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
View attachment 90760View attachment 90761View attachment 90762
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