careydimple33
New member
Hi, everybody! I am the proud owner of two axolotls, and they’ve been my babies for four years now.
Unfortunately, both my boyfriend and I had to do some extensive emergency traveling about a month ago, and we hired a pet sitter who we thought could handle the responsibility of changing the water and picking up after these poopie cuties. However, when we got back, the water quality was so horrible, one of my axolotl’s gill feathers had completely fallen off and the water was just disgusting. Needless to say, that was one of the first times in my life I ever yelled at somebody.
For a month, we’ve been working hard to get the tank cycled with the axolotls in, which has been going great so far. His gill feathers are growing back, nothing has spiked too dangerously, and the water quality will one day get back to the way we had it.
However, I’ve been noticing something weird with our sick guy. Every once and a while when I’m cleaning up their tank, I notice it looks like he has shed some of his skin. One time, I picked up the perfect outline of his little foot. It’s alarming to me, and I’m not sure what is going on. At first I thought maybe he was just still recovering, but again today I picked up more skin sheds. I’ve been testing the water every day and the only time ammonia has spiked it only went to .25 and I immediately changed the water. Nitrate is at 0. And my PH is at 6.6. Also, the water stays at 66 degrees.
Has anyone else experienced this? He still loves to eat and is his active self. I’m also wondering if the water conditioner we got has something to do with it? We’ve been using the API Stress Coat, because I saw a lot of great reviews for it. Also worth noting our other axolotl is totally healthy. She isnt shedding at all, and her gill feathers are beautiful and never left.
I would appreciate any advice! Thank you so much everyone!
Unfortunately, both my boyfriend and I had to do some extensive emergency traveling about a month ago, and we hired a pet sitter who we thought could handle the responsibility of changing the water and picking up after these poopie cuties. However, when we got back, the water quality was so horrible, one of my axolotl’s gill feathers had completely fallen off and the water was just disgusting. Needless to say, that was one of the first times in my life I ever yelled at somebody.
For a month, we’ve been working hard to get the tank cycled with the axolotls in, which has been going great so far. His gill feathers are growing back, nothing has spiked too dangerously, and the water quality will one day get back to the way we had it.
However, I’ve been noticing something weird with our sick guy. Every once and a while when I’m cleaning up their tank, I notice it looks like he has shed some of his skin. One time, I picked up the perfect outline of his little foot. It’s alarming to me, and I’m not sure what is going on. At first I thought maybe he was just still recovering, but again today I picked up more skin sheds. I’ve been testing the water every day and the only time ammonia has spiked it only went to .25 and I immediately changed the water. Nitrate is at 0. And my PH is at 6.6. Also, the water stays at 66 degrees.
Has anyone else experienced this? He still loves to eat and is his active self. I’m also wondering if the water conditioner we got has something to do with it? We’ve been using the API Stress Coat, because I saw a lot of great reviews for it. Also worth noting our other axolotl is totally healthy. She isnt shedding at all, and her gill feathers are beautiful and never left.
I would appreciate any advice! Thank you so much everyone!
