I have a new axie, about 5cm long. It has been doing fine, except sometimes it seemed to do this weird thing with its mouth when I change the water. Yesterday, when I put it in new water, the poor thing threw up (a lot) and then continued to do the weird thing with its mouth, which I think is like dry heaving. Clearly I am doing something wrong, but I don't know what. It is in a 1.5 gallon plastic tank with treated tap water (treated with aqua-safe). When I change the water, I put him in a little tubber ware container with tank water. I then empty the tank, clean his bridge toy and rocks, refill, add the aqua-safe, and then float his tubber ware on top for an hour or so to make sure the temperature is the same. Yesterday, I fed him while he was in there (perhaps he over ate? but that doesn't seem to be the whole problem). When I let him back in his tank, he started throwing up after a couple minutes. I took out his throw up with a siphon. But by this morning his tank was filthy again (the water is cloudy, and there is something on the surface of the water). Also, this morning there was a strange white substance on a some of the rocks. I need to change his water soon, but I don't want to stress him out again. Help!
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My axie threw up...
- Thread starter Awky
- Start date
G
Guydyon
Guest
Hi
If this weird thing with the mouth is what I think, I would say it's some problem with the water, maybe different water when you change it. Mine do it when they're getting their salt baths, and once I put 3 tablespoons of salt instead of 3 teaspoons, and the poor things really look like they where going to explode.
In your place I wouldn't replace the whole water, and wouldn't wash the toy and the rocks, since they can have some good bacteria. What I do is to add aquasafe to a bucket of water some time before I'll change and then syphon part of the water out.
In the other thread Kaysie advised you on how often you should change water, and she knows a lot more than me, so...
If this weird thing with the mouth is what I think, I would say it's some problem with the water, maybe different water when you change it. Mine do it when they're getting their salt baths, and once I put 3 tablespoons of salt instead of 3 teaspoons, and the poor things really look like they where going to explode.
In your place I wouldn't replace the whole water, and wouldn't wash the toy and the rocks, since they can have some good bacteria. What I do is to add aquasafe to a bucket of water some time before I'll change and then syphon part of the water out.
In the other thread Kaysie advised you on how often you should change water, and she knows a lot more than me, so...
Now hes even sicker.
He seems to have a fungus now. There is white stuff all over him, that he seems to be able to partially shake off when he swims to the top for water. The edges of his tail are whiter than usual (ussually he is kind of clear there). His feet look like hes crawled through a spider web. His gills are a very dark red, (except where the white stuff is) and also seem to have fungus on them. Right now he is floating at the top, but most of the day hes been on the ground. I took out some of the water so it would be easier to get to the top and gulp air if he wants to.
I'm really worried about him.
From reading other threads, it seems like salt baths are the thing to do. I'm going to get sea salt from the pet shop tonight, or holtfreter's if I can find it, which I probably can't. Would it help to put stress coat (the stuff with aloe in it) into his water? I'll try to cool down the tank as well. Perhaps I'll buy him a smaller tank that can fit in the fridge tonight.
Do axolotyl's usually survive this? I'm very fond of the little guy...
He seems to have a fungus now. There is white stuff all over him, that he seems to be able to partially shake off when he swims to the top for water. The edges of his tail are whiter than usual (ussually he is kind of clear there). His feet look like hes crawled through a spider web. His gills are a very dark red, (except where the white stuff is) and also seem to have fungus on them. Right now he is floating at the top, but most of the day hes been on the ground. I took out some of the water so it would be easier to get to the top and gulp air if he wants to.
I'm really worried about him.
From reading other threads, it seems like salt baths are the thing to do. I'm going to get sea salt from the pet shop tonight, or holtfreter's if I can find it, which I probably can't. Would it help to put stress coat (the stuff with aloe in it) into his water? I'll try to cool down the tank as well. Perhaps I'll buy him a smaller tank that can fit in the fridge tonight.
