Help my axolotl is barely alive

[simba]

Sick axolotl (swollen cloaca???) PLZ HELP

Hello,
I few days ago I noticed my axie, Simba, had a large bump on his or her underside (still unsure of the little guys gender) He has been refusing food since this bump developed. I didn’t know that they can’t have the small fish gravel in their tank and right when i found out i was sure to remove all of it. I am unsure of wether he ate a rock by accident or has something else going on. I don’t know if i should put him in the fridge or the problem will fix itself... I’m considering taking him to the vet. I feel terrible for putting rocks in his aquarium but i’m still unsure wether or not this is the cause.
any ideas????

 

[Otterwoman]

Re: Sick axolotl (swollen cloaca???) PLZ HELP

I think it needs to see a vet.

 

[ACamphibians13]

Re: Sick axolotl (swollen cloaca???) PLZ HELP

Well it might be a tumour caused by some form of cancer I don't think it could be the gravel since axoltls and salamander larvae both eat there food by sucking it into their mouth but that would not explain the the lump because they would die after choking on the gravel. What I'm hoping is that it is a male and the swollen cloaca just means That it is the breeding season. I hope that your body will be ok.

 

[simba]

Weird fungus skin peeling off arm

Hi!!
My axie Simba isn’t looking too well. Over the past couple of days his gills have been getting smaller and today I noticed this white stuff on his arm and the back of his gills.
He also hasn’t been as active as he usually is (
I haven’t done anything differently with him... temperature in the tank is normal and everything
PLEASE HELP
(I attached pictures... it’s his left arm and under/behind his gills)

 

[DSaxolotl]

Whats the
Ph
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrates
Like in your tank?

 

[Hayleyy]

Re: Weird fungus skin peeling off arm

Test the above and try some salt baths. There's a tutorial here on the sick axolotl forum. Looks like it might be fungus.

 

[simba]

Re: Weird fungus skin peeling off arm

Whats the
Ph
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrates
Like in your tank?

good idea i’m gonna get the water tested tomorrow... i just noticed this today so hopefully it’s a quick fix. thank you!

 

[simba]

Re: Weird fungus skin peeling off arm

Test the above and try some salt baths. There's a tutorial here on the sick axolotl forum. Looks like it might be fungus.

I considered that but didn’t have the materials... might possibly try. do you think fridging would help?

 

[Hayleyy]

Re: Weird fungus skin peeling off arm

Fridging is good, but if it's fungus I think you will need the salt baths.
I came home today with a bit of fungus on my guy so did a salt bath and most of it came off right away. 2-3 teaspoons of non-iodized salt (table salt is fine!) per litre (of dechlorinated water) in a separate container. Leave it in for 10-15mins then back in the tank or temporary housing Do 2 times a day until gone

 

[simba]

Re: Weird fungus skin peeling off arm

Fridging is good, but if it's fungus I think you will need the salt baths.
I came home today with a bit of fungus on my guy so did a salt bath and most of it came off right away. 2-3 teaspoons of non-iodized salt (table salt is fine!) per litre (of dechlorinated water) in a separate container. Leave it in for 10-15mins then back in the tank or temporary housing Do 2 times a day until gone

UPDATE: you’re right... he was in the fridge overnight and when i went to check on him this morning his gills were almost completely gone... they looked like little nubs. he was floating in a ball at the top of the container and he couldn’t move his farms at all. i have never seen such a sad looking axolotl. he looked all shriveled up and his tail was folded over and extremely droopy. i thought for sure he was dead. i’m letting his water warm up a little so i can put him back in his tank because if he does die i want it to at least be in his home
do you think the salt bath is even worth a shot at this point
thank you!!

 

[simba]

Help!!! My axie is dying!!!!

I noticed a weird white layer on the back of his right arm and gills yesterday. He hasn’t been doing as well... not as active. I started the fridging process yesterday and went to change his water today and he was floating on the top of the water and i have never seen such a sad looking axolotl... many people on here have recommended a salt bath but i don’t think he’s strong enough for that and don’t want him to die in a tub
his gills are almost completely shriveled up
he is completely unable to use the arm
his tail is saggy and limp
I went to put him back in his tank so that if he’s gonna die at least it’s in his home. but he isn’t strong enough to swim and was struggling to swim to the top gasping for air. i couldn’t bear to watch him like this so i scooped him back into his container and have been holding it on its side so he has somewhere near the top to rest... he now refuses to leave
he is EXTREMELY WEAK and looks horrible
i feel terrible

i got my water checked 10 minutes ago and everything is perfectly normal

PLEASE HELP
I CANT LOOSE MY BUDDY

 

[Hayleyy]

Re: Weird fungus skin peeling off arm

Keep trying! They are hardy little things, they can recover from a lot. Keep him in fresh dechlorinated water and keep checking water parameters. If you're able to, do the salt baths.
When fridging because it is so cold they do lose appetite and don't move so much. See how he is acting once at regular temp. Offer some earthworms or his favourite food.

 

[Otterwoman]

Re: Help!!! My axie is dying!!!!

I would take him to a vet.

 

[simba]

Can anyone help or is it too late

 

[Biev]

Omg that poor baby! What have you tried so far? Any information you can provide regarding the progression of her illness and the context in which it took place will help narrow down the causes which will help narrow down potential treatment options.

 

[Hayleyy]

Oh gosh he does look terrible, I'm so sorry you and he are going through this.

Did you get to check if the ammonia was 0ppm?
Does anyone else know if a weak salt bath would make it worse?
I don't know if a tea bath would be any help, I've never used one. It might soothe his skin, I think Indian almond leaves are preferred but black tea (cooled to tank temp) can be used.

Find a vet around you who knows about axolotls and take him asap

 

[Biev]

I wouldn't go with a tea bath, that's for saprolegnia and this isn't it. I'm a fish specialist, amphibians are not my expertise but of the illnesses I know that affect both fish and axolotls, this looks closest to columnaris. To confirm, it would help to know more about the tank this guy came from. If it was cycled, the water parameters were good and the tank was well-aerated, it's very likely to be columnaris. If it was uncycled, warm or stagnant, then it probably isn't.

With an animal who's already weakened, it's best to have a good idea of what we're up against before attempting to treat. Meds are hard on them.

 

[Bellabelloo]

I've merged all of Simba's posts.

 

[Biev]

Thank you! After seeing the progression, it really looks like columnaris. I don't normally advocate jumping straight to antibiotics, but this is an advanced case. The same method used to treat columnaris in fish can be applied to axolotls. Ideally, this means combining two antibiotics: Furan-2 and KanaPlex. Just follow the instructions on the bottle. If you can only find one or the other, use that one. Technically, one should be sufficient. The reason we use both is that some strains of columnaris are resistant to one treatment or the other.

If possible, you should treat the whole tank. Note that Kanaplex will likely kill the beneficial bacteria in your filter, so you'll need to keep a close eye on ammonia, and do water changes and add conditioner as needed during and after treatment, until your cycle reestablishes itself.

[edit] Make sure you remove any carbon or other chemical filter media during treatment, and put them back afterwards. If you want to speed up your filter's recovery by using bacterial supplements, wait until all the medication has been removed (water changes will help too). Finally, if you have a UV filter, make it run for a little while after the treatment, but not during. Hope this helps!

 

[Hayleyy]

@biev thanks for all the info!! Are there visible differences between columnaris and saprolegnia, or do you usually tell from water conditions? This is great info to know!

@simba I hope Simba starts recovering quickly, please do keep us updated