One axie tried to eat the other.

New member here. I've had my axolotls for about a month now and they have kept to themselves for the most part. Up until now anway. One is roughly 4 inches long, while the other is just a bit smaller at 3.5 inches. The larger of the two is more active and curious, and Cricket, the smaller axie, likes to hide out most of the day.

Upon returning home from work this evening I found Cricket being shaken violently and almost half way inside No Name. Cricket's tail and hind legs were the parts being eaten.

Reaching for No Name with my hand was enough to make him let go of Cricket.

Now that Cricket is free, I am unsure what to do with him. His skin just above is hind legs is rubbed off and looks rather meaty. Not sure if there is damage to his legs, but his feet are quite red.

Should I fridge him or just separate him to smaller tank and keep water quality top notch?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Abby

Yes, separate them. Most keepers do not put axolotls together at so young an age since they are inclined to cannibalism. Sometimes it can be avoided by keeping them very well fed, but it sounds like there is enough of a size difference between the two that separating them would be best.

Putting him in clean water would be best. You don't necessarily have to fridge him, he should be able to heal it on his own. Just keep the water clean, cold, and him well fed. A container or a smaller tank would work, the little ones don't need that much space.

It's recommended to keep axolotls separate until they reach a certain age. They'll likely be safe to go back together at 7 inches or so. Once they begin to mature, they're less likely to cannibalize. It's usually easier and safer just to keep them apart and not risk the issues rather than to be extra vigilant - it can be stressful. If you notice that there is a large size difference between the two as they grow older, it may be better to wait till they're close in size before putting them back together again.

That said, it's very easy to raise axolotl juveniles in a tub up to 6-7 inches. Your axolotl should heal just fine if you keep it clean. If you notice the wound getting fungus, it would be better to fridge and treat that. If you can get your hands on indian almond leaf you can use a little in the tub water to ward off fungus and allow it to heal without having to fridge, as it's a natural antibacterial. Black tea water works too, but that adds a whole complication of diluting and not having caffeine. There are threads on that that you can search for using the search bar if interested, and you can also find threads on indian almond leaves in the search bar.

If it gets to the point of fungus, look up threads in the search bar for treating fungus on young axolotls. There are articles on salt baths and fridging, as well as general wound treatment that can be found under the caudata.org, then caudata culture bar. The site it takes you to has many guides on all sorts of illnesses, and will give exact amounts and ingredients for salt baths. Salt baths are pretty harsh, and fungus usually falls off easily in the cold. With juveniles as small as yours I'd halve the time in a salt bath, and maybe dilute the salt more since they're smaller and weaker. When I received juveniles with fungus, I did not use the full amount of salt recommended, as the salt baths were harsh enough on adults that their gill filaments fell off. Don't use the full amount if you don't have to.

To summarize:
1. Keep separate.
2. Clean cold water.
3. Natural tea/leaf antibacterial if viable to obtain.
4. Fridging if white fungus shows up on the wounds.
5. Salt bath if fungus is persistent.

Good luck with your juveniles.

Thank you for the very quick and informative response.

I have separated him into a smaller tank and will keep an eye out for fungus as well as water quality. I will also find a place to order the almond leaves.

Again, I thank you for everything.

I forgot to ask, would it be best to provide him with a hide or keep his tank bare while healing? I have a small PVC pipe on hand.

Up to your discretion. It would be less stressful if he had a hide, but many people do tub-raising without hides. Since you have it on hand, go ahead and use it. I'm sure it will be appreciated. I do not believe a PVC pipe would affect the healing process at all.

currently dealing with a situation similar, My axie is rehealing quite well, 3 days in and his injuries are almost non existent. axies are great healers!

I keep small axolotls together and they are always eating each other. Cannabilism doesnt bother me, its just natures way of allowing the fittest to survive, though I do tend to remove the biggest few from every batch after a couple of months as they can easily decimate the rest. However as you only have two , it would probably be best to keep them seperate till they are adults. As for treatment , esn said it all.