Illness/Sickness: Fungus worse after fridging

ChewToyHead · Dec 3, 2012

Greeting from Denmark - I hope you can understand my english

I moved my axolotls from one aqaurium to another, and Fauna is fine, but Katla apparently got so stressed, that she got some fungus, and for the first time, I'm trying the whole fridge/saltbath thing.
She has been in the fridge for 5 days now, and for the last 3 days I've been giving her saltbaths.
Both fridging and saltbathing have been done after the guide in here.

Yesterday the fungus on her one gill fell off - but today it's back and have spread to her head, body and tail (mostly in small circles). I panicked and tried to remove some of it with a swab - but when I gently removed the fungus on her back, the skin fell off too

So I guess it was a bad idea, 'cause now she's bleeding.

Does anybody know, what to do? Is it normal, that it gets worse, and then gets better?

Pictures from today:

View image: Billeder 004

View image: Billeder 002

View image: Billeder 001

CJ1981 · Dec 3, 2012

Ouch the poor thing! My salt bathing/fridging experience is limited I'm sorry but I was wondering what the water parameters in your larger aquarium are and how often you have been changing the water in the container you are currently using for fridging?

I ask because the gills in your pictures look a little short - it might just be the angle the pictures were taken at but gills usually look longer to me.

I would perservere with the salt baths for now, Axolotls are tough little things with fantastic healing powers but they are susceptible to stress. Is Katla eating and pooping at all?

(p.s. your English is pretty perfect :happy

ChewToyHead · Dec 3, 2012

CJ1981 said:
Ouch the poor thing! My salt bathing/fridging experience is limited I'm sorry but I was wondering what the water parameters in your larger aquarium are and how often you have been changing the water in the container you are currently using for fridging?

I ask because the gills in your pictures look a little short - it might just be the angle the pictures were taken at but gills usually look longer to me.

I would perservere with the salt baths for now, Axolotls are tough little things with fantastic healing powers but they are susceptible to stress. Is Katla eating and pooping at all?

(p.s. your English is pretty perfect :happy

I haven't been able to measure the parameters in the aqaurium for a month now, because of money problems (one of my cats had an urgent problem, so big bill at the vet, and now this is happening - typical, huh?

) But now I bought some new testing gear, and it should arrive soon! But the gills have been small for over a year, I'm not sure why. The parameters have been good. But I had some catfish (is that what they are called?) and I recently discovered, that they got a little too "friendly" with my axies, so I removed them, and are now hoping, that it was because of them - but I don't really know :happy:

I change the water in the container every day. I change it every morning, and I'm removing left over food in the evening. And no she doesn't eat or poop

(PS. I'm happy my english is okay

)

NeekaLovesYou · Dec 3, 2012

The catfish are probably the main cause of the short gills, it's best not to mix species. I wouldn't be surprised if they have had a nibble on them. Hopefully once the fungus has cleared they will get some length back. Check your tank water as soon as your kit arrives

ChewToyHead · Dec 3, 2012

NeekaLovesYou said:
The catfish are probably the main cause of the short gills, it's best not to mix species. I wouldn't be surprised if they have had a nibble on them. Hopefully once the fungus has cleared they will get some length back. Check your tank water as soon as your kit arrives

If you look at the first picture (with the fungus) you can see, what I think, is one of the gills growing back - they were all little lumps before, when the catfish lived there :happy:
And yes, it's the first thing I'm gonna do, when the kit gets here - believe me!

NeekaLovesYou · Dec 3, 2012

What substrate have you got in the tank and is the new tank cycled?

ChewToyHead · Dec 3, 2012

NeekaLovesYou said:
What substrate have you got in the tank and is the new tank cycled?

The right one, I think

small and round.

