Illness/Sickness: Not eating/ white on body

Hello i am new to axolotl's brought one from a pet shop about 3 weeks ago he was fine for the first week eating out of my hand but now he has not eaten for the last week and a half seems completely disinterested in food. I got frozen food from the pet shop and have tried feeding him earthworms in case he went off the food with no luck. He also seems to have a bit of a white coat on his body and sheds some kinda of white substance, I did have pebbles on the bottom of the tank but i took them out as Ive been reading he could eat them and get sick, Ive attached some photos you can see the white on him more in the white container then the black one.

We're going to need some details about your tank to start, so please excuse all the questions...

How big is the tank? Kind of filter? How long has the tank been set up? Temp? pH,nitrite/nitrates, ammonia? dechlorinator? Are his gills always facing forward like that?

Glad you got rid of the pebbles...

I think the tank is about 30 liters, i have a Elite Stingray 5 filter.It was set up a day before i got him and the first week he was fine. The temperature is 18 degrees, have not tested the water the pet store said just put dechlorinator in and he will be fine ill try get it tested, i am not sure about the gills facing forward haven't noticed a change since i got him. ill attach a pic of the tank, there is a plastic pipe behind the rock he can hide.

It almost looks like a fungal infection. You should get your water tested. Has he had anything strange/out of the ordinary to eat?

I haven't noticed him eat anything strange i did have pebbles in the bottom but they are gone now. yeah ill try get the water tested tomorrow. if it is fungus what can i do for him?

I just read a few things to help you out. I think I have figured out the problem, your axie has heat stress.

Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity

Go there and scroll down to temperature and cooling.

I'd advise fridging your axie to help him de stress -- but he will also not eat in the fridge because of the colder temperature.

Fridging: Axolotl Sanctuary

Goodluck

Ok thanks i have put him into the fridge the water in my tank hardly ever goes over 18 degrees, max Ive seen it is 20 is heat stress possible at those temps? it kinda looks like the White skin patches on this page Photos of Sick Axolotls but i can't see whole body so im not sure, and don't want to do anything more to stress him out if its not needed.

You're welcome.

You should definitely try the tea bath on the page you linked to if he doesn't improve in a day or so.

Best of luck.

I to have to strongly agree with Neo I would defiantly do salt bathing or tea bathing. I have a sick axie at the moment and I think the salt baths defiantly worked hard and fast on fungus, but then after the fungus cleared he started getting white patchy bits on skin and like little bit of shedding, and for that the tea baths seem to be doing great although I shouldn't be calling them tea baths. I followed directions from one of the partner sites and any way this is what I have done. And this is what it suggests. 1 TEA BAG/10 Litres water ok so you go boil the kettle make yourself a black tea/with no additives or added scents or anything, has to be plain black tea then let it soak for 10 min's then take out the tea bag and allow water to cool to tank temp or close enough or just cold then go throw that in the tank (preferably quarantine tank)and then after a week change 60% of the water and then just your regular water changes until tannins/tea are no longer there and apparently there is no problem with long term treatment, any way its working for my Hendrix hope your gets better soon
ps try and get some closer pic's if you can

Don't be so quick as to assume this is a fungus. This could be a bacterial infection or a reaction to high temps. I am leaning in the high temp direction as it seems he is also very stressed (gills concern me and he's not eating). Sometimes after being exposed to high temps, an axolotl will go through an aggressive shed.

You may want to consider getting a vet's opinion on this if possible. An antibiotic will be needed if it is bacterial.

Salt baths may not have any affect on this stuff at all. Based on what I have read, it can be very stubborn.

You are doing right IMO with the salt baths - do them every 12 hours and I would agree with the fridging as well.

Just another thought here: There is a picture of something similar out on Axolotl Sanctuary, in the Illness section pic #2, and that was treated with tea baths with success, so I am wondering if that may be a direction to pursue...Someone else please feel free to agree, disagree, or suggest something else. Here you will find Tea Baths.

Just a update brought him out of the fridge. Got some new water from the pet store they told us had beneficial bacteria already in it to start a cycle he has started to eat blood worms (a whole cube and still wants more) and is looking and acting a lot better apart from his gills been a bit forward. Thank you for your help

It is my understanding that if he has shed his slime coat, salt baths may be a little too abrasive.

