.

Edit: Oh, you have added a picture. I didn't notice. Perhaps if you could take pictures highlighting specific areas with the visible ailment as well?