Do axolotyl's usually survive this? I'm very fond of the little guy...
also, how should this change his feeding schedule? does he eat as much when hes sick? im really worried about muckin up the water when hes already sick. do frozen brine shrimp ever carry fungi? im just wondering where it came from since he was fine before.
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Guydyon
Guest
If I would be in your place, I'd fridge him right away. And also do salt baths twice per day. I'm not very experienced also, but whenever I see a problem I put them right away in the fridge, since most of the times I'm not sure what's happening and don't know what kind of treatment can help. The folks always seem to get better. The only time that I didn't, I regreted it very much.
Don't know where the fungus comes from, I think from the same place where this that grows in your food when you forget it in the fridge.
But the salt baths also seem to help very much.
In the fridge you should put also a bottle of treated water so you can change every day. Also you should cover his container with some cloth to cover him from light.
Don't know where the fungus comes from, I think from the same place where this that grows in your food when you forget it in the fridge.
But the salt baths also seem to help very much.
In the fridge you should put also a bottle of treated water so you can change every day. Also you should cover his container with some cloth to cover him from light.
kapo
New member
Fungus is caused by lowered immune system, ie when an axie is stressed either because of water quality, temperature, water flow, in some cases "possible bullying by other companions", etc... Even removing him from his tub/tank to put him in another container so you can waterchange and clean his decos can be stressing for him/her. I agree with Luis, there should be no need to clean his decos every time you do a waterchanges, your waterchanges should also be frequent partial waterchanges (20-30%) rather than full waterchanges.
Invest in a turkey baster, they're handy spotcleaners and saves having to pull the siphon out all the time.
What is your tank temperature? How often and how much do you feed him?
While in the fridge he may not necessarily eat, depending on temperature.
Invest in a turkey baster, they're handy spotcleaners and saves having to pull the siphon out all the time.
What is your tank temperature? How often and how much do you feed him?
While in the fridge he may not necessarily eat, depending on temperature.
He seems much better today! What a little trooper! I honestly thought he might die last night, but he seems to be nearly back to his old self again.
I did not put him in the fridge, because it was too cold in there, and I was having trouble getting the setting to an appropriate temp. i was going to do it today, if it had warmed up enough in there, but now I don't think I need to.
His water is around 18 C, most of the time. It rarely goes above 20. His pH was around 7.5 when I measured last night.
I gave him a salt bath last night for 5 minutes, and added a tiny pinch of slat to his regular water. When I checked on him this morning there was no signs of fungus on him (but there is white stuff on the rocks and bottom of the tank). Should I do more salt baths just in case? If moving him is stressful, it doesn't seem like a great plan.
I bought a turkey baster after reading another thread, and its great (especially because his poo is getting to be too big for my siphon).
I feed him pellets some of the time and I also have frozen brine shrimp and frozen blood worms. the trouble with the pellets is that only about half of them sink, so i have to net out and throw away the rest. And they leave an oily residue on the surface of the water that is hard the clean up after. The trouble with the frozen food is it really mucks up the water badly, and partial water changes didn't seem to do the trick after brine shrimp: the water was still cloudy. So I thought I should just feed him in a different container, but if being moved around is stressful for him, I don't want to do that either. Im really not sure what to do for the lil guy...
I did not put him in the fridge, because it was too cold in there, and I was having trouble getting the setting to an appropriate temp. i was going to do it today, if it had warmed up enough in there, but now I don't think I need to.
His water is around 18 C, most of the time. It rarely goes above 20. His pH was around 7.5 when I measured last night.
I gave him a salt bath last night for 5 minutes, and added a tiny pinch of slat to his regular water. When I checked on him this morning there was no signs of fungus on him (but there is white stuff on the rocks and bottom of the tank). Should I do more salt baths just in case? If moving him is stressful, it doesn't seem like a great plan.
I bought a turkey baster after reading another thread, and its great (especially because his poo is getting to be too big for my siphon).
