Axi not eating for 5 days, mouth open, curled tail looks dead!!

[Jessika]

Hello everyone,
I'm a new axolotl owner and I have owned them since the 3rd of January, my female has not been eating for 5 days , her mouth is slightly opened, looks very skinny and no movement only from me to see if she is still here with me I have done all pH Ammonia Nitrite & nitrate tests with api master test kit, ph is a 6. 0 ,Ammonia is 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate is very high at 20 ppm, thermoter says 7°c , Lulu also has a shortened and curled antennas sorry I don't know what there called and white fluffy sitting on top not.very much though.,, I have Lenny another axis same age in the same tank no problems as of yet,, also have feeder fish in there , and a hang on filter on a low setting any help would much be appreciate as I am trying to do the right thing to save my Lil girl ♡ thankyou

 

[Elise]

At 7c your axolotl will have a reduced appetite and lowered metabolism.
Would it be possible to take some pictures to help determine the other issues? Try to get a picture of her mouth and also her gills with the "white fluffy" development. Including pictures of their tank and even the other axolotl wouldn't hurt.

What are the other species you keep with your axolotls?

 

[Jessika]

Hello thank you so much for your help,, Here's Lulu , I have cleaned and replaced filter which it needed anyway, I have feeder fish I'm not sure what sort but I've caught them in those pics LuLu's got a few pieces of white fluff substance on her body but when she moves it does float away,Lenny is my golden axi and he has a Little bit under his neck,, tank has been cleaned about 4 days ago,, hope that can help thank you very much

 

[HayleyK]

I can't see the fluffy white stuff. However if you cleaned/replaced your filter you've most likely removed a large portion of your beneficial bacteria which could crash your tank. Keep an eye on your parameters. Like Elise said, if your tank is at 7 degrees celcius it wil slow down their metabolism and desire to eat which could be the case.

What do you feed them? Can you see anything lodged into her mouth? From those photos it looks like she is still with you as she has red gills. If they were pale it indicates inactive ness or "sleeping".


Curious - why do you have the temperature so low? When you fridge an axolotl it should be between 5-8. So it's like you're fridging them in your tank at those temperatures which isn't necessary unless they're severely sick or injured.

 

[Jessika]

Oh no I did not know that ,about the filter, but thank you I will certainly keep an eye on the parameters,
Since owning my axolotls I was told to feed them 2 meal worms a day, I personally didn't like the mess they leave in the filter/tank and I had read that they are more suited as a treat rather than a main food. So i have axolotl food sinking pellets my blue planet, I have tried earthworms but Lenny (golden) refuses to eat them and I have tried many times, Lulu loves her earthworms but she is still not eating,Lenny has eaten yesterday and today and so on, so I was and am confused on Lulu situation, I live in Melbourne Victoria and we have had some excellent weather over the past month,but the last 2 weeks it hasn't been as hot, I have noticed the temperature has gone from 12°c to 6 - 7°c, and that explains why Lenny like to hang up the top as it is warmer water, I am willing to do anything to fix the temperature but I just don't know to go about it, it certainly must be a big change for them, The last thing I want to do is give them a uncomfortable environment I want them to be 100% happy and healthy, so im up for any ideas for the past month I have done non stop research on these Lil guys and I am gaining more knowledge thank you for your help and advice,

 

[HayleyK]

Blue planet pellets are good but if you persist with earthworms and only earthworms (don't give in!), Lenny will eventually start eating. You could try blanching them under hot water and straight into cold water so the worm dies, but you don't cook it. How long has it been since Lulu ate?

I'm guessing you have a chiller? Can you turn it down? Even at 12 is still on the cooler side, the best temperature to keep lotls is 16-18 degrees. You can change this by turning it up very slowly. Maybe a degree or two every few days to avoid temperature shock.

Back to the white stuff business - I can't see a fungus and fungus is usually brought on by heat or a break in the slime coat. If the white stuff looks fluffy and cottony it's a fungus. If it's white and stringy/Mucousy it's most likely it's slime coat or healing skin which a tea bath will help.

Keep offering lulu worms, keep an eye on your parameters and do water changes to suit, and try to bring the temperature up slowly.

On a side note - did you quarantine your feeder fish? And what substrate do you use?

 

[Elise]

They both are showing a reduction in their caudal fins which is usually a sign of a water quality issue. I would keep an eye on your parameters.

Also, when you have your filter on do you notice any currents affecting your axolotls? It might not be an issue with your setup, but it's worth reiterating that water turbulence can be a stressor for axolotls.

 

[Jessika]

Hello,
I quarantined my feeder fish for 3 days in a bucket before I put them in the tank, I use sand substrate that does have teeny tiny bigger sand bits but it was the best I could find and was way safer than the 32kg bag of gravel they sold to me at the pet store :/ Today Lulu has gotten worse, I raced down to see the aquarium specialist an hour away only to be palmed off to someone who stated he doesn't know what the problem could be, he tested my water said its fine .Instead he gives me a product called Mutli-Cure by blue planet and states it should be okay, then gives me a heater thatI can set at a low 18°c which apparently should be fine , I payed for them at the Counter and sat in my car and cried. I'm that frustrated I am back to square 1, just want to know before I start anything are these fine for my axis, even if one is sick?, Poor Lulu still hasn't eaten, here's a photo I took of her today, what can I do?? Thankyou

 

[HayleyK]

I don't know what ingredients are listed on multi cure but if it's a fish remedy I would advise against it. Fish have scales - lotls don't. It's really easy for axolotls to absorb into their skin.

I'm at a loss to be honest, if you say your parameters are 0 for ammonia and nitrites. And nitrates are 20 it's obviously not your water quality. I'm leaning more towards low temperature. Although the feeder fish could have carried some disease in, but again I am unsure.

