FUNGUS, NOT EATING, is death around the corner?

[robbie257]

ok so ive had two axolotls for about 3-4 weeks now...

i started feeding them on frozen blood worms, and one of them was taking too long to eat, and by the time it realised food was there they had all melted away... so i then went to beef heart...

niether of them ate the beef heart... so i swapped it back again to blood worms...

NOW... the original one who wouldnt eat is eating rlly well (getting a bit fat btw) and my other one isnt eating AT ALL...

its been going on for 4 days now...

and shes also got fungus in her feathers... and quite a bit too...

im going to my local aquarium.. they have some stuff that will treat the fungus... but i was just wondering... how long can they last without food...

my sick one who isnt eating is rlly skinny, and im worried that when i wake up in the morning she will be dead =[

please help!

(ive checked my water temp, ammonia, water hardness, and ph... and its all normal...?)

 

[Lisa]

Hi, there's a few things you should check;
1. You said your water temp is normal, what exactly is it? It shouldn't go over 20 degrees celsius and warmer temperatures cause stress and are frequently behind fungal problems. It's often hard to maintain this temperature without intervening in Australia over summer.
2. Your ammonia, and nitrite should be zero, and your nitrate up to 40ppm (though higher is OK). If your tank was cycled before you put the axie in it, those should be your readings. If you put them straight in, your tank is still cycling and you need to do daily or every second day water changes of about 20% until your readings are right. Read this site well about cycling and water quality. Poor water quality is another cause of stress.
3. Bloodworm cubes are fine. Beef heart should only be fed occasionally. Other suitable regular feeding foods include earthworms (excellent and not messy), axolotl pellets, slugs and snails. People also feed raw prawns, and liver as treats only and some use feeder fish, but avoid that for now. Live food is often more stimulating in getting unwell axies to eat (earthworms are great).

I would put your sick axie in the fridge and commence salt water baths twice daily using 2 teaspoons of un-iodised salt in 1 litre of dechlorinated water for 10 minutes each time. Change the salt bath after every use. Keep him/her in the fridge at above 5 degrees. He may not eat at that temperature, but they don't seem to lose much weight either, and it will destress him and enable the fungal infection to heal faster. This is a better option than medicating the water. He can stay in the fridge for a couple of weeks if necessary. If your tank is too warm, you'll need to cool it to keep the other axie in there safely, and there is information on tank cooling on this site. You could put him in the fridge too while you get on top of it if necessary.

Good luck. Let us know about exact numbers regarding water temperature, ammonia etc and any more questions you may have. This site has pretty much everything you need to know on it.

 

[robbie257]

thanks

ok well i medicated the water before i read this... im unsure exactly with what to do for the salt water bath and stuff...

with the water conditioner... how much do i put in the water for the salt bath?

Also where would i get the salt i need... and what sort of container should i place it in?... should it be glasss or can i use plastic?

and also... nitrate? the ppl at the fish shop never told me i had to test that...

sorry when it comes to fish im a newbie... these are my first fish for pets so im still trying to get used to it...

the medication ive used has turned my tank water green... is this bad? will it return back to colour?

ive already tried earthworms for the one not eating... she just ignored it and swam away...

im rlly conerned because she hasnt eaten in 4 days and im not sure how much longer she will last...

the fungus is getting worse... and shes getting rlly skinny...

(my temp atm is 18 degrees celcius)

thanks for the reply =]

Hi, there's a few things you should check;
1. You said your water temp is normal, what exactly is it? It shouldn't go over 20 degrees celsius and warmer temperatures cause stress and are frequently behind fungal problems. It's often hard to maintain this temperature without intervening in Australia over summer.
2. Your ammonia, and nitrite should be zero, and your nitrate up to 40ppm (though higher is OK). If your tank was cycled before you put the axie in it, those should be your readings. If you put them straight in, your tank is still cycling and you need to do daily or every second day water changes of about 20% until your readings are right. Read this site well about cycling and water quality. Poor water quality is another cause of stress.
3. Bloodworm cubes are fine. Beef heart should only be fed occasionally. Other suitable regular feeding foods include earthworms (excellent and not messy), axolotl pellets, slugs and snails. People also feed raw prawns, and liver as treats only and some use feeder fish, but avoid that for now. Live food is often more stimulating in getting unwell axies to eat (earthworms are great).