View image: Storm2 (Old picture of a different axie)

The aquarium thing, is a long story - but in short terms, the old one broke under a cleaning, and it was chaos. With water and stuff all over the floor.
But I saved the axies and a week later I got a new one for my birthday. I got the new tank set up, with the old filter (wich should still have good bacteria in it) and I add'ed some new bacteria to make it cycle faster, because it wasn't optimal for the axies to be, where I left them. So it was like that for 5 days, when I put Fauna and Katla back in the tank.
I know it's soon - but I didn't have much choice. Fauna is doing great. She's acting normal and she's eating. But Katla must have gotten post traumatic stress disorder

p) from losing her home in that chaotic way, and being moved from aqarium to a bucket, and from a bucket, to a new aqaurium. Poor her!
And now she's sick

NeekaLovesYou · Dec 3, 2012

Have you ever seen either of them eat or pass any of the substrate? Although the individual pieces of (what I presume is very fine, processed gravel) are quite small, it does concern me slightly. I've known axolotls to get fungus after ingesting and failing to pass fine gravel, even sand occasionally - do you feel this could be a possibility?

ChewToyHead · Dec 3, 2012

When they eat, they get both food and gravel in their mouths - but they spit out the gravel again. I've had axolotls for over 2 years, and it has never been a problem :happy:

NeekaLovesYou · Dec 3, 2012

Ok, I'd suggest keeping an eye out in case she does eventually pass a large quantity of the gravel - Although you say it's never been a problem, there could be something going on inside her that obviously we can't see! If she does pass large quantities of the gravel I'd recommend changing the substrate to sand. But it's up to how you feel about the situation. Keep up with the salt baths and hopefully the fungus will eventually diminish. Fungus can sometimes take several weeks to clear.

ChewToyHead · Dec 3, 2012

Yeah, I'm more than willing to take some good advice - so thank you!
And I will change to sand or big rocks - I will change the whole look of the tank next month anyway. I just want them, to get some peace after this chaos first

NeekaLovesYou · Dec 3, 2012

Fantastic

If you choose to use large rocks just ensure they're larger than the axolotls head and you may want to keep test kits at hand as they can trap waste, causing ammonia spikes. Sand or bare bottom are by far the safest and (not to mention) easiest options. However, I use large rocks in all of my axolotl tanks due to having under gravel filters and have never had any problems with it as a substrate.

ChewToyHead · Dec 3, 2012

What about food? Doesn't it disappear under the rocks, before the axies get it?

I was thinking maybe 2/3 with big rocks, and the rest with either sand or nothing :happy:

NeekaLovesYou · Dec 3, 2012

My axolotls are hand fed so not a lot gets lost. If it does, however, I use a turkey baster to quickly suck it back up so it doesn't get left trapped. 3 large rocks with either sand or bare bottom will be fine.

Minniechild · Dec 3, 2012

Agreed- Rocks are great when used properly! I've used (both in the current setup and the setups before) a "wall" of large (like, 4kg a piece, 20-30cm long/wide) rocks with pieces of PVC pipe as hides wedged in between, a sand substrate (That they're walking on- the current tank also has a few other layers underneath

) and the axies have really loved it!

ChewToyHead · Dec 8, 2012

Fungus and blood?

Hey All!

It's me again - with the same axolotl, who's not getting better. And the fungus is still spreading even though I'm following the guides from this site.
She's in the fridge, and she's getting her daily saltbaths.
A few days ago, I tried to remove some of the fungus gently with a swap, wich caused her to bleed.
Or so I thought. Because today when I got her in the saltbath, her most infected gill became red, with what I thought was blood.
But why would she suddently start bleeding?
I'm dreading that this fungus acctually likes the cold water and the dark in the fridge, because it's getting worse and worse... and now this.
The fungus on her leg and tail have done the same thing to her - making her bright red.

Is it blood? And should I keep going? I'm afraid it's hurting her

Please help me, if you can...

View image: Billeder 004

Bellabelloo · Dec 8, 2012

I have merged your two posts. This is so we do not end up asking you all the same questions again.

Could you add another photo of the whole axolotl please?

ChewToyHead · Dec 8, 2012

I don't have a photo of her whole body right now - but I will take one tomorrow!

And sorry for making a whole new thread, I was just worried, that noone would look at this old one, and it's kind of urgent

Kaysie · Dec 8, 2012

I think this is not the normal type of fungus, but may be a type called saprolegnia, which is prolific at colder temperatures. You should see a vet to confirm.

Illness/Sickness: Fungus worse after fridging

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