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Sick Axolotl?

KaylaQueeen

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My Axolotl hasn't been her self lately, she's laying on her side on the bottom of tank in one spot unless I fix her the rite way also not eating. I also noticed her mouth is open & her fuzzyness on gils is going away. What could be the cause of it? Do I need to fridge her?
 

wolfen

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what are your water levels ie.. ph/ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/temperature also if you can test kh/gh
for her to be lethargic and losing gill filaments is sounds like an issue with water quality.
 

KaylaQueeen

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what are your water levels ie.. ph/ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/temperature also if you can test kh/gh
for her to be lethargic and losing gill filaments is sounds like an issue with water quality.
I'm going to go get more test strips today so I can test it. The last time I tested it was fine but I did a tank cleaning after and since she hasn't been the same since. Should I do a water conditioner? I have took her out the tank she's in a quarantine bowl in the fridge.
 

wolfen

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you need to test with liquid tests as test strips aren't very accurate they will alert you if there is a major issue, water conditioner isn't required if the tank is properly cycled, dechlorinator on the other hand should be added to any tap water prior to adding to the tank to remove chloride.
whilst tubbed change her water daily using water that has been dechlorinated, fridging isn't required just keep the water cold ie.. 15°c - 18°c, also make sure you have an air-stone in the water.
 

KaylaQueeen

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what are your water levels ie.. ph/ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/temperature also if you can test kh/gh
for her to be lethargic and losing gill filaments is sounds like an issue with water quality.
Also she had a bad smell coming from the tank like 2 days ago what could cause that? I've tried feeding but she just want eat. She is in a small container in the fridge with a bubbler & water temp at 7.3c
 

KaylaQueeen

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IMG_20220709_140453462.jpg
 

wolfen

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the smell will be from where the sand has been disturbed, when you have sand in an aquarium either there needs to be animals that burrow/sift through the sand or it has to be turned over by hand, this is because denitrifying bacteria can build up in the sand where there is a lack of oxygen, these bacteria break down nitrates but in the process produce nitrogen sulphide.
your axolotl looks very lethargic, for treatment used holtfreters solution and perhaps use methylene blue bath, holtfreters make the water more suitable for axolotls helps prevent fungus and helps protect against nitrites and nitrates, methylene blue as well being a dye and anti-bacterial acts as a medicine to reverse poisoning by nitrogen compounds.
for holtfreters go to Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity use at same amount as author of article using magnesium sulphide at 0.1g per litre same as author.
until ingredients can be brought use non- iodinised salt ie.. marine in the water at 2g per litre, this will help start recovery.
for baths go to Tubbing and Safe Meds - Oregon Axolotls
 

KaylaQueeen

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the smell will be from where the sand has been disturbed, when you have sand in an aquarium either there needs to be animals that burrow/sift through the sand or it has to be turned over by hand, this is because denitrifying bacteria can build up in the sand where there is a lack of oxygen, these bacteria break down nitrates but in the process produce nitrogen sulphide.
your axolotl looks very lethargic, for treatment used holtfreters solution and perhaps use methylene blue bath, holtfreters make the water more suitable for axolotls helps prevent fungus and helps protect against nitrites and nitrates, methylene blue as well being a dye and anti-bacterial acts as a medicine to reverse poisoning by nitrogen compounds.
for holtfreters go to Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity use at same amount as author of article using magnesium sulphide at 0.1g per litre same as author.
until ingredients can be brought use non- iodinised salt ie.. marine in the water at 2g per litre, this will help start recovery.
for baths go to Tubbing and Safe Meds - Oregon Axolotls
Okay thank you so much gonna start the salt treatment is that 2 grams per liter? She's in a 20 gallon tank but rite now I have her in a plastic bowl in the fridge. So about how much do you think I'll need? Also what animals will sift thru the sand I have an algae eater in with her but he's the same size as her.
 

wolfen

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the majority of times sand sifting is left for the owner to do because of issues ie.. plecos get big and enjoy sucking mucus coat off axolotl, even bristlenose although they don't get big get territorial and can be aggresive, corys tend to get eaten then because of spines injure axolotl from the inside, otto's same as cory's, any fish small enough not to harm axolotls get eaten, any fish which grows bigger then axolotls can cause damage to gills and skin, loach's tend to get aggresive as they get bigger, the only fish that are housed with axolotls tend to be live food most though aren't cleaner fish and are middle to top dwelling, shrimp are good cleaners and will sift some of the top layer of substrate but again are also live food, blackworms will happily dwell in substrate, snails don't tend to go through substrate although they will clean surface area, gammarus shrimp get into small areas such as into filtration etc but don't go through substrate.
20 US gallons is 75.7 litre so 2grams salt per litre makes 151.4g in total, although for a more accurate amount measure the tank ie.. width/length/height, but only measure height to the water line then enter details here Calculator to find out how much water is in the tank. it isn't a concern if the amount of salt added is slightly more than 2g per litre as this is a very small amount and is less brackish than natural environmental salinity.
 
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