I would put your sick axie in the fridge and commence salt water baths twice daily using 2 teaspoons of un-iodised salt in 1 litre of dechlorinated water for 10 minutes each time. Change the salt bath after every use. Keep him/her in the fridge at above 5 degrees. He may not eat at that temperature, but they don't seem to lose much weight either, and it will destress him and enable the fungal infection to heal faster. This is a better option than medicating the water. He can stay in the fridge for a couple of weeks if necessary. If your tank is too warm, you'll need to cool it to keep the other axie in there safely, and there is information on tank cooling on this site. You could put him in the fridge too while you get on top of it if necessary.

Good luck. Let us know about exact numbers regarding water temperature, ammonia etc and any more questions you may have. This site has pretty much everything you need to know on it.

 

[Saspotato]

Hi Robbie, in answer to your questions:

-water conditioner, put in the dosage for however big your salt bath container is. If it is 1 tablespoon for every 10 L and your container is 1L then put in a tenth of a tablespoon and so on.

-use normal salt. Glass or plastic is fine, but make sure it is a container that hasn't had soap and things in it. I think it is best to buy a new container and have that solely for your axolotls, and don't use dishwashing liquid to clean it. You will need about 2 teaspoons per L and bath your axies for 15mins two or three times a day.

-Nitrate should be between 10-40 and yea, you should test it but it is the least likely out of ammonia, nitrate and nitrite to cause problems for your axies.

-You should never medicate your whole tank as it is likely to kill all the bacteria in your tank from cycling. Don't be surprised if your tank starts to cycle again so keep up monitoring the water parameters. Use a separate container always.

-4 days is not a long time to go without eating. Keep trying with the food and when the fungus is gone she will probably start to eat again. Keep up doing salt baths and only use medicine as a last resort. You will need to do the salt baths for about a week after the last bit of fungus has disappeared.

So basically separate your axolotls and put the sick one in the fridge and do salt baths. I would probably do a 100% water change on your main tank due to the medicine you put in there and recycle the tank, especially if you have dosed your healthy axolotl too.

By the way, axolotls are definitely not fish, they are amphibians so don't buy medicine that is used for fish as it can be fatal for axolotls.

 

[robbie257]

Hi Robbie, in answer to your questions:

-water conditioner, put in the dosage for however big your salt bath container is. If it is 1 tablespoon for every 10 L and your container is 1L then put in a tenth of a tablespoon and so on.

-use normal salt. Glass or plastic is fine, but make sure it is a container that hasn't had soap and things in it. I think it is best to buy a new container and have that solely for your axolotls, and don't use dishwashing liquid to clean it. You will need about 2 teaspoons per L and bath your axies for 15mins two or three times a day.

-Nitrate should be between 10-40 and yea, you should test it but it is the least likely out of ammonia, nitrate and nitrite to cause problems for your axies.

-You should never medicate your whole tank as it is likely to kill all the bacteria in your tank from cycling. Don't be surprised if your tank starts to cycle again so keep up monitoring the water parameters. Use a separate container always.

-4 days is not a long time to go without eating. Keep trying with the food and when the fungus is gone she will probably start to eat again. Keep up doing salt baths and only use medicine as a last resort. You will need to do the salt baths for about a week after the last bit of fungus has disappeared.

So basically separate your axolotls and put the sick one in the fridge and do salt baths. I would probably do a 100% water change on your main tank due to the medicine you put in there and recycle the tank, especially if you have dosed your healthy axolotl too.

By the way, axolotls are definitely not fish, they are amphibians so don't buy medicine that is used for fish as it can be fatal for axolotls.

thankyou...

i will remember for future reference not to reer to my axolotls as fish =]

i just want to be 100% sure that im doing everything in my power to look after them as best as i can... so i apologise if i seem annoyng...

with the putting her in the fridge thing, can i just keep her in a smallish lunchbox?... and also do i need to have a lid on it?

i will change my water as soon as i get a reply, but do i just put them in decholrinated water when i take them out to clean it, or do i need to put the cycle stuff in the container and the water ager as well?

i really appreciate the replies...

thanks =]

 

[Saspotato]

Nah don't apologise for asking questions, you are new at this so it is good you are trying to find out all about how to look after your axolotls~

Smallish lunchbox should be fine. You can put a lid on if you like, I tend to leave a bit of the lid open and put a tea towel over the container as my container is see through. Basically you need to block out the light as it will be stressful for your axolotl if the fridge light is going on and off. You will need to do 100% daily water changes with dechlorinated water and keep the temperature 5C or above.

