Axolotl refuses food

[Zokipoki]

Hello, I keep two axolotls in a 100-liter aquarium. I have been keeping them for almost two years now. Since I put them in their third aquarium last winter I haven't introduced any changes to their living space. The tank has nothing that they can digest by mistake, as it has no substrate. I usually feed them frozen bloodworms and sometimes regular earthworms. I feed them once a day, and each axolotl gets one bloodworm cube. I feed them for 2 days and then rest for one day.

Since last week one of my axolotls has been exhibiting stressful behavior, such as curled and red gills. He has been refusing food for a week now and doesn't seem to get better. Sometimes he even moves his head away after I offer him some food.

The other axolotl is completely fine, exhibiting no signs of stress whatsoever.

The sick axie also has a slight bulge on his head and a white spot that looks like it's coming from inside his head. I took some pictures. In the picture taken from above, the spot looks like it's dark, but in reality, it's not that way.
I tried finding veterinarians, but as I live in Macedonia I couldn't find any. Is there a possible solution, and by what time should I consider force-feeding? They are both adult axolotls, around two years old.

 

[wolfen]

read info here on "blister disease" https://ambystoma.uky.edu/genetic-s...Issues-1-12/archive/Issue 3/09-16brothers.pdf

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Hello, I keep two axolotls in a 100-liter aquarium. I have been keeping them for almost two years now. Since I put them in their third aquarium last winter I haven't introduced any changes to their living space. The tank has nothing that they can digest by mistake, as it has no substrate. I usually feed them frozen bloodworms and sometimes regular earthworms. I feed them once a day, and each axolotl gets one bloodworm cube. I feed them for 2 days and then rest for one day.

Since last week one of my axolotls has been exhibiting stressful behavior, such as curled and red gills. He has been refusing food for a week now and doesn't seem to get better. Sometimes he even moves his head away after I offer him some food.

The other axolotl is completely fine, exhibiting no signs of stress whatsoever.

The sick axie also has a slight bulge on his head and a white spot that looks like it's coming from inside his head. I took some pictures. In the picture taken from above, the spot looks like it's dark, but in reality, it's not that way.
I tried finding veterinarians, but as I live in Macedonia I couldn't find any. Is there a possible solution, and by what time should I consider force-feeding? They are both adult axolotls, around two years old.

"The tank has nothing that they can digest by mistake, as it has no substrate."
Nothing? As in no decorations or fake plants either? No sponge filters? Nothing? Don't rule out impaction based on having no substrate. It likely is not but don't rule it out based on substrate or not.

 

[Zokipoki]

"The tank has nothing that they can digest by mistake, as it has no substrate."
Nothing? As in no decorations or fake plants either? No sponge filters? Nothing? Don't rule out impaction based on having no substrate. It likely is not but don't rule it out based on substrate or not.

I realize I wasn't being specific, my apologies. The tank has a filter that is tightly packed, a bio filter that has balls inside it which the axololts can't reach, a ceramic wood imitation that serves as a place for hiding and an anubias nana plant. I didn't mention them as I can't see how they would swallow them.

 

[wolfen]

the lump/blister/abscess on his head is likely caused by a bacterial infection, the link I put in the previous post describes how the axolotl colony dealt with the blisters, it should be noted that the axolotls were kept in 50% holtfreters + 0.1g/l magnesium sulphate solution to keep them as healthy as possible.
although the colony had access to penicillin to treat worst cases this may not be possible without vet help, mycin (erythromycine) can be used instead and is a medication used for fish.
bacterial infections can cause a lack of appetite.
holtfreters can be used in the tank without disturbing the biological filtration.
medications have to be tub treated.
best to treat both axolotls as bacterial infections can be contagious.

 

[Zokipoki]

So, what I'm gathering from your comment and the link you shared. I should make my main tank a 50% holtfretes+0.1g/l magnesium sulfate solution and I should have a quarantine tank set up in the same manner. I should give both axolotls the appropriate amount of mycin in the quarantine tanks for max two weeks. If the blister pops, would it be smart to get penicillin g and sprinkle it on the affected area? Also, does erythromycin from a pharmacy differ from one found in an aquarium shop?

 

[wolfen]

the amount used for an axolotl is 0.1g per 20 litres water, which would probably easier to measure if received from a pharmacy.
because biological filtration can't be used whilst medicating the water needs changing daily.
do not mix antibiotics, if penicillin is used discontinue erythromycin and vice versa.
axolotls should always be housed in some form of holtfreters, this makes the water as ideal as possible and helps prevent most common health issues that axolotls have.