Tea baths are usually recommended to help him recover with less irritation.

I agree with shannon dont jump to conclusions thinking it is fungus (fungus is usually cottony looking) The white can also be caused by other stress strong water flow/or heat stress so untill you know for sure what the problem is I wouldnt advise the salt bath (could do more damage than good if its not fungus) so here I agree with Shannon + Daz's advice and a tea bath may be more suitable for the little guy!

Another thing, you need to upgrade your tank size immediately 30 litres is barely suitable for a fish let alone an axolotl a bare minimum for a growing axie is 60 liters but will need a 90-120ltr+ when he is grown up! also a stingray 5 will not be able to deal with the waste from an axolotl I had a stingray 15 in a 60ltr and even that lacked the cleaning power of a proper fluval or eheim filter. (poor sponge placement and sucking water in from the back instead of the sponge! (the small tank size might be causing the stress, nowhere to hide from filter currents/very small volume of water to deal with waste so water quiality and temp can fluctuate wildly(axies need very stable conditions and temperature oh and space or they will get stressed and show the symptoms you have described!)

If the pet shop advised you that this tank is suitable for an axolotl you should complain and get some sort of money back or replacement as it is nowhere near suitable! the only thing id keep in a tank that size are guppy fry a few shrimp or one betta splendens fish that is it! I wouldnt reccomend anything under 3ft long for an adult axie n wouldnt have thought a 30ltr would be anymore than 30-40cm long (an axie can grow to that size! and grow quicker than you could ever imagine!)

Please get another tank coz your axie may not be able to recover in such a small volume of water with such a small amount of space!

age2010 said:

Just a update brought him out of the fridge. Got some new water from the pet store they told us had beneficial bacteria already in it to start a cycle he has started to eat blood worms (a whole cube and still wants more) and is looking and acting a lot better apart from his gills been a bit forward. Thank you for your help

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Have you noticed any change in the film since removing him from the fridge? What prompted the removal? There is actually very little information around about this type of film, so your successes could be of great benefit to others - thanks!

I'm glad he's eating for you, that's a good sign. Hope the water from the pet shop is helpful as well. You may want to get a new set of parameters after 24 hours, just to see how much it has helped.

Good catch about the tank size! 30l is definitely too small, I really need to get more current on my metric conversions! Anyway, check around, you may be able to find a used tank pretty cheap. Pet shops! I really do wish they'd hire actual pet enthusiasts who were capable of giving accurate advice!

OP's aquarium is more than likely 35L (The stingray leads me to believe this) But that's still too small.

You need to look into getting around a 50L also, in my experience, the stingray filter is far too fast, you'll need to block the waterflow.

The water movement could be one reason your axie looks stressed, and that can be misleading, especially when things like stress from high temps are involved.

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dragonlady said:

Pet shops! I really do wish they'd hire actual pet enthusiasts who were capable of giving accurate advice!

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Just makes you want to strangle an ignorant pet shop worker, doesn't it?

Yer shannon I think 30ltr works out at bout 5(ish) of your american gallons (waaaay tooo small!) Even if it is a 35lt still too small look for 60ltr+ (my 60ltr is too small for my one axie!)

ted22 said:

Yer shannon I think 30ltr works out at bout 5(ish) of your american gallons (waaaay tooo small!) Even if it is a 35lt still too small look for 60ltr+ (my 60ltr is too small for my one axie!)

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Thanks Ted. Yeah, it works out to 8 gallons, about 9.5 if it is 35L. (Found a handy converter to use from now on )

On another note, about that Stingray. I have never used one but what I have found is that internal filters (unless air driven) generate some form of heat too. Good point about the waterflow - doesn't appear to have a way to attach a spray bar or anything. Guess the flow could be diverted, but you'd have to be careful so to not interfere with the filter's function - don't need to burn it up! My vote would be for some sort of mini-canister system like a Zoo Med 501 or something from the Fluval or Eheim line.

@Crysta, I have embarrassed many an employee when I overhear bad advice being given by correcting that advice with the customer present. I have even had some customers start recognizing me in a few shops! Wanted posters with my face are probably hanging in some of their backrooms....heeheehee

Yeah, 30 liters is about 8 gallons. However, I have a couple of ten-gallon tanks with one axolotl living in the tank, and they're fine. I don't think one axolotl needs more than ten gallons.?.?