How can I help? :-(

[KellyBelly]

Hi, I got a juvenile axolotl about two months ago. He is in a ten gallon tank that stays between 68 and 64 degrees. There is an internal filter that has a bar to spread out the output aimed at the wall. At first I had some river rocks in the tank. The water kept being cloudy though and I discovered they were trapping waste so I removed them and it is now bare bottom. I feed frozen bloodworms daily and immediately clean what is not eaten. About a week ago, I noticed a foot was missing. Lucy is alone in her tank so it wasn't bitten off. Then yesterday I noticed something trailing off a gill and some places on her body that look like chunks are coming off or white spots. She has lost weight and floats in a plant almost all day. I know something is wrong. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm wondering if she just needs to recover from the rocks trapping the waste or if it is something else. I have a fan blowing across the water but not directly at it. Maybe this is creating a current? I tested my ph and nitrate and nitrite levels and they look normal. If you can help I'd really appreciate it!

 

[KellyBelly]

Here is a picture of the underside

 

[blushed]

What were the parameter readings?

The little cutie doesnt look too hot

Looks like a possible bacterial infection?

Stick around, there are so many helpful people...

Good luck!

 

[Cacique]

Please post the actual numbers from the water parameters, and you also need to test for ammonia, it's actually the most important test. How much and how often is the water changed? Do you use a dechlorinator? Was your tank cycled before you got your axolotl?

 

[HitmanSougo13]

Hi one of my baby axies had skin like that too. That is stress and possibly bacteria. Put the axie in a small tub pronto! You can put the axie back into the tank when it is more able. Sometimes the little ones have air bubbles in them which makes it hard for them to swim in a large tank. See if that helps but do not do a salt bath for one so young.

If it does not help much you probably have a bit of a bacteria problem which antibiotics or the indian almond leave treatment is your next step while the axie lives in a small tub

 

[KellyBelly]

ph is about 7.6, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite are all at 0. Water temp is steady between 64-68. Ive been feeding frozen bloodworms, but I know they arent supposed to be a staple. I was going to try some frozen brine shrimp maybe. Those are the only two things my petstore can provide. I think I will order some black worms online. Also, I tried to give her a tiny phoenix worm but she just coughed it back up. She doesnt seem to be keeping all the bloodworms down either. I also tried pellets I ordered from here but she just coughed them back up too. Her skin looks like little white lumps are forming or coming off. She is skinny and her gills are pale and short. Also, I immediately clean what she doesnt eat after about ten min. In the morning and night I clean any waste.

 

[KellyBelly]

I'm trying to upload pictures

 

[KellyBelly]

Here's a different view

 

[KellyBelly]

Also, I forgot to answer but I change about a third of the water every week or so. I always use dechlorinator. And yes, my tank was cycled prior to putting in my axolotl.

 

[KellyBelly]

She's getting worse! Now she has some red dots on her tail and I noticed a few little holes in it along with the white chunks! Please somebody let me know if you have any ideas on what I should do :-(

 

[SuburbanGirl]

Based on your tank readings being at 0, and the symptoms you describe plus the pictures I'd say this sounds like ammonia burns on your axie.

Take her out of the tank and put her in a bowl of dechlorinated water on the counter. If you have an India Almond leaf you can add that. Cover the bowl with a tea towel to create a dark place for her to recover. Change this water once or twice a day when it gets fouled. Dump the old water back into the tank to cycle the tank. She should start looking better in about a day.

Stop in at the bait shop and grab some earthworms, they are cleaner and healthier for the axies and will help her gain weight. If she spits it out that's fine, just leave it in the bowl with her for a while and she may go back and eat it. (It can take mine an hour or more to eat when they are in quarantine like that.)

She'll recover if you give her some TLC and a bowl. Just make sure she is covered and that the water is at least an inch below the top so she can't jump out. Good Luck!

 

[KellyBelly]

Thank you for answering! I took her out and have her in a bowl. Is the water that is in the tank now bad? Also do you think I should still offer her earthworms even though she is only about three inches? Thanks so much! I really want her to heal!

 

[Cacique]

You can cut the earthworms with scissors or something like a single edged razor blade/box cutter. If you cut them down to bite sizes they'll be easy for her to eat. I'm can't telly you for sure if the water in the tank is bad. What do you use to test the tank water? Test strips or the liquid test kits? Strips can be unreliable, and you have to basically follow the instructions perfectly with a stopwatch to get any kind of good reading. The parameters being at 0 would mean the tank isn't cycled, and the ammonia could get high enough to hurt your axie, I can't tell if this is it though.

 

[SuburbanGirl]

The water in the tank isn't "bad" it just isn't yet cycled. Now that she is out of the tank all you need to do is dump her fouled water from her bowl into the tank to help it cycle. You'll be changing her bowl water at least once if not twice a day.

At three inches she should be fine with red wrigglers or earthworms. If the worm is longer than she is just cut it down. Worms don't have nerves so it doesn't hurt them.

Use a liquid test kit every day and write down the results each day. You will have an ammonia spike, then a nitrAte spike and then your nitrItes will start to rise. When that (finally) happens then you have a cycled tank and you can put your axie back in.

Ideal readings for a correctly cycled tank will be ammonia 0, nitrate 0, nitrite <40. When you are at that point then you will only need to change the water about once a week. If you have readings with any of those number higher than ideal it means you need to do a water change. When I am cycling a tank I test my water every day and I change it every day based on the numbers I get. (Higher numbers mean a larger percent water change) It takes time an patience, but it is worth it! Good luck!

 

[allied123]

You will have an ammonia spike, then a nitrAte spike and then your nitrItes will start to rise. When that (finally) happens then you have a cycled tank and you can put your axie back in.

Ideal readings for a correctly cycled tank will be ammonia 0, nitrate 0, nitrite <40.

Good advice but whoever is reading this needs to take note that this is actually completely reversed for the nitrite and nitrate. You will have a spike in nitrites then your nitrates will slowly rise. and nitrites should be very very low, close to 0 but nitrates can be a little higher, anything less than 40 ppm is acceptable

 

[SuburbanGirl]

Dang it! I was afraid I had them backwards. I usually just remember that I want a blue tube and a less red tube. I'm sorry about the confusion, thanks for setting it straight for me, allied123!