HELP axie jumped out of tank

[Sanshouo]

So this morning I woke up and checked my tank like always and i didn't see my axie anywhere in the tank. My heart almost jumped out of my chest when I looked down to see him laying on the carpet. When I picked him up he still seemed pretty moist and he wiggled in my hand a good bit so I put him back in his tank. He is about a 4.5-5 inch leucistic juvie. He doesn't appear to be in TERRIBLE shape but he gills are curled back and his slime coat appears to have deteriorated quite a bit. I have always left my lid half open because I live in mississippi and I try to keep the temp down. I think the problem was that the water level was higher than normal (almost at the brim). I did my best to pull off the hair and lint off of him without bothering him and I brought the water level down and the tank is closed completely with the light off. Is there anything else I should do to help him out? I'll try to attach a pic. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[leandrah]

I would give him a tea bath.
To stress him out even less, I would put the tea in the actual tank. It will make your water brown but you can get rid of that from a water change.

Make a strong cup of black tea, wait for it to cool down and then add your dechlorinator to the tea, and then pour it into the tank.

You should have roughly 1 cup of tea per 10 liters
How many liters is your tank?

 

[leandrah]

The tea bath will help his slime coat

 

[Sanshouo]

Thank you for the suggestion, I may try that if some others agree. My tank is about 75 liters (20 gallons). I read somewhere that people often add a double dose (or more) of smile coat solution to the tank when this happens. Can anyone attest to this?

 

[Boomsloth]

Thank you for the suggestion, I may try that if some others agree. My tank is about 75 liters (20 gallons). I read somewhere that people often add a double dose (or more) of smile coat solution to the tank when this happens. Can anyone attest to this?

Can I ask what is slime coat solution?

 

[Sanshouo]

Like the water treatment that is supposed to help with building the stress coat. For example, I have API brand Stress Coat + that I've never used in my axie tank and I didn't know if it would be a good idea now.

 

[Elise]

An intact slime layer has antibacterial compounds present that prevent infection, and as this layer is now damaged, the concern should be of opportunistic infections developing.

I would suggest removing your axolotl from his tank and keeping him in a quarantine container at ideal temperatures with 100% daily water changes until healed. If you are unable to maintain a water temperature under around 19C, then I would look into fridging during this period.

The benefits of a tea bath would only be marginal in my opinion, especially when compared to a quarantine container with daily water changes. If you are using the "Stress Coat +" as a form of treatment (not to de-chlorinate), then it isn't necessary and ins't likely to aid in healing.

While your axolotl is in quarantine, you can look into reasons for this happening. Make sure the water quality in his tank is good as it can be a reason for an axolotl jumping out. You could also consider purchasing a lid or lowering the water level to the length of your axolotl's body.

If you notice his health deteriorating further, post an update and/or contact your vet.