Grep

[mneavor]

Just to clear things a little, it was NOT Nitrates but the far more toxic NITRITES that were off the scale and an Ammonia spike along with it. I have to say I think there was no choice but to remove them from their toxic tank water immediately. Those parameters seem to indicate the tank was nowhere near to being cycled and water changes several times a day would still have these animals at unacceptable risk.

Also, I think there is a misunderstanding with regards to the size containers they are now in - small plastic Tupperware tubs NOT new tanks. It is well known that small amounts of water become contaminated very quickly as opposed a large tank where the nasties are somewhat diluted by the volume of water. Therefore 80% - 100% water changes and cleaning can only benefit the Axies whilst they are recovering / growing.

Check how many other threads on sick / injured Axies advise the same treatment, you'll find it's often the most successful ....... Cheers

Nitrites. Yes! My bad. And I can see an 80% water change in the existing tank being beneficial, but 100% changes twice daily for multiple days seems excessive. I realize I don't have much experience on this forum, but in my experience with fish and axolotls, I've always had the best luck correcting cycles with 30-80% water changes once every few days. And if an axolotl is stressed, I've always had the best luck refrigerating them while introducing small changes in water to minimize huge changes in PH levels. That is my experience as a breeder. And no I saw that they were moved to a larger tank from the small container, which was a good thing

 

[Jen10s]

I believe their temporary new homes in small tubs whilst their tanks are being cycled would be similar to you fridging (daily water changes needed then too).

I'm sure they will be much happier when their tanks are cycled (fish less cycle) and they can be returned to their homes. Meantime, I'm sure Mortimer is making sure they are not stressed and well fed :happy:

 

[n7megan]

Hey everybody, I'm here to update the story on Grep. Last Friday (4-19-2013) I had my water tested again and got some good news! No more ammonia or nitrites! I had a questionable amount of nitrates but that was a matter of doing some water changes. I couldn't do that immediately though because I had no aged water and I had to leave for the weekend. I'm not sure why I didn't set out some water to age before I left, but when I got back on Sunday I put out some water to age, changed 20% on Monday evening, then put out some more water to age. After a second 20% change this morning (Wednesday, 4-24-2013), I had Sharon come back over and we tested my water again. Nitrates were within acceptable levels (between 20 and 40 ppm) and we decided to reintroduce him to his tank. I've also changed some of the decorations because Sharon gave me a cute little piece of slate elevated on some arches. It was very sweet of her to make and I'll have to get some pictures up soon Anyway, Grep seems to be doing well. He's been wandering around his tank and seems very interested in the moss ball I've added as well as the sponge I borrowed from Sharon to help the cycle in my tank. Still going to keep a close eye on him but the going seems good so far!

 

[pondweed]

What a brilliant result, Megan! (I've said it before and I'll say it again; Grep is a beauty!) It sounds like he's enjoying being home and exploring his new environment!

 

[Jen10s]

Happy to hear that Grep has returned home to his tank, look forward to some photos as he grows up :happy:

Have his other friends also gone home or are they still enjoying their vacation at Mortimer's Home for Wayward Axolotls ....lol

 

[n7megan]

Thank you! I try not to let Grep in on the fact that he's adorable, it may go to his head.. or her head. I'm still not sure about gender but Sharon and I were looking and we're leaning more toward girl than boy. Still unclear but I'll let everyone know when I find out

And Voltaire and Flik are still under Sharon's supervision but from what I understand neither are in bad condition any more. Their tanks are still cycling, though.

 

[pondweed]

They all have great names! (It's like an Axie series about home-improvement/refurbishing!)

If Grep is a lady, will she still be Grep? I hope so. ( I plan to name my little ones Groliffe and Graculus, though I'm going to have to find a nickname for Graculus... It's a bit sharp and cumbersome for an amphibian. Or else call them Nooka or something else instead. )

 

[n7megan]

Haha, thank you! Voltaire and Flik aren't actually my axies, they belong to a couple other people in my dorm. But I'm still pretty fond of them both

If Grep turns out to be a lady I will definitely still call her Grep! And those are pretty cute names! I'm pretty bad at naming pets, actually... I usually take inspiration from simplicity, hence why I named one of my zebra danios Herpaderp, or Derp for short. Also, don't worry about the fish, they are in a separate tank from Grep

Also, I've taken some photos of Grep back in the tank, albeit lower quality than Sharon's pics.

 

[pondweed]

Ah, I did know they were other people's! Sorry I didn't make that very clear in my post.

Grep is a lot of fun to say. (It may be reminding me of crepes, but I don't think axolotl-pancake would be a good idea.) I hope s/he remains healthy and happy from now on!

 

[n7megan]

No worries, it's not like I'm offended by the thought of having three cute little axies. A trio of a a wild, a leucistic, and a melanoid would be pretty cute! I just don't want to take ownership of another person's baby. I know I'd be a little upset if somebody else pretended to be Grep's owner!

Grep seems in the clear now, which is great news. Has a very, very healthy appetite and is the cutest little beggar I've ever seen. He'll hop around whenever I stay by the tank long enough and he always turns his little face up to me, trying to convince me that he's starving. I know better, though. He's a bottomless pit for blackworms, hahahaha. He's also very responsive to people now, which is something I didn't notice until after Sharon brought him back. She told me that if you talk to him above the water that he'll look up and even swim to the surface and stick the tip of his nose out of the water. So I tried it and like she said, he swam up to say hi! It was adorable and I was basically dancing around in excitement. I know there's probably a biological reason for him to react to sounds at the water's surface, but I want to believe that he's saying hi back to me

I've also heard some news back from Sharon about the other two, Voltaire (leucistic) and Flik (melanoid). The semester is a few days from being over so all the little axies need to come back to the owners before they leave for home. Problem is, the only tank that's finished cycling is mine (Grep's). Good news is that Alexis has two small tubs which she can do 100% water changes in so Sharon has brought Voltaire back to her to take care of him. He's also very healthy, and growing like crazy! Flik is still with Sharon, but he's also doing very well and I hear that on the legs that are growing back (both front legs), some toes are now visible. After everything, all the axies are well on their way to recovery, thanks to Sharon! She has been unbelievably helpful through all this and I think she has earned the title of axolotl doctor!