On last legs? Please help

Hi, Thanks Rheann

The sand is 'natural' coloured sand, like what you would find on a beach. It has cleared a little over night but you still can't see to the other side of the tank.

Thanks for all the levels - believe it or not my new testing kit doesn't say what the levels should be! lol just how to measure them.

The filter wasn't on over night - my Dad said it was probably churning the sand up - I don't believe this, so I've put it on and come to work. The bottom on the filter isn't touching the sand, its one of those than are stuck of the side of the tank.

What's wrong with your cat?
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Hayley
 
Move the filter to the other side of the tank if you can, it should clear that side up. Leave it on. Always leave your filter on, or your tank can't cycle right. That test kit doesn't sound like its a very good test kit. There is a much easier way to test your water. Take your water in to get it tested at the pet store. They may do it for free, or they may charge a little for it, but it will be worth it, because they can teach you properly how to do it. I just have my local pet store do it, as it is easiest this way while I get my shoping done.
Always keep your filter on, never turn it off even when there is nothing it it if you are planing to put something in it. Cycling is very important. Also, having live plants in the tank helps get rid of Nitrates. They act as Fertilizers for the plants, but Axies tend to root up plants, so plants that float at the surfice like hornwart or duckweed are good. Temp needs to be very low. About 17 degrees Celcious. The higher the temp, the Axolotls will stress, and get sick. Their metabolism speeds up. Since you live in merry old England, I would think it doesn't get very warm there. is it cool there often? If it is not, you can try frozen water bottles to keep the tank cool, or invest in a cooling system for aquariums. They run expensive. My filter isn't very good either. I am investing in one in the link. http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=22033;category_id=1711;pcid1=2885;pcid2=
Canister filters are very good as many people on this forum use them, and recomend them to me. If you can find a store near you that has Canister filters, shop around, get prices. Rena is a good brand. People here on this forum can help you pick out the right filter. Also, it is very important to have a turkey baster to clean out waste that the Axolotls leave behind. Clean it out right away, and any uneaten food. do you have a gravel vacuum? Like a Syphon? It is important to have one of these too. only vacuum the top layer of the sand, just lightly or the sand will get sucked out.
Here is a link to why I am upset. http://www.frognirvana.com/images/products/bestfreinds-th.jpg
the two cats depicted in the sculpture have such a remarkible appearance to my two cats. I have a Siamese long hair, and a white and orange cat. The Latter is 15 years old and I worry every day when he will pass. I love him so very much. The Siamese Long hair is a year old, a bit older than that. The two of them love each other to bits. When I came across the sculpture, it made me cry! It is such a sweet sculpture. I hope my husband will surprise me with it
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but at the same time, it broke my heart to see it.
 
Hi

I'm sure your cat will be ok
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Extra love keeps them alive I'm sure of it! My nan has a dog that is now 17, thats 105 dog years - I'm convinced it's because she loves him so much.

I've never had a problem with the filter I have and can't afford to change it.

The chemical testing kit does seem to work (I tested it out on the water at work lol), the leaflet inside says stuff like Goldfish prefer 6.5 PH but it says nothing about axies, guessing cause they are so rare/unheard of.

It doesn't get hot here often, but last week we had a heat wave - up to 31C which is mega for England. Think thats what has caused all this illness.

My tank is about 3 years old now, all I've done is changed the gravel to sand. Brought a few new water plants, she's never dug them up before, she likes to 'sit in them' and float. I'm gonna use the floating ice bottles to keep the tank cool when she goes back in it cause a chiller is out of the question at the mo :/

Thanks for explaining what 'cycling' meant, I didn't no. So its just keeping the water moving and cleaning/filtering it?

How many hours a day should the lamp for the tank be left on?

Hayley
 
Hi

Just got back and checked the levels

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
PH 7.4
Nitrate 40

The nitrate is too high isn't it? How do I lower it before I put her back in next week?

Hayley
 
Hayley - when I changed to sand in my tank it took 3 or 4 days before the water was completely clear.

Your ph should not be less than 6.5.

Live plants can use 8 + hours of light, but when it is on the light adds extra heat to the tank so when it is hot and your tank temp is rising, leave the light off.

I can't remember if I have posted this link for you before on tank cycling http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

What kind of filter do you have? If it makes a lot of current you need to baffle it. Axolotls hate current.

There is lots of info here on axolotl care (again forgive me if I have posted this for you before) http://www.axolotl.org
 
Hayley - Your nitrate level will hopefully go down on its own in a few days. 40ppm is high.

Keep in mind you just changed your substrate and that removed part of your biological filter. Your tank needs time to build that back up.

Ideally you want it as low as possible under 15ppm would be good.

Here is a link with more info on nitrate.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=7

Let us know what your nitrate reading is in a few days.

(Message edited by cynorita on July 21, 2005)
 
In freshwater systems, a nitrate level of 40 is not that high, I would still recommend water changes as there is nothing keeping from getting higher but typically levels of 80 or more are beginning to get into the high range.

Ed
 
Hi

Thanks for all the advice. Off to the pet shop again today, going to buy another underwater plant which will mean I then have 3.

Hygro... something, I've wrote it down.

Hayley
 
Do you think she looks better? I don't think she looks any different, but my family does...

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Can you see the red on her mouth? It seems to be going white now, is that a good thing?
 
Oh I've brought a piece of pre-sunken wood to try and bring the PH down a bit, it's at 7.8 at the moment.

My tank set up is in the called 'Too Much?' in the 'set-up' forum if anyone is interested.

Hayley
 
Hayley - You probably don't need to try to alter your ph. Usually the ph will go down some on its own as the tank ages.

If it doesn't you just need to be aware that higher ph will make ammonia more deadly so monitor it closely and be careful not to change too much water (no more than 20%) each week. Do not change your filter media on the same day you are doing a 20% water change, and do not super clean your substrate and change your filter media on the same day. And remember that using medication can crash your biological filter. If your axolotl gets fungus use salt baths and the fridge to cure her. If you have to resort to medication don't medicate the aquarium, move her to a different container.

I test my ph once a month and it has never been below 7.5

It is hard to see her clearly in the picture, but it looks like she has quit trying to escape from the water so that is good. If the red on her face starts to turn fuzzy then she will need salt baths but if it doesn't look like fungus I would wait on the salt. If you do salt bath her remember to measure the salt carefully and time the salt bath as salt can burn the axolotl. ( 2 teaspoons of salt to 2 liters of water twice a day for 10 min.)

Has she eaten anything yet? Is she still in the fridge?
 
The stuff around her mouth was blood red and now it's turned white and a little flaky. I though maybe this was good? That the red has turned to white and is coming off in soft flaky pieces?

I have offered her baby crickets, beef heart and bloodworm and so far nothing, but she is spending the majority of every day in the fridge, so I'm not too worried cause it slows their metabolism down doesn