I am not sure what you are referring to with 'cycle stuff' but if it is one of those bottles with bacteria in it to help your tank cycle, don't bother as they aren't any good - the bacteria is dead and likely to increase ammonia levels, it is a bit of a petstore gimmick to sell that stuff. Do age/dechlorinate any water you put your axolotl/s in though.

Hope it goes well~

 

[robbie257]

Nah don't apologise for asking questions, you are new at this so it is good you are trying to find out all about how to look after your axolotls~

Smallish lunchbox should be fine. You can put a lid on if you like, I tend to leave a bit of the lid open and put a tea towel over the container as my container is see through. Basically you need to block out the light as it will be stressful for your axolotl if the fridge light is going on and off. You will need to do 100% daily water changes with dechlorinated water and keep the temperature 5C or above.

I am not sure what you are referring to with 'cycle stuff' but if it is one of those bottles with bacteria in it to help your tank cycle, don't bother as they aren't any good - the bacteria is dead and likely to increase ammonia levels, it is a bit of a petstore gimmick to sell that stuff. Do age/dechlorinate any water you put your axolotl/s in though.

Hope it goes well~

thankyou VERY much for all your help and advice, my dad is coming over, hes got a small bar fridge, he said i can use it for my axolotls, im guessing size dosnt matter as long as its above 5C and below about 10?

When he gets here, we will go out and buy two new containers, one for the salt bath and the other for my sick axie for te fridge.

Thanks heaps once again, you dont know how stressed i was, youve helped so muchthanks x a billion...

and yeh thats exactly what i meant by cycle stuff...

how would i re cycle my water then without it?

 

[Saspotato]

Bar fridge is a great idea as you can set the temperature a bit higher than a normal fridge and don't have to worry about your food going off. 5-10C is cool, but later on when your axolotl gets better, if it is possible to set it higher than that I would as axolotls rarely eat in the fridge. Don't worry about this as it slows their metabolism down so they don't need to eat much.

Here is an article that will tell you all about cycling: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

 

[robbie257]

Bar fridge is a great idea as you can set the temperature a bit higher than a normal fridge and don't have to worry about your food going off. 5-10C is cool, but later on when your axolotl gets better, if it is possible to set it higher than that I would as axolotls rarely eat in the fridge. Don't worry about this as it slows their metabolism down so they don't need to eat much.

Here is an article that will tell you all about cycling: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

ok it mentions to leave the tank for 24-48 hours before putting the axos back in... does that mean im going to have to put both of them in the fridge for the time being?

1 more quick question about the salt bath...

how big do you suggest the container should be, is 1 litre ok? or should i be using a bucket?

oh and also

my sick axie hasnt eaten for 4 days, if i put it in the fridge for a few weeks, and it slows down its metabolism, wont that cause it not to eat even more. Will my axo be able to survive?

 

[Saspotato]

Leaving it for 24 hours would be a good idea but many people have cycled their tank ok without this. It is just more ideal. I left my tank for a couple of hours only before I put my axolotl in but now I know better I would fully cycle the tank first. Do what is most practical but if you put your axolotls back in soon make sure you do daily tests for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The levels will be 0, 0, and 10-40 when the tank is cycled.

1L should be fine as long as it covers your axolotl completely.

With eating, your axolotl probably won't eat now that she is sick so even if you don't put her in the fridge you will still have trouble feeding her. I would focus on getting rid of the fungus as soon as possible then worry about the food. Keep offering it though. My axolotl has gone 2.5 weeks without eating in the fridge as I put him in there during a heat wave. He was healthy at the start of that stint and came out of it alive and ate a day or so after I took him out of the fridge. Others have had their axolotls go 6 weeks without food when they have been sick too, so don't stress too much at the moment. The lower you keep the temperature the less your axolotl will need to eat and the faster she will heal.