Illness/Sickness: I don't know what to do? Fridge?

Hi, I am new to axolotls and need some advice. We have only had him a short time, a couple of months. The tank was not set up and cycled before we got him. I contacted local pet shop and asked how to care for him and as you can imagine got bad advice! Was told that gravel was fine, feed him pellets or uncooked shrimp/prawn. I had some water issues and was told to put live plants in. Initially he wouldn't eat but eventually got him to eat bits of prawn and thought I was getting on top of things, he was eating well, growing, and I was doing regular partial water changes. Then plants started to die? Water parameters deteriorated, I did more research online, removed plants and gravel and am doing regular partial water changes as he stopped eating. I am using Seachem Prime to treat water. I tried him with earthworms, not interested. The ammonia went sky high, I am using API liquid test, I mean 8ppm!!!!!!! I did a major water change, 90%, I really didn't think I had a choice. I thought about fridging him but have no experience! It has been a week since he ate. He is around 6-7". Tank is small, 25litres, 40cm long x 30cm wide and I am going to get a larger one, it has a filter with sponge and spray bar, he has a tunnel and airstone. So today I noticed he has a"blister" on the side of his face and some skin peeling from his foot. He has not pooped. It is possible he has swallowed gravel although I always hand fed him. Just checked water. PH 6 Ammonia 1ppm Nitrites 2 Nitrates 5ppm I am on tank/rainwater. PH from tap is 6.5.

Ammonia and nitrites need to be under .5ppm to be safe. You'll need to do bigger water changes everyday.

Or you could put him in a tub with 100% daily water changes whilst adding an ammonia source to your main tank.

Can you get a clearer photos of its gills - they look a bit odd.

Another photo

The blistering and skin loss definitely sound like skin irritation from the water problems you are having. A larger tank would probably make it easier to keep the parameters within safe limits while the cycling stage is completed (it sounds as though cycling is not yet complete, based on the nitrates reading). Perhaps putting him/her into a tub of cool, clean water with 100% daily water changes while you get your tank parameters under control would be a good alternative to fridging the lotl, which could just stress it out further. Other contributors no doubt have more experience than I do, so comments on this suggestion would be useful.
Meanwhile, the lotl looks well fed and should be able to tolerate not eating for at least another week or so without too much concern. Water quality should be your first concern at this point, I think.

So I decided to test my tap water just to make sure it was OK. All levels were zero but the PH is low at 6. Do I need to do anything about the low PH?
I just did a 90% water change and re tested water, ammonia, nitrates 0, nitrites .25??

The gills don't look too bad, they looked a little fuzzy in the first photo. Just keep an eye out for fungus that can grow due to poor conditions.

Like it was mentioned - fridging is stressful and its not worth it in your case. If I were you I would definitely separate and put him in a tub like I said earlier, that way you can ensure with daily water changes that his water wont creep up as high as it is in your tank. But you DO need an ammonia source whether its straight ammonia, axolotl poop or food otherwise there will be nothing the beneficial bacteria can feed off thus starving your cycle and you will get no where.

Axolotls need higher pH, you can use crushed croals to help with this but it can be sensitive/touchy.

My other daughter has some Aqua One PH up??? as she has tropical fish. Could I use that??
If I take the axie out of his tank could I put some goldfish in to help cycle the tank?

If the goldfish are quarantined, then yes. If not and they do carry any problems it could stay in your tank and infect your axololts when you add them (remember gold fish & axololts don't mix!)

Don't bother with pH up, no need to adjust with chemicals and it isn't always accurate and fluctates too much.

Ok, I have taken him out of his tank and put him in a container. What size tub do you recommend?

As long as he can move around freely. Clearly a lunch box isn't a suitable size. Something that has both width and length to be atleast the length of your lotl.

So I have had my lotl tubbed now for the past 2 days. He is in 10Iitres of water and I am doing a 100% water change daily. I am adding aquarium salts as I have very soft rainwater and Seachem Prime as a dechlorinator.
He seems OK?? His skin (blisters) are healing and he seems bright enough. He is just laying on the bottom, not floating, no balance issues, no new skin lesions etc, when I change the water he is quite active and swims away.
I have decided to keep him tubbed until I cycle his tank properly.

It has been almost a week since he has eaten and I am a bit concerned. Before he got sick he was eating quite well.
I have tried him with earthworms, prawn (which he used to love) and pellets.
It is cold here at the moment, in my bedroom where he is living it is currently 14 degrees and it's noon, overnight it probably gets under 10 degrees. I am thinking about moving him into a warmer room in the house? I assume he will be less active and not as interested in food due to the lower temp? I am going to get a thermometer for his tank.
I have taken a photo today of him in tub, I also have a pic from 2 days ago of blisters, peeling skin

You're right, lower temp means a slower metabolism.

He looks better, using Indian almond leaves will help his skin heal too.

I second the advice on Indian almond leaves. And he does look a lot better, which is great news. :happy: Don't worry too much about the not eating - the cold will slow the metabolism - though you could try tempting him with some pieces of raw scallop, a lotl delicacy.
Keep up the good work.

Very excited!!! During the night my boy passed a green stone! I thought I could see a slightly strange bump in his abdomen but wasn't sure. His tank has no substrate now, but originally it did due to bad advice.
I am hoping he is feeling better :happy:

So my boy is doing a bit better:happy:
He has started to eat, just a little bit of prawn. I have tried him with earthworms but he won't take them.
Still keeping him in a tub and doing daily water changes.

That is great news. Sounds like a lotl on the mend. You must be so relieved.