new here. first post.

hiya.

first post here and i'm so sorry to just come straight in asking a question without getting familiar with the site.

we have a very sick axolotl and are worried we'll be losing her.

we got her from a friend about 18months ago. she's been extremely happy and active and fine for all that time. our friends had her for about 5 years previously. so we kept doing just what they were doing.

about 2 1/2 weeks ago she started refusing food, but ate a little every now and then. we feed her the frozen blocks of blood worms, holding them in the water to soften and then usually she would just gulp that down.

we were already a little concerned about her, but moving house, so hoped she would come good. since we have moved (less than a week), she has become less and less active. her skin became messy looking - which we worked out was being in tank water rather than town water. then yesterday morning she was lying on her back.

we rang the pet shop and took in a sample of water. followed their advice and put her in the fridge. she is now moving around a little and her skin has cleared right up. but she still will not eat. i have tried a thin strip of beef as well as tiny sections of the blood worms. unfortunately it is the weekend and we are a way out of town which makes taking her in difficult and we can't buy anything else today. it also looks like her back legs are not working. she is just pulling her way along by her front legs.

we have adjusted the ph level of the water and started putting freezer blocks in the water to regulate that which seems to be working.

is there hope for her? or is she too far gone?

thanks for your time.

Hi Mrsramjet,

The fridge will slow the metabolism right down so the axie will not be inclined to eat - you can try offering food each day however. The fridge also slows the weight loss down which buys you time to ascertain and correct the problem.

With loss of appetite and not being able to move her back legs - has she ever been on gravel?

Gravel is dangerous to an axolotl as it is often ingested making the axie become impacted, and this blockage can lead to death.

The fridge will also help the axolotl clear a blockage.

While in the fridge, the axolotl will need their water changed 100% each day with fresh water. Keep the water in the fridge, this water will be used for the water changes to keep the temperature at a constant so the axie is not subjected to shock.

Put enough water so the axolotl is completely imersed but cannot float - this will help alleviate stress if the axie can touch the ground.

Axolotls are happy in a pH range 6.5 to 8 - please do not use pH uppers and downers as this will cause the pH to fluctuate which will stress the axolotl. Axolotls are highly senstive to chemicals as they breath in part through their skin.

What was the pH reading that you were trying to adjust?

thankyou so much for replying.

we took the water into the pet shop and they tested it and told me stuff to put in it. which i do believe was a ph adjuster. the water (tank/rain water) was too acidic.

she has also always lived on gravel. the large pebbly sort. i had no idea it wasn't safe.

also, how long is it safe to keep them in the fridge?

i will go and put her back in, now. i had taken her out since we had cooled her tank water down. i hope it's not too much to-ing and fro-ing for her. (she has been out since last night)

if it is gravel, will her back legs work again if she passes the blockage? and how do you know when they're beyond help?

i really do appreciate your time.

She can stay in the fridge indefinately - axolotls love the cold. In conjunction with fridgeing, an axie can go without food for about three months.

Keeping her in the fridge will be beneficial as she will be kept at a constant temperature. Fluctuating temperatures will stress her, and while stressed (as well as being possibly impacted) she will not eat.

You can raise the pH of the tank by use of coral sand or shell grit (used to line bird cages).

You can place the shell grit in a stocking and keep this sack of grit in the tank. It may take a while to get the desired reading for pH - try adding a cup of grit to the stocking every few days, test the water, and add more if needed. The amount of grit or coral sand to be added to the stocking depends on the size of the tank.

The fridge is great as it helps heal, rejuvinate and relax the axolotl (great assistance when passing a stone) - it's really the best place for the axolotl right now. :happy:

While the axie is enjoying the holiday in the fridge...this axolotl caresheet will tell you everything you need to know on the care of your new friend: "read me!"

If I may, I would recommend you remove the gravel and replace with either sand or bare bottom tank. As well as the danger of being ingested, gravel is a pain to keep clean as the grot accumulates, rots, and gets trapped underneath wreaking havoc with water quality if not removed quickly.

Barebottom tanks are far easier to keep clean (axies are very messy) but are not 'aesthetically pleasing'. Sand is best if you like a more 'natural' look in the aquarium and is easy to keep clean. The best sand to use is either childrens play sand (very cheap!), pool filter sand or fresh water aquarium sand (tends to be pricey).

I hope she pulls through.

thanks so much! ok we shall definitely remove the gravel. we cleaned it each week or so, but i can see that this is an issue. i'll look around for some of the shell grit instead.

thanks again. i feel a little hopeful now.

cheers!

hmmmm. just looking at the pics, our gravel looks like the larger pebbly stuff in those pics.

could it still be that as the problem?

Any gravel that can fit in an axie's mouth is dangerous (axolotls have very large cup mouths).

An axie will snuffle through the substrate looking for food at all hours, and will suck in anything in proximity to what he or she thinks is food. Sometimes, they will mistake the gravel itself for food.

If the gravel is over two centimetres diameter it is safe as long as it is cleaned reguarly - adds a lot to the work load as it all needs to be moved about to clean underneath.

fair enough. we would take it out and seive it underneath a running tap every few weeks. but i won't miss that job! ha.

we did see her with the pebbles in her mouth on occassion and were told (by the old owners) that it was just something she did. not to worry.

just thought i'd let you know that she didn't make it. thanks for your help, though.

i'll come and get more info if we decide to get another one.

Dear mrsramjet,

I am sorry for your loss. Do not let this incident put you off axolotl keeping. You were already doing all you could.

It is a learning curve for everyone. You will be much better armed with knowledge the next time round.

Best regards.

My condolences :sad:

You did all you could. I hope this horrible experience doesn't put you off having another axolotl.

Wishing you all the best,

Jacq.

thankyou so much!

the kids' nana has offered to buy us another one if we work at getting things set up really well this time. we'll think about it. still a little raw.

xo

thankyou.

we're thinking about it. we'll try and use the knowledge gained this time around if we do!

xo