I would separate her, clean fresh water at 100% daily changes of the same temperature.

 

[Jessika]

I Have gotten rid of feeder fish as Lulu hasn't had much movement they were crowding around her, I didn't want to stress her out anymore, so I did get rid of them yesterday for that reason. I did read another reply you had written to someone else saying the same thing, so I knew I'd certainly ask. LuLu has also get some substance coming out if her mouth ?? I will separate her within the next half an hour . Any ideas of the heater is subtitle as I certainly don't want to cook them?

 

[Elise]

If you want medical advice on your axolotl, consult an exotics veterinarian and not a fish store. I don't see any evidence of fungus but if it becomes apparent, there are far safer methods of treatment than medications made for fish.

Raise your temperature and see if that encourages appetite. It's a process and results might not be immediate. She appears thin but not emaciated. I see no reason why she shouldn't return to health with proper husbandry.

 

[auntiejude]

Take the multi-cure stuff and the heater back to the shop - you don't need them. And they obviously don't know anything about axies, so don't go back there for advice. Fish shops usually just want to sell you somthing.

Why and how are you keeping your tank at 7C? Thats very cold and will be causing the lethargy. If you can let your tank gently warm up to 15C your axie may become more active. And by gently I mean 2-3 degrees per day.

It is quite possible that the fish have introduced something - quarantining takes 3 weeks not 3 days.
If there is no improvement when the tank warms up I would seek the advice of a vet.

 

[Jessika]

Hello,
Thank you and yes I certainly am taking these back as it contains chemicals that are toxic to axis. I Did go down there as I bought the axis from there and had felt they gave a great service, not this time. Lulu has a fungal infection, she's passed a runny poo,. I have made the choice to give her a salt bath, Lulu is now in fridge, she's not making any improvement in the tank. Lenny appears to have no fungal infection, but certainly has lost his appetite and has became sluggish and diet has decreased. I need to up the temp on my tank, how do I go about that? I do understand slowly as to not shock them ,? Thank you

 

[leandrah]

Also, you might want to put some hideout places in there for them - like caves and stuff. They are very sensitive to the light so they might like to hide away in a little cave

Just a suggestion,
my girl loves her little cave

 

[auntiejude]

OK, first of all, how are you keeping your tank at 7C? You must be using a chiller, right? Adjust the settings to allow it to warm up a couple of degrees per day. It's the temperature thats causing the sluggishness, they will perk up when they warm up.

Why have you concluded that Lulu has a fungal infection? Loose poop does not mean fungus, fungus is usually seen on the gills and extremeties as white fluffy growths.

 

[Boomsloth]

I think everyone assumes you are using a cooler to keep your tank at 7c. If you could tell us how its that cold we might be able to help answer how to heat it up the best way. Also I think a lot of people agree on this site that its better to wait for a 100% diagnosis on if your axolotl has fungal/bacterial etc before you go ahead with fridging/salt baths/tea baths. Auntiejude is right about the loose poo.
Please provide us more information so we can help.

 

[Velice]

Is anyone else amused that the fridge is probably warmer than her tank?

 

[ThickAsaBrick]

You are getting advice from lots of people so first I'd like to say that we all understand the frustration and pain that comes from loving your axies and not knowing what they need.

We had one of ours in the fridge last week and Velice is right that our fridge is 46F which is a bit warmer than your 7C . It refused to eat anything while it was that cold. Getting that temperature up gradually is a must. Please do clarify what is driving the axie tank so low. Your tank picture does not seem to show any intake or outflow that would indicate a chiller is hooked up. Certainly your home is not sitting at 7C. The people here helped me a lot but to give you the right advice they need to have all the relevant information.

How long has their temperature been that low? If that drop was just within the past few days the runny poo could have been triggered by that drop. Axolotls digest much more slowly when they are colder so they cannot process as much food as normal. In our case, instinct kicked in (I assume) and within two days of going into the fridge he had both thrown up whatever he had last eaten and emptied his bowels so completely his little tub was clouded when we checked on him. You mentioned something had come out of her mouth so I wonder if she might have been regurgitating whatever was left in her stomach?

Hang in there. The stress is terrible but we're all pulling for you.

 

[Jessika]

Thank you everyone so much for your help and support whilst getting lulu back to health,

Lulu did have a fungal infection as it was begging to be on gills also had the cloudy like substance over her body, I did give her 2 salt baths and fridged her for 2 days, I did see a slight improvement as in lulu was happy would great me in her fridge bowl and stay near surface while I said hello. I was worried though as she is still only young and hadn't eaten in nearly 2 weeks. I spoke to Nicole who is the fish "expert" and who I purchased the axis from, Nicole stated that I use the blue planet Mutli-cure and from advice on here I told her I wasnt comfortable in the idea, Nicole stated she had used that for her axis and it works a treat and let me say that Nicole was not lying it has worked wonders and treated both my axis and tank at the same within 3 days!! Lulu and lenny look great! There happy and lulus eating again! No signs of fungal infection , cloudy substance , tank parameters are perfect I couldn't be happier But I have tried to keep my tank a steady temp, I have slowly got it to 10°c as it dropped down to a nasty 4°c while in treatment I couldn't touch it for 3 days. But it has then dropped over the day / night to 7°c , I do not have a chiller, only a hang on filter and sand substrate and fake plants , need to up the temp but can't , have tried with warm water slowly but it's still drops in temp,, there lookin great but I need to beef my babies up again as the have lost a Lil weight :/ ,, thank you for all your support guys yous

 

[HayleyK]

How is your water so cold if there's no chiller? I know you're in Melbourne where it's colder but it's impossible to be THAT cold without a chiller. Confused! Are you reading it right? Or do you have a faulty thermometer???

Please don't add warm water like that it can cause temperature shock.