Dying Axolotl please help

Charlie ate again.

Charlie ate another piece of chicken liver again today! fingers crossed!! That's two days in a row he has eaten.
 
update on Charlie

Charlie has eaten for the last 5 days, only tiny slithers of chicken liver or lamb's fry (liver). I tempt him with the food he used to eat, but he just walks away, he has put on a little bit of weight but is still so thin. He walks around (he is back in his recovery tank) as the others would just walk all over him, he seems much better on his own.My question is....how long can i feed Charlie the chicken liver and lamb's fry ???? ? as i read somewhere that they find this food hard to digest, but it is all he will eat at the moment. I don't want to cause him more harm after everything he has been through. Thankyou.
 
liver ?

Can someone please tell me how long axies can eat liver for?? Thanks
 
Hi Tara,

It depends on the amount they are being fed and thier condition. I wouldn't suggest using it as the sole food source for long periods of time but if you have an inappetant animal then using it to get a thin animal feeding isn't a problem.

There are arguments about them being able to consume red meat with people often claiming that it is difficult for them to digest but I have not been able to find any data that supports this claim. Keep in mind that compared to earthworms and other invertebrates that liver is much more calorically dense making it a lot easier to overfed the animal which would lead to obesity.

Ed
 
Thankyou

Thankyou Ed, i only give Charlie a very small thin slice of liver, he loves it and he is getting better every day (let's hope he continues). Thank you again.
 
Update again on my Gentle Giant

Well Charlie is becoming more like his old self. He has eaten every day for the past 10 days, is more active, getting fatter, but still does not swim, (walks briskly ). He looks up at me now when i get up close to his recovery tank, so i am hoping he keeps getting better. Thankyou too all of you that sent good wishes Charlie's way it is greatly appreciated. Thankyou.
 
Tara, older axolotls rarely swim. They much prefer to walk along the bottom.

If he's putting on weight, I would start trying to introduce other foods, like earthworms and such.
 
other foods

Thankyou Kasie, i will try today to tempt Charlie with other foods, When do you think i should put him back in his big tank?. He would be with two juvies, they are gentle but tend to walk on him. Don't want to put him back to soon,then have him stressed. Thankyou
 
I'd put him back when he starts eating well again and looks like he's putting on weight. Then he'll be healthy enough to fend for himself.
 
no worms

Thankyou Kaysie, Charlie did not like the worms, but he did eat some frozen beef heart, he woofed it down. Will try different foods every other day so he gets some varity. Thankyou.
 
questions

Charlie is eating different foods now, i have some questions before i return him to his tank. Please forgive me if these questions seem stupid, but if i don't ask i won't learn....Since both Charlie & Snowhite both became ill, is there something in the tank that might have caused this? Charlie had a bacterial infection then 2 weeks later Snowhite starts to bloat ?. The water readings are ph 6.8 ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 0, water temp 19c. I was wondering is there some disease that lives in the water ? the tank has sand, live plants and a cannister filter, 20% water changes are done each week. I don't want to put Charlie back if there is a risk of him getting sick again, as next time he may not be so lucky. Many thanks for your patience. ps... the two juvies that also share the tank (3ft)seem fine, are eating and acting normal.
 
answers needed please

Hi, can someone please help with my previous post?? Thanks
 
In a cycled aquarium there should be some level of nitrates.. even if it is very low. What test kit is being used to check the water?

Ed
 
test kit

Aquarium pharmamaceuticals test kit
 
If the 2 juveniles in the tank are doing fine, I wouldn't worry about there being some deadly bacteria. Any healthy aquarium should have both good and bad bacteria in it; the bad ones are only a problem if they are present in high amounts, or if they infect an animal that has some other underlying problem.

I also think the nitrate test is giving you an erroneous result. Is it the liquid-type test kit? Is it very old? Maybe re-read the instructions and make sure you are doing it exactly as instructed, and reading the color key correctly.
 
test kit wrong

Thankyou Ed & Jennewt, yes i took a sample of tank water to two different pet stores, they both came back with the same result....ammonia 0 nitrite 0 ph 6.4 nitrate 40 so the test kit is faulty i bought a new one. I am going to put Charlie back in the tank later today when i have done a 20% water change and watch him closely, if he shows signs of stress or illness i will remove him. Thankyou, you people are so nice. :) :)
 
Charlie in big tank

Charlie has been in his big tank almost 24hrs, he is eating, walking around, climbing on the plants and seems quite happy with the juvies. He sits at the front of the tank, and watches everytime i walk past, he lifts his head. So far so good.
 
gill problem

Charlie seems to be fine, but his gills have shrunk ? It's like someone has got a pair of scissors and cut them in half, i noticed a few days ago they were getting a bit black on the ends, now the ends are gone. The stalks are missing, but the filaments are there at the botttom. The tank temp is 19c, ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 40. ph 6.8. no one else in the tank seems to be affected. Charlie has only one long gill left. Do you think it could be caused by all the antibiotics he was given ? He is eating well, walks briskly, watches when we are near his tank. I would like some advice please, as i don't want this to become a major issue for him, after everything he has been through lately. Thankyou.
 
Tara, it could be, or a response to being back in the tank. You may notice him coming up for air more often, but if he is still eating, and doesn't seem too stressed, just keep an eye on the temperature and make sure he doesn't get too stressed.
 
Another week on

Charlie's gills are the same, he's eating well and walking around. I got 2 pvc fittings and put them in the tank,Charlie loves them, he is always hiding in them, he comes out when he sees me walk past the tank. He also likes to hang out in the plants, just like he used to before he got so sick. He has had a long journey back to this point, he is a little fighter. Thankyou.
 
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