Illness/Sickness: Juvenile Axolotl shedding and very stressed

[Gladwear]

So I have had Kip almost a month now, he is about six inches. When I got him, my chiller broke and since it's been so hot, he has been in the fridge for a few weeks now. At first, he seemed much happier, no sign of stress and eating pretty regular. He was in a small glass fish bowl. I then got an upgrade to a beta cube so he wouldn't always be touching the sides and could swim around. It's been a few days since the switch but now it looks like he is shedding a ton. I wouldn't worry so much though of he didn't look so completely stressed, i never seen his tail curl so much before! I'm giving him daily water change with dechlorined water, his temp is always around 10 c, ammonia and ph levels are good. Is it just the new bigger space upsetting him? He has refused to eat too. :c I'm worried for him!

Ill post a few pictures in a second but my camera isn't the best at picking this little guys details up.

 

[Gladwear]

I can only post one picture at a time as I'm using my phone...

 

[Gladwear]

There is condensation on the bottom, so the bottom isn't covered in anything but there is what i assume to be his skin floating around.

 

[LSuzuki]

I can't see your pictures for whatever reason, but it sounds like your axie is very ill or stressed.

Am I correct in understanding that he is in a new beta cube in the fridge? And this started after you got him the cube? What is the cube made of? What did you clean it with when you got it? Is there any chance it was contaiminated by something toxic before you got it?

Are you using dechlorinated tap or bottled water or what?

I suggest getting a large ziploc container (the rectangular containers, not a ziploc bag) and keeping him in that to see if he improves.

I also recommend finding a vet in your area that can treat axolotls.

Could you please list the readings you got for ammonia, pH, nitrate, and nitrite? Sometimes there are clues there.

Good luck!

 

[Gladwear]

Yeah for the pictures, i can only view them if i open them in new tabs, but since I'm on my phone ill leave them there.

I used hot water to clean the beta cube, and i haven't introduced any chemicals. The cube seems to be made of a glass plastic, but since its made for fish i had assumed the material is safe. As for water, it's dechlorinated tap. I set it out for almost two days. I'm not at home now but i have two test kits. One for annual/nitrate/nitrate, which came back as under 25. I forgot the ph but i remember it being fine. I'll move him like you suggested when i return home and do the tests again though, just in case.

 

[LSuzuki]

Another thing to check is, have there been any changes in your water supply? For example, if they recently switched to chloramine instead of chlorine at your water treatment plant, the chloramine would still be in your water and be killing your axie.

Also recheck the temperature to make sure it isn't too cold. Is there any chance that the temp dropped below 4C? I've read that that will cause tissue damage. I don't know what the tissue damage looks like, though.

 

[Gladwear]

Alright so the ph is at 7.6, so it's not that. I put him back in the original container but when I got home, he looked even worse. He isn't using his back legs and is kinda just wobbling around, still very stressed. Not sure what else to do, but I don't think he is gonna make it too much longer... :c

 

[Gladwear]

I didn't notice since his tail had been curled for days, but his tail has gotten very red. I'm not sure if his belly should be red, but I only notice now that he is floating it's just a red as his tail.

Would performing salt baths be ok? Is this and the 'shedding' a sign of infection perhaps? I'd really like to save this guy. xc

 

[Skudo09]

Salt bathes are used to treat fungus. If he is shedding, it is probably best not to give a salt bath as this will likely irritate his skin further. You could try a black tea bath or indian almond leaves to help soothe the skin. Are you dechlorinating by leaving the water to sit for a couple of days or also using a dechlorinator? Are your water changes 100% daily?

He sounds like he may benefit from a consultation with your veterinarian if you have one available.