Illness/Sickness: Desperate, dying

[Kilolotlkeeper]

My baby axolotl has gotten really sick out of nowhere since yesterday. I know it must have something to do with the water change I did yesterday but I have no idea why. I checked all the parameters, everything was perfect. his tail is folding in and his gills were super curled forward. the gills have gotten better. I have since fridged him. Could some bacteria have gotten through the water? I didn't put dechlorinater in the water because my water is drinkable and isn't hard. I have called the water company to check. Please help!!!! i have kept axolotls a good bit now and this has never happened to me!!!

 

[Donna001]

I always use dechlorinator with water changes. Have you always used the same water without dechlorinator? I was under the impression that dechlorinator was important, to deal with chlorine/chloramines and other things such as heavy metals which can be found in tap water.
Was the water at a very different temperature to the current tank water?
I have attached some links which I hope will help you and your axolotl.
The first link indicates several factors relating to water which could cause stress, indicated by the curled tail and gills. The second link gives some more information.
Axolotls - Health & Diseases
Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity

I have only been keeping axolotls since Feb/March, so it would be worth checking with the more experienced keepers as well.
I hope that your little one is feeling better soon. Please keep us posted on progress.

 

[Kilolotlkeeper]

I always use dechlorinator with water changes. Have you always used the same water without dechlorinator? I was under the impression that dechlorinator was important, to deal with chlorine/chloramines and other things such as heavy metals which can be found in tap water.

Was the water at a very different temperature to the current tank water?

I have attached some links which I hope will help you and your axolotl.

The first link indicates several factors relating to water which could cause stress, indicated by the curled tail and gills. The second link gives some more information.

Axolotls - Health & Diseases

Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity



I have only been keeping axolotls since Feb/March, so it would be worth checking with the more experienced keepers as well.

I hope that your little one is feeling better soon. Please keep us posted on progress.

Really appreciate that, I have skipped dechlorinater before without any problems. I have been keeping axolotls for about two years now I believe. The temperatures aren't much different at all. I don't know what it could have been!! I've used the same procedures as always! Just without dechlorinater this time. My other axolotls don't mind doing that at all I guess this guy just couldn't handle it


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[Donna001]

As I say, I'm quite new to this, so it would be worth getting advice from the experienced keepers. I'm just going on the information that I found here and on other sites before I got mine.
Perhaps your little one was a bit weaker than the others, so keep a very close eye on him and please keep us posted on your progress. If anything else happens to him, if he starts to show any other symptoms, get right back here and get advice from the experienced keepers/breeders.
Best of luck.

 

[Kilolotlkeeper]

Hey, I'm happy to get all the advice I can!!! Thank you so much


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[Kilolotlkeeper]

First Saltwater bath


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[AxolotlChris]

Not dechlorinating your water on one occasion will not cause these symptoms, also the Axolotl is very thin and the gills have shrunk a lot which would suggest these symptoms have been around for some time, most likely due to poor water quality. I highly doubt that it developed these issues out of no where over night.

You should always dechlorinate your water when performing water changes, your water is not safe because it is drinkable, its 'safe' for human consumption due to chlorine being added to the water, which is damaging to Axolotls since they absorb toxins through their skin.

Salt baths are definitely not recommended in this situation since there is no sign of skin issues or fungus, so the salt baths will just be irritating and stressful.

Can you post your exact parameters, temperature, and images of the Axolotls original tank?

 

[AxolotlChris]

Also, not dechlorinating your water will crash your cycle. Water that has not been dechlorinated will kill the colonies of bacteria in your filter media and on your tanks surfaces.

Always dechlorinate