Illness/Sickness: HE'S DYING! please please help!!!

[sam1014]

Please help me. I've already put up a post but got hardly no response and things have got worst now and I'm getting really desperate.
I think he's dying, this is what's happening with him:

His gills have gone down to just little stumps.
He's not eating at all.
Gone really thin and can see a lump on both sides above his back legs which I think is his hip bone.
Keeps having mad fits, swimming erratically and landing in awkward positions and just staying there.
Seems to have his mouth constantly open.

Please help me, it's breaking my heart, I just dont know what to do.
All the water levels are fine (as I said on my previous post)
I feed him bloodworm, he's about 12cm long so still only young. Going to get some worms today to try him with them.

At this very moment, he has wedged himself between a rock and the glass and looks dead. It's really killing me to see him like this.
Please suggest stuff for me to do.

Sam x

 

[dazkeirle]

Please confirm water readings and temperature.

Please try and get a photo and/or a video of this behaviour and his tank environment.

I think the best thing to do is get him into a container and into the fridge to chill him out and go on from there.

 

[sam1014]

ok thanks Daz.
I've never done the fridging process before, so could you explain in detail please, or give me a link to detailed instructions of what to do. Still baffles me that you can put them in the fridge lol.

Readings are:
Ammonia = 0
No3 = 25
No2 = 0
GH = 8
KH = 6
PH = 6.8
cl2 = 0

Temp is usually around 20. if it goes any higher i put a ice bottle in. I've got another Axi in the Tank called Charlie, who seems to be fine.

I'll do my best to get a pic or video asap.

Thankyou for your quick reply, very very much appreciated!!!

 

[dazkeirle]

Your params and temperature are fine, I don;t think that is to blame.

Fridging is simple, get a tupperware lunchbox, fill with enough water to submerge your axie from your tank and get him in there.

Place lid on top but don't seal all the way around and use a few elastic bands to keep the lid from coming off.

Place in fridge with a tea towel over of something to stop him getting scared by the light.

Check every few hours, report and await further instructions.

You could put a single worm in or something but it's not necessary, he'll barely eat in there.

Every day you'll need to change 100% of the water so if possible have another lunchbox empty but filled with tank water in the fridge ready for rotation.

 

[sam1014]

He's dead

 

[dazkeirle]

oh no!

Are you absolutely sure?



If he's died then there is still reason to be concerned for your other axie as params are fine and he shouldn't just keel over..

For now please remove Charlie from the tank in case of parasites and or infection.

Use the fridging method but use 100% clean dechlorinated water.

Do not use the food you are currently using for Charlie, seek a fresh supply.

 

[sam1014]

i'm sure. i went to move him and he just didnt move at all. i moved him away from the rocks, he took two big gulps and then nothing. ive took him out and put him in a bowl, and still nothing. hes just sunk to the bottom upside down. I witnessed him take his last breath which is completly heartbreaking. Think its safe to say he's dead.

Ok, so i'll get Charlie out. What do i do about the tank in the mean time? do a 100% water change?

 

[dazkeirle]

I'm not sure, As your params are fine then potentially there is infection / fungus / parasites (especially as gills reduced, lack of eating etc.)

I'm no good on how to treat that, but while we await somebody to chip in who is good with those things I'd say the sensible thing to do is get the healthy axie in a quarantined safe environment where time is not an issue and from there I'm sure we can work out what was up with the previous and if there is anything in the tank that can harm Charlie.

Don;t do 100% water changes unless absolutely necessary, they will ruin your bacterial cycle of your tank.

 

[ted22]

Sorry to hear that, very sad! what are you using as a substrate the only thing I cant think of is impaction, he could have eaten something too big to pass but also couldnt throw it up (mouth being open seems like he could have been trying) lack of eating and loss of weight also seems to point to that as a possible cause.

 

[dazkeirle]

Ted is probably right with that, and fridging may have helped, but not necessarily, there may have been nothing you could have done.

I'm still concerned about the gills though and still think you should quarantine Charlie, if only for a day or two.

I'm very sorry for your loss, I tried my best

 

[sam1014]

i use sand so theres no risk of him swallowing anything.
Charlie seems to be doing ok. He's active and his gills seem fine, and he's got a big appetite. i'll put him in the fridge now though
.
Just a few questions,
How long shall i leave him in there?
What do i do about feeding him?
What do i do about my tank?

 

[Shizeric]

How large is the tank/how often do you do water changes/what type of filtration do you use?

If you could provide a picture of your setup, that may help us.

 

[dazkeirle]

I only recommend that as the issue is of yet unknown.

He would be fine in there for weeks but I'd only recommend it until the Americans appear who may have another insight into the behaviour your axie was displaying.

The fact impaction couldn't have played a part means something is amiss.

I'm sorry I have no further advice to give, anything further would be guesswork. I only advise fridging as that's the usual first port of call when something is going awry and you need to ensure things don't get worse.

In a worst case somebody with more experience will tell you that it's fine and to put him back him, or it could require further tests of your tank.

Better safe than sorry I always think.

 

[sam1014]

the tank is about 90litres and i do a 20-30% water change weekly. i've got a Fluval U2 pump/filter...

 

[Shizeric]

Could you provide a picture of the setup? Are there any chemicals you use in the tank? What room is the tank in at your place?

 

[sam1014]

il post up a pic as soon as i can, i only use tapsafe and the tank is in my bedroom not in direct light or anything.
iv noticed recently that there is a lot of tiny snails in the tank, could that have caused it? also i have got 3 live plants in there.

 

[Shizeric]

Did you quarantine the plants before you added them to the tank? Where did you get the plants from, and do you spray anything like cleaner/fragrance/something like that in your room at all?

 

[dazkeirle]

il post up a pic as soon as i can, i only use tapsafe and the tank is in my bedroom not in direct light or anything.
iv noticed recently that there is a lot of tiny snails in the tank, could that have caused it? also i have got 3 live plants in there.

Depending on the size of the snails there is certainly a risk of impaction there.

 

[sam1014]

no you haven't quarantined the plants but i've had them for a while and he's only just been acting funny, the only thing that is sprayed in the room is deodrant/perfume but he's been in the same room the whole time i've had him.

 

[ted22]

Plants dont necessarily need quarantining but they require a very thoughrough rinse (and possibly a couple of days in a bucket of clean water) as they are usually chemically treated to get rid of unwanted snails and other nasties (snails still hang on tho!) Snails can possibly cause impaction if large enough, but also if the plants had been treated and the snails ate whatever the plant was treated with and then if your axie ate the snail whatever chemicals and pesticides used could have ended up in your axie!

Also any amount of arosole spray or pufume in a room could harm an axie as floating particles in the air dissolve into the water and those things have some nasty things in them! Ive heard that they really dont like things like air freshner or deoderant and read that they will even go as far as hiding if they see their owner holding a can of spray!