Axolotl flaking and not eating

[shelbs]

Hi! I've had one axolotl for around two months or over and another for about a month. The first is a pink one named Lotty and the second a black called Mushu.

Just recently I've been away from home for about two weeks and my mother has been feeding them, etc. Mushu has started flaking, almost like shedding and when he swims you can often see it come off his body. He also hasn't eaten in about a week and is really thin.

Last time she checked with the pet shop, the water was perfect apparently. As for the temperature, I already know it is way too high at 20-25 degrees and am also looking for cheap solutions for that.

Need help!

 

[Otterwoman]

Can you post pics?

 

[Sweetie]

I notice you're in Australia, where we are only just beginning our summer. So my contribution would simply be that your temperature issue is somewhat urgent. Is there an air conditioning outlet in your home that you can position the tank near? Can you rig up some fans for evaporative cooling? (There's good advice on doing that on this site.)

Many people use one-litre or two-litre (depending on tank size) plastic containers half-filled with water (treated, in case they leak or burst) and frozen in the freezer. (Tip: Put them on their sides in the freezer, not upright.) Float a couple at a time in the tank, replacing them regularly and before they melt completely to try and minimise temperature fluctuation. The problem is that this can be a round-the-clock endeavour.

Tbh, I gave up on the problem in the end, as Melbourne summer days regularly reach 40 degrees, sometimes for days on end, with night-time temperatures in the high 20s or low 30s. The stress of getting up every 90 minutes to change ice bottles for days and nights on end versus the significant cost of buying and running a decent-quality chiller became an impossible choice.

Which is the number one reason why, when the albino axie I inherited from a housemate passed away two or three years ago, I grieved deeply, and still do, but I decided against getting another. I still miss Boris, and really wish I lived in a climate more friendly to axies, but the reality is that in most parts of Australia, you may find a chiller the only practical answer.