I feed him pellets some of the time and I also have frozen brine shrimp and frozen blood worms. the trouble with the pellets is that only about half of them sink, so i have to net out and throw away the rest. And they leave an oily residue on the surface of the water that is hard the clean up after. The trouble with the frozen food is it really mucks up the water badly, and partial water changes didn't seem to do the trick after brine shrimp: the water was still cloudy. So I thought I should just feed him in a different container, but if being moved around is stressful for him, I don't want to do that either. Im really not sure what to do for the lil guy...
Getting better!
He seems much better today! What a little trooper! I honestly thought he might die last night, but he seems to be nearly back to his old self again. His gills are less feathery, and hes kind of lying on the ground more (rather than propping himself up with his arm) but hes moving around, and flicking those gills, ocassionally getting air from the top, and not seeming to have as much trouble swimming.
I did not put him in the fridge, because it was too cold in there, and I was having trouble getting the setting to an appropriate temp. i was going to do it today, if it had warmed up enough in there, but now I don't think I need to.
His water is around 18 C, most of the time. It rarely goes above 20. His pH was around 7.5 when I measured last night.
I gave him a salt bath last night for 5 minutes, and added a tiny pinch of salt to his regular water. When I checked on him this morning there was no signs of fungus on him (but there is white stuff on the rocks and bottom of the tank). Should I do more salt baths just in case? If moving him is stressful, it doesn't seem like a great plan.
I bought a turkey baster after reading another thread, and its great (especially because his poo is getting to be too big for my siphon).
I feed him pellets some of the time and I also have frozen brine shrimp and frozen blood worms. the trouble with the pellets is that only about half of them sink, so i have to net out and throw away the rest. And they leave an oily residue on the surface of the water that is hard the clean up after. The trouble with the frozen food is it really mucks up the water badly, and partial water changes didn't seem to do the trick after brine shrimp: the water was still cloudy. So I thought I should just feed him in a different container, but if being moved around is stressful for him, I don't want to do that either. I'm really not sure what to do for the lil guy...
He seems much better today! What a little trooper! I honestly thought he might die last night, but he seems to be nearly back to his old self again. His gills are less feathery, and hes kind of lying on the ground more (rather than propping himself up with his arm) but hes moving around, and flicking those gills, ocassionally getting air from the top, and not seeming to have as much trouble swimming.
I did not put him in the fridge, because it was too cold in there, and I was having trouble getting the setting to an appropriate temp. i was going to do it today, if it had warmed up enough in there, but now I don't think I need to.
His water is around 18 C, most of the time. It rarely goes above 20. His pH was around 7.5 when I measured last night.
I gave him a salt bath last night for 5 minutes, and added a tiny pinch of salt to his regular water. When I checked on him this morning there was no signs of fungus on him (but there is white stuff on the rocks and bottom of the tank). Should I do more salt baths just in case? If moving him is stressful, it doesn't seem like a great plan.
I bought a turkey baster after reading another thread, and its great (especially because his poo is getting to be too big for my siphon).
I feed him pellets some of the time and I also have frozen brine shrimp and frozen blood worms. the trouble with the pellets is that only about half of them sink, so i have to net out and throw away the rest. And they leave an oily residue on the surface of the water that is hard the clean up after. The trouble with the frozen food is it really mucks up the water badly, and partial water changes didn't seem to do the trick after brine shrimp: the water was still cloudy. So I thought I should just feed him in a different container, but if being moved around is stressful for him, I don't want to do that either. I'm really not sure what to do for the lil guy...
G
Guydyon
Guest
Glad to hear it!
Some people here somehow manage to use bloodworms without messing up too much, but I only give it to them when they're out for major cleanings or in the fridge. I prefer to feed them something by hand, like pieces of fish or surimi crab fingers. Since yours is so small, dunno if it's easy for you, though.
About pellets, the funny thing is that I bought some that float, and my axies learned to come up and run for them...
Some people here somehow manage to use bloodworms without messing up too much, but I only give it to them when they're out for major cleanings or in the fridge. I prefer to feed them something by hand, like pieces of fish or surimi crab fingers. Since yours is so small, dunno if it's easy for you, though.
About pellets, the funny thing is that I bought some that float, and my axies learned to come up and run for them...