Axolotl tank mate attack, pretty bad injuries

[le frog]

Hello, ive posted this on /r/aquariums. I thought Id cross post here.

I own 2 axolotls, a gold albino named ingot and a leutistic named opal. They both currently share a 15 gallon 2ft aquarium until I can upgrade to a 3ft one.

Last night, opal must have decided that ingot looked at him funny or something, as I woke up today and ingots right front leg had been shredded down to the bone, almost like a drumstick, and the skin on his back right leg has been partially peeled off (this was just a skin wound, he still has control of that leg)

today when I get home im going to purchase a tank divider from the lfs until he heals or maybe even permanently. This is only the second attack that has happened in this tank, the first was on Christmas night when opal degloved ingots left arm (that has only now started fully healing)

With winter starting to set in the tank should be cold enough to prevent a fungus problem. Had this happened during the summer I would have been in deep sh*t indeed.

Down at the lfs I showed the pictures and the guy at the lfs recommended I start dosing with tri-sulfa tablets as a preventative to any infection. Is this a good idea? Ive used this medication before to cure a columnaris spot on one of my cory catfish and when my axolotl had a previous injury on his other leg.

 

[grimmjowls]

This is only the second attack that has happened in this tank, the first was on Christmas night when opal degloved ingots left arm (that has only now started fully healing)

They don't seem to get along well at all... I would keep them separated permanently... They seem just to stress each other out.

I've heard that Tri-Sulfa is basically useless in terms of treating bacterial/parasitic/fungal infections, hence why they pulled it off the market for BV...

Avoid anything with malachite green. It's toxic to amphibians.

Quoting Axolotl.org...

If an animal is wounded like this, it should be kept on its own in clean, cool water. 100% Holtfreter's solution can be used to reduce the chance of infection, or one can use a teaspoon of salt in 2 litres of water as a substitute. Strangely, wound healing seems to occur more rapidly at lower than normal temperatures. One would assume that the relatively higher metabolic rate caused by a higher temperature would result in faster healing, but this doesn't seem to be the case in axolotls. Lower temperatures (5-15 °C) seem to be a general panacea for axolotls.​

 

[Elise]

I suspect you're underfeeding or providing food that is not nutritionally complete. I often overstock large adults ~12" in size together and have never once had an occurrence of a bite injury. Axolotls housed together need to be well fed to prevent potential aggressive eating behavior.

As far as the injuries, I would fridge for a few weeks with daily water changes. Avoid medicating unless infection is apparent. Limbs should deteriorate and regenerate on their own.

 

[le frog]

I suspect you're underfeeding or providing food that is not nutritionally complete. I often overstock large adults ~12" in size together and have never once had an occurrence of a bite injury. Axolotls housed together need to be well fed to prevent potential aggressive eating behavior.

As far as the injuries, I would fridge for a few weeks with daily water changes. Avoid medicating unless infection is apparent. Limbs should deteriorate and regenerate on their own.

I feed them each 2-3 earthworms every 2 days. I honestly believe one of my problems is that the tank is only 2 ft long and I am only able to fit 1 plant pot and 1 log in there for them to hide (there simply isnt enough footprint for anything more) I have since found someone on facebook selling a 3ft tank, I'll see about purchasing it.

I have already one 1 dose of the tri-sulfa. If its truly unneeded I'll stop dosing it.

EDIT: also, sadly, due to my mothers "its only a fish" attitude, I cant fridge him, and I get into a nearly weekly argument with my mum because she believes that the weekly water change is "overkill" and that I should only need to do it "once every 2 or 3 weeks at most"

 

[le frog]

They don't seem to get along well at all... I would keep them separated permanently... They seem just to stress each other out.

I've heard that Tri-Sulfa is basically useless in terms of treating bacterial/parasitic/fungal infections, hence why they pulled it off the market for BV...
[/INDENT]

I partly blame myself, as the tank they are in is probably too small for the 2 of them. Its a 15 gallons and 2 ft long, but ive since found a guy on facebook selling a 3ft tank, and im looking into that.

As far as tri-sulfa, I've used it before to treat a fungal infection on my axie, and it was successful. Ive also used it to successfully treat a columnaris spot on one of my cory catfish, which was also successful, so I highly doubt its "basically useless".

 

[RupertxGiles]

AW: Re: Axolotl tank mate attack, pretty bad injuries

I partly blame myself, as the tank they are in is probably too small for the 2 of them. Its a 15 gallons and 2 ft long, but ive since found a guy on facebook selling a 3ft tank, and im looking into that.

As far as tri-sulfa, I've used it before to treat a fungal infection on my axie, and it was successful. Ive also used it to successfully treat a columnaris spot on one of my cory catfish, which was also successful, so I highly doubt its "basically useless".

You need to be housing them in at least a 30 gallon tank .... that is very cramped for 2 adult axolotls. I would not even keep one in such a small tank....

 

[le frog]

Re: AW: Re: Axolotl tank mate attack, pretty bad injuries

You need to be housing them in at least a 30 gallon tank .... that is very cramped for 2 adult axolotls. I would not even keep one in such a small tank....

Im currently looking for one. If I cant find a second hand one its looking like I might have to just fork out $100 for one at my lfs.