Illness/Sickness: My Axolotl's is floating, He wont eat and hasent eaten for a few days his skin looks burnt?

Hi, My Axolotl is a pickish colour, And the skin on his back has gone a white colour and the edges of the white is a bright red colour it looks like its been burnt, We called the pet shop they said to bring some water down to test it, And he did and there was nothing wrong with the water, He also is refuseing to eat he hasent eaten in a few days we were told to try and force feed him because in the long run its better then just letting him starve, So we tried we can get food into his mouth but hes a stuburn little fellow and just spits it back out? I though he was starting to get better but looking at him now hes just floating at the top of his water I went to take him out thinking he was dead and he pushed himself out of my hands so hes still alive. I have NO idea what else to do the pet shop guy wasent very helpful.
(A little background, He was with another fish, a goldfish and he resently put a new log in there which made the water change colours could that have done anything even though the water came back good?)

If you could get a picture of the wee critter then people could see what condition his skin is in .

From your description it sounds like a skin infection, which sounds severe enough to need a vets attention. Was the fish new, or had it been quarantined first?.
A photo would be really useful.

You could try giving him a salt bath, Just google about axolotl's and salt baths. A salt bath might help the infection to clear up

BethanyKate said:

You could try giving him a salt bath, Just google about axolotl's and salt baths. A salt bath might help the infection to clear up

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Sal baths are good for fungus.... not infections. It will be extremely uncomfortable for the animal and do nothing for infection. Animals needs to go to the vet.

My first reaction would be to put the axie in a bare tank with completely fresh, clean, dechlorinated water. You have too many variables to sort out which problem is really the culprit here.

I also would recommend NOT force feeding him. Aquatic animals have slime on their bodies to keep out infections. When you handle them, that slime is wiped off. The skin is also very sensitive and the oils and other toxins on your hands can become an issue.

Make sure that the water temperature is quite low - at least down in the 60s F (15 - 20 C) if not lower.

Drift wood, especially wood that has discolored the water, tends to leach unwanted chemicals into the water (at least unwanted by the axies - some fish like it). It could, indeed, be part of the problem.

I'm a purist so I don't think having fish in the water with axies is a good idea unless they've just stopped by for supper ; - >.