Neptune
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- Apr 18, 2013
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- Location
- Teesside
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Display Name
- Steve
Hello, I have a problem with my 4 year old leucistic axolotl.
A few months back he had his leg bit by his tank mate. I believe it to be an innocent mistake as my other axolotl has always been ravenous in comparison. Anyway, my leucistic eventually dropped his wounded leg, and it started to grow back. He was beginning to float around a lot on the surface, but I figured it was just a case of him feeling sorry for himself, as I had seen him moving around on the floor too. However, he then started to float on the surface constantly, always on his side. Around this time he lost his appetite and would only very occasionally take the smallest earthworms I could manage to find. I started to worry a little when he eventually lost all his appetite a few weeks ago, and with him not eating, he hasn't had enough nutrients for his leg to regrow fully.
As I was even more concerned than before, I started to look around on the internet for similar cases of axolotls floating with their sides raised, and with a lack of appetite. I came across a lot of people who seemed to have experienced this, and they concluded it was constipation, and that the recommended treatment is to fridge them so that they purge their body of the blockage. I followed the instruction given on the stickied guide in this forum and put my axolotl in the fridge, changing the water daily with dechlorinated tap water. This was two weeks ago; three weeks on 1st February. After one day he had a really small poo, but overall there has only been a slight improvement in his pinkish colour, although he is still floating and still won't eat.
Earlier today I noticed something in his tub. I'll attatch pictures at the end of the post, however I don't really know what it is. If I were to say anything I'd say it looks fungal, but there are no traces of it on my axolotl's body and it lacks the substance of fungi I've seen on images across the internet.
Anyway, I hope people can help me. I'll post the water parameters below.
Inside the aquarium:
Temp: 19C
pH: 7.2
Ammonia: 0.25 ppm *
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 40 ppm
* I tested this earlier today, however it is due a weekly water change tomorrow
Inside the fridge:
Temp: 6C
pH: 7
Water is changed daily with fresh dechlorinated water.
A few months back he had his leg bit by his tank mate. I believe it to be an innocent mistake as my other axolotl has always been ravenous in comparison. Anyway, my leucistic eventually dropped his wounded leg, and it started to grow back. He was beginning to float around a lot on the surface, but I figured it was just a case of him feeling sorry for himself, as I had seen him moving around on the floor too. However, he then started to float on the surface constantly, always on his side. Around this time he lost his appetite and would only very occasionally take the smallest earthworms I could manage to find. I started to worry a little when he eventually lost all his appetite a few weeks ago, and with him not eating, he hasn't had enough nutrients for his leg to regrow fully.
As I was even more concerned than before, I started to look around on the internet for similar cases of axolotls floating with their sides raised, and with a lack of appetite. I came across a lot of people who seemed to have experienced this, and they concluded it was constipation, and that the recommended treatment is to fridge them so that they purge their body of the blockage. I followed the instruction given on the stickied guide in this forum and put my axolotl in the fridge, changing the water daily with dechlorinated tap water. This was two weeks ago; three weeks on 1st February. After one day he had a really small poo, but overall there has only been a slight improvement in his pinkish colour, although he is still floating and still won't eat.
Earlier today I noticed something in his tub. I'll attatch pictures at the end of the post, however I don't really know what it is. If I were to say anything I'd say it looks fungal, but there are no traces of it on my axolotl's body and it lacks the substance of fungi I've seen on images across the internet.
Anyway, I hope people can help me. I'll post the water parameters below.
Inside the aquarium:
Temp: 19C
pH: 7.2
Ammonia: 0.25 ppm *
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 40 ppm
* I tested this earlier today, however it is due a weekly water change tomorrow
Inside the fridge:
Temp: 6C
pH: 7
Water is changed daily with fresh dechlorinated water.