About to Give-Up on my FIRST Axolotl

[Emberaria]

Alrighty. Posted on here about my gal and how she's been a mess for a couple weeks now.
Meet Female Axxie (Unnamed but the boyfriend likes to call her Majin Boo *rolls eyes*)

And this is her mate, whom I think is a boy... (Unnamed aswell, who the boyfriend calls Piccollo *rolls eyes again*)

The reside in a 10 gallon aquarium, filled half way. Sand Bottom. Was cycled, but has crashed because of a long power outage.... Yah. FML.

Ive owned these Axolots for 1.5 months. They are about 5-6 inches. Female Leucistic has graying hands. Wild Type's gills are always up and flaring. He used to be very shy and reserved. now hes outgoing. The Female used to be very outgoing and she is now reserved.

TANK STATS:
Ammonia .50
Nitrite .25ppms
Nitrate 5.0ppm
Ph 7.4

^BEFORE my daily water change.

THE DEAL:

Okay. So the female hasnt been eating in almost 2 - 3 weeks. She used to tear the earthworms from my fingers. Now she just lays there ... and... well... she sometimes floats. She can stay on the bottom sometimes just sometimes I see her floating in her log. Her chest cavity is black. Her lower abdomin is very skinny. There is no swelling near her rear. She's been in the fridge for 2 days, stopped floating for a day or two, but now continues to float. I've been doing water changes daily.Water seems to be kept at a 68F if not WAYY lower (its been 58 degrees outside and I dont even have my furnace turned on. Oh, btw, my thermometer broke. So these are estimates, BUT I have a heater in 2 of my tanks, one set at 80 and one at 74 and the Axxie water is much colder then 74 degrees.

The Female Axxie has lost almost all coloring in her gills. Shes very pale, obviously looks like on the verge of dying. Called the vet today (They were closed) and left a message asking if they would look at her. I try to get her to eat to no avail. I dont wanna force her... She used to just crawl in my hands before this sickness and I dont wanna lose that friendship :c

The male seems fine. Can eat 2 medium size worms every other day. Uses his nose, or whatever and finds those worms once I put them in the tank. She is just totally dis interested. Was thinking about maybe trying to feed her wild crickets but dont know if I could get them to sink.

ANYWAYS, Please... someone tell me there is freaking hope for her. I just got a job so I can buy things for her... (I previously was skimpy on things).

 

[NeelyBryanne]

First, 10gal per axie is recommended, so I'd get a larger tank if you have 2 axies in one 10 gal tank. I'm not sure I was reading that correctly if they have their own tanks or are both in the same 10 gal tank.

I believe ammonia and nitrites should be 0, and then you'll have a reading on nitrates. When my nitrites spiked was when I lost my axie I think. It was terrible. I started water changes immediately (same day it spiked- I test the water daily), but it was too late. She never recovered. I'm still heartbroken. I'd definitely start doing water changes to get that down.

Also, when my axie got pale, someone suggested an airstone with a very low pump to oxygenate the water. I have one that's recommended for 10gal tank, and I have a 20 gal tank. But I think that is secondary to the above mentioned suggestions. I'm very new to this but that's what I'd do. I hope she recovers <3

 

[xxianxx]

A ten gall tank half full is 5 galls, its hard to cycle such low water volumes which is probably why you having ammonia spikes. It is also insufficient for two axolotls. Different axolotls are more sensitive to poor water, which is potentially why only one is showing symptoms of stress ( no appetite and floating) whilst the other is not. I suggest you get the axolotl out of the fridge and try to feed it, keep the water cool and with daily water changes, get a bigger tank for them and start cycling it, also fill the tank up axolotls are OK in deep water, their natural habitat was up to five foot deep, they don't need 6" water as you often read online. If the axolotl doesn't improve in a week or so post again.

 

[Boomsloth]

For tanks you can wait for petcos dollar per gallon sale and get them the largest tank you can get preferably over 20 gallons. In the meantime any large plastic container can serve as a larger home or at least make water changes easier.


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[MThompson299]

For tanks you can wait for petcos dollar per gallon sale and get them the largest tank you can get preferably over 20 gallons. In the meantime any large plastic container can serve as a larger home or at least make water changes easier.


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Or if you want call around I find that my pet stores and fish stores rotate this especial every other month or every 3 months. And if petco is closer they price match. I don't even have to provide the ad any more they just ring me up. If you don't have the ad just make sure you have the name of the store and a phone number and they will do the leg work (at least mine does).

 

[Emberaria]

THIS MORNING ((Last Night Did a Water Change)
Ammonia .25ppms
Nitrite 0ppms
Nitrate 5.0ppm
Ph 7.4

I'm fully aware that my tank is sorta too small. When I got them, they were 3-4 inches and since grown up pretty fast. Their tank I wanted them to grow into was a 30 gallon, but it seems that my tropical fish have survived their tank cycle and now I need to buy another tank for the axxie's perm home. I plan to get a 20 gallon + tank for the axxies... or switch the tropical fish into the bigger tank and place the axxies in the current tropical fish tank. I have the water half full because It seems like my sick axxie is having trouble coming up for air. She is a surface breather while the green wild one uses mainly his gills to breathe.

The sick axxie seems to be moving her gills more rapidly then normal. They are curled back , and very white. I will be doing another water change in an hour or so to see if I can get my ammonia totally gone and these darn Nitrates.

 

[allied123]

Sorry to say but I think your juvies are too young to be sexed accurately and the "male" is definitely not showing himself as a male if you know what I mean... The nitrates aren't your real concern either, those are okay as long as they're under 40 ppm, it actually indicates that your tank is cycling or getting back on cycle.

It will also make life easier on your guys if you just fill the current tank up like 75% (if you're worried about them jumping out? I don't see any other reason to only fill it up half way) this way the ammonia won't get as high as fast (please keep testing though) because more water = less concentration of ammonia which is the real issue

 

[HitmanSougo13]

It sounds like your tank is not fully cycled means you probably should put them into little tubs with 100% water changes daily until the main tank is ready. Ammonia turns into nitrites and nitrites can kill axies real fast. At least wait till the readings are 0,0,#