Is fridging still regarded as generally being safe for axolotls? Is this info outdated?

[faebugz]

Got into a discussion about this with someone else on a different forum. @John I was hoping you could please weigh in as well?

Is it still regarded as being so safe to keep your axolotl in the fridge that you could do so indefinitely? (I recall an old thread on here where someone talked about their axolotls they kept outside in a shed all winter at around 2-6°C). If not, why? What do we know now that we didn't before?

The other person was saying it's a last resort, death on the horizon kind of deal. That doesn't seem right to me, but I want to double check with people who are far more knowledgeable than I

Bonus! Pics of lavender and Arthur

 

[fishkid]

fridging is absolutely a life-or-death ONLY situation. It can actually be quite dangerous and do much more harm than good and the only good it does is if the axolotl is on the absolute brink of death. The temp changes and extremely low temps add unnecessary stress which in itself can be detrimental to the health of the animal. It really only helps with very specific situations anyway, there are far better, safer, more reliable solutions to most problems.

 

[JM29]

I recall an old thread on here where someone talked about their axolotls they kept outside in a shed all winter at around 2-6°C

I once posted something like that. Axolotls can overwinter outside, even under frost, under a little ice.
But it cannot be compared with the fridge.
An ordinary fridge is about 4-6°C. Fridging consists in transferring an axolotl from a 18-20°C directly to 4-6°C, in a small water tub which temperature falls down rapidly. A shock.
In the case of axolotls overwintering outdoors, temperatures decrease very slowly, especially if the exterior tank volume is important.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Got into a discussion about this with someone else on a different forum. @John I was hoping you could please weigh in as well?

Is it still regarded as being so safe to keep your axolotl in the fridge that you could do so indefinitely? (I recall an old thread on here where someone talked about their axolotls they kept outside in a shed all winter at around 2-6°C). If not, why? What do we know now that we didn't before?

The other person was saying it's a last resort, death on the horizon kind of deal. That doesn't seem right to me, but I want to double check with people who are far more knowledgeable than I

Bonus! Pics of lavender and Arthur
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as i am by no means an expert in the field, please take everything with a grain of salt- i’m literally a 17 year old kid who’s had and rehabbed axolotls for a bit over a year, so not exactly a zoologist or veterinarian

i believe fridging can be used more generously than in life or death situations, though i believe it should be done very carefully. much like other treatments for general illness (salt baths, tea treatments, IAL use, etc) i think that fridging can be at least effective if done properly
my personal approach would be to;
1. tub the animal at the water/room temperature it normally resides in
2. allow the animal at least 30 minutes to settle itself, uninterrupted by movement, to hopefully reduce stress levels and cause less of an impact on the animal itself
3. slowly add water from the fridge- the water should be dechlorinated or otherwise conditioned water. if possible, using water from the already cycled tank would be preferred (but said water should have been cooled in the fridge for a bit beforehand)
4. gradually change the temperature of the tub water (the water the animal is in) by repeating step three.
5. eventually transfer the animal into the fridge, but only after the water in the tub and the fridge is the same temperature.
6. allow the animal to settle in the fridge for however long it needs to be fridged for. i suggest hourly check ins, to ensure the animal is taking the treatment well. if it is a case of impaction, allow 24 hours after the last stone or object had been passed before removing from the fridge.
7. repeat the process in reverse order, as in adding the water from the tank (at normal temperature) to the cooled water from the fridge (the water the animal is in) until it is at the same temperature of the tank water.
8. gently transfer the animal back inside the aquarium. i suggest doing this by hand, not with a net.

again, please take my words of advice with a grain of salt. i am by no means an expert, but think this is a half decent way to go about fridging
- ren

 

[xxianxx]

fridging is absolutely a life-or-death ONLY situation. It can actually be quite dangerous and do much more harm than good and the only good it does is if the axolotl is on the absolute brink of death. The temp changes and extremely low temps add unnecessary stress which in itself can be detrimental to the health of the animal. It really only helps with very specific situations anyway, there are far better, safer, more reliable solutions to most problems.

Lol. Ive kept axolotl outside or in sheds over winter for more than a decade, they regularly stay at around 5c for weeks or months , by spring they are in mint condition. As long as the axolotl is in good health with a decent bodymass low temps are fine, feeding should be done sparingly if the temp rises above 5c or so but it causes no health issues so nope low temps for extended periods are not a problem for this species. Fridging axolotls for problems such as impaction are standard practices and i would be interested to hear why you taken your stance on fridging.

 

[fishkid]

Lol. Ive kept axolotl outside or in sheds over winter for more than a decade, they regularly stay at around 5c for weeks or months , by spring they are in mint condition. As long as the axolotl is in good health with a decent bodymass low temps are fine, feeding should be done sparingly if the temp rises above 5c or so but it causes no health issues so nope low temps for extended periods are not a problem for this species. Fridging axolotls for problems such as impaction are standard practices and i would be interested to hear why you taken your stance on fridging.

keeping an axolotl outside is not comparable to putting them in the refrigerator. Outside the temperature slowly and naturally lowers as opposed to placing an axolotl that has been comfortable in 65ºF water for ages and placing that water directly into a refrigerating unit bringing that temperature down rapidly, causing shock and an unnecessary amount of stress. Additionally the whole pint of fridging an axolotl is to treat an unhealthy animal, thus the axolotl will not in good heath often meaning their bodies may not handle the low temperatures.

 

[faebugz]

keeping an axolotl outside is not comparable to putting them in the refrigerator. Outside the temperature slowly and naturally lowers as opposed to placing an axolotl that has been comfortable in 65ºF water for ages and placing that water directly into a refrigerating unit bringing that temperature down rapidly, causing shock and an unnecessary amount of stress. Additionally the whole pint of fridging an axolotl is to treat an unhealthy animal, thus the axolotl will not in good heath often meaning their bodies may not handle the low temperatures.

Hmm, anecdotally haven't lots of people done exactly this with no harm caused? Do you have any papers or studies backing up that they go into shock?

 

[faebugz]

Lol. Ive kept axolotl outside or in sheds over winter for more than a decade, they regularly stay at around 5c for weeks or months , by spring they are in mint condition. As long as the axolotl is in good health with a decent bodymass low temps are fine, feeding should be done sparingly if the temp rises above 5c or so but it causes no health issues so nope low temps for extended periods are not a problem for this species. Fridging axolotls for problems such as impaction are standard practices and i would be interested to hear why you taken your stance on fridging.

I think it may be your posts I'm referencing if you do indeed keep them outdoors overwinter! Just wondering, do you have any studies or papers on experiments you can reference that would support your anecdotal experiences?

 

[xxianxx]

I think it may be your posts I'm referencing if you do indeed keep them outdoors overwinter! Just wondering, do you have any studies or papers on experiments you can reference that would support your anecdotal experiences?

Just a decades worth of experience and conversations with other experienced keepers who have kept axolotl at low temps. I have no studies to support or disprove my opinions, i have kept many axolotl outside, even under ice with only one fatality. I had a small golden male die, i think he wasnt in the best of health anyway so im not sure if the environmental conditions were the cause or a contributing factor to his death. That death would be less than a 1% mortality rate recorded for winter, far less than summer death rates. Axolotls overwintered in cold contitions are generally in superb condition come spring.