losing gills and not eating.. please help!!

[J A M]

help! i'm really worried about my axie...
it stopped feeding more than a month ago and at first ppl said it's normal to stop feeding a while if it's getting cold (winter is starting)
BUT it hasn't eaten for about 2 monthes now... and the tummy is dinted and all skinny...
even if food is placed infront of the head it has no reactions! (use to feed 2/3 times a week by dropping near the head and it would snap)

ALSO... it's gills were red feathers but they are now all white and shredding..
they are really short and nearly all gone now ...
will they ever grow back??
it's always popping to the top to breath

i am not using thermometer and temperature is usually about 19c
i'm using the under gravel filter and changing half tanks of water from the top...
the spray bar was pointed outwards, but now i have turned the bar towards the glass...

and now after reading all the help from this site i have just fridge it...
not sure if i am doing it properly though, here are some pics
http://jnki25.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A31BE5C8BB5A3EC9!1476.entry#post

 

[kapo]

J A M -
* Did you put a bottle of treated tapwater ( tapwater with water ager/conditioner/dechlorinator added to remove chlorine and chloramine) in the fridge? If you haven't, you need to as you will need to do complete daily waterchanges on the container.

* What is your Fridge temperature? - it should be minimum 5 degrees celcius

* You should seal the container lid properly, and wrap in a teatowel/dishcloth - this will stop any light flashing and temperature fluctuations due to normal fridge useage.

As for your tank:

You should use a thermometer - if you don't have one, invest in one, don't rely on guesswork (can be fatal especially in summer months in Australia).

As for your tankwater - did you test the water parameters at all for ammonia, nitrite, nitrates and pH (to rule things out?) If you don't have test kits, then take a sample of tankwater to your petshop and get them to test it for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

How often do you change the water?

Undergravel filters aren't very good as waste and gunk tend to fall below the plate which can cause a waste problem. Gravel can also cause problems as axolotls swallow when they do feed and can cause blockage leading to prolapse.

 

[J A M]

The tail is looking a bit straighter today so I hope it will recover...

yep, i put a bottle of water in the fridge to be ready to change it and fridge temperature is good

so i should close the lid completely and it can still breath? I will go and do that and use a teatowel now, and get a thermometer, and will try to test the water asap

i do water change about once every 2 weeks is that too less?

So undergravel filters are not good for them, should i change the filter? and use rocks instead of gravels?

Thank you so much for your help! I hope it gets better soon...

 

[kapo]

Generally 20-30% partial waterchanges are done weekly, in some cases people do fortnightly depending on the conditions of the tank and how good their filter is.

We use sand as substrate for our axies, though bare tank floor is just as good, makes it easy for cleaning and feeding.

Did you spot clean the tank when s/he was eating, ie: clean up any poos, uneaten food or waste or just rely on the filter?

Changing to rocks will solve one problem in that your axolotl will not ingest/swallow gravel, but still have the problem of gunk building up beneath the plate in turn possibly causing a water quality problem. Hence the reason for regular water testing of ammonia, nitrite and nitrates (weekly before waterchanges)

If you choose to change to sand or no substrate, then obviously that will entail removing the UG filter.

Sealing the lid on its "hospital" container won't cause it any harm, there is far more oxygen in chilled water than in warm/room temperature tankwater.

If you don't already have one, also invest in a turkey baster, they come into their own as a handy daily spot cleaner.

 

[Abrahm]

I should note that you do not want to fill the water all the way up to the top of the container if you want to seal it. Colder water has far more oxygen than warm water but having air in the container allows O2 exchange and gives the axolotl far more breathable air.

 

[J A M]

oh, yep, so i just fill the water to just cover it, and seal the lid and tea towel as well...
i'm happy that the tail is straighten now...
do you think I need to give it salt bath?

the gold mystery snails are eating the uneaten food dont' know why i thought they were vegetarians

 

[kapo]

No need for saltbath. You don't want to stress it anymore than it is.

 

[J A M]

Thank you for the info
Just updating and checking that it's alright

It's skin, especially hands and legs started peeling white fluffy things
and the back legs are bending towards the body...
it is also extremely sluggish now....
is that alright???

 

[kapo]

Are you still doing the complete daily waterchanges with dechlorinated water? And what is your fridge temperature? Their metabolisms generally slow down in the fridge.

 

[kapo]

Are you still doing the daily waterchanges and what is your tank temperature?

Is there any more fluffy looking stuff on his/her body - feet or gills?

 

[J A M]

it's still in the fridge now and the temp is 5c, and i put it in the bottom shelf now coz i thought it will be darker is that alright?

yep and doing the daily dechor water change from bottle of water in the fridge and it's got a teatowl wrapped around the sealed lid of the food container.

I think the white fluffy things were already there on the gills before, i thought it was just the gills losing, but after i put it in the fridge on the first day the palms of hands had some, and now i think legs and feet has it as well....
not really sure about the body because of the colours

but when i change the water there's a fair bit of white fluffy things in the water

please help....

 

[kapo]

Here's the saltbath treatment.

2 to 3 teaspoons of salt (sea/tonic/aquarium or uniodised table salt) per litre of dechlorinated water
Bathe for 10 minutes twice a day
Continue baths twice a day until about 5-7 days after the all the fungus has dropped off.

As s/he's in the fridge you'll need to put an extra bottle of dechlor. water in if you start doing the saltbaths.

1....In the morning, transfer axie to saltbath:
Cover with lid, put back in fridge. Set a timer for 10minutes if you have one (just to be on safe side)

If you have a turkey baster, suck any poo/muck out of the "hospital" container.

After 10 minutes return axie to hospital container, seal lid, wrap with towel and return to fridge.

Empty saltbath, clean with baking soda and water, then rinse.

2.....Do the 2nd saltbath around the time you do the waterchange:

Make up 2nd saltbath, transfer axie to it and return to fridge for 10minutes.

Meanwhile empty the hospital container and clean with a mix of baking soda and water. Rinse with water, then add the chilled dechlor. water. Once saltbath is finished return axie to clean container, seal/wrap and return to fridge. Empty and clean out saltbath container.

Are you able to increase fridge temperature to 10C, just that if you can you might be able to get him to eat while he's in the fridge, by dropping a little piece of livefood (ie earthworms/bloodworms or blackworms) into the container in the morning. If worms are too big chop them.

 

[J A M]

thank you so much for all the info

1.just to confirm, so he (dont' know if she/he but just call him he for now) is having fungus?

2.does the salt bath need to be cold water?

3. And so baking soda is good for cleaning?

and i dont' think i can make the temperature because the fridge is on medium low now and i think all the food will go off. Is it alright if i set it to low? what temp is your fridge?

Thank you again

 

[kapo]

It sounds like fungus. Does his feet appear smaller (this can happen when fungus starts, the feet disappear).

2. Saltbaths have to be the same temperature as his "hospital/fridge" container otherwise you can stress him if the temperature differs (which is why I also said to place the saltbath with axie in, into the fridge for the 10minute bath (so the water doesn't warm up). You need to use the chilled dechlorinated water that you keep in the fridge for waterchanges (hence the need to put another bottle or two in so you don't run out)

3.... Baking soda and water mixed to a paste is an excellent cleaner especially if you want to reuse icecream containers as possible axolotl fridge containers.

My fridge temp is 5-6C, your axie may not eat at this temperature. 5C is the lowest it can be for an axie in the fridge.

 

[J A M]

thanks for all your help
i think he's dead

the feet only looked smaller and bended back yesterday,
this morning the hands bended back as well
now he's not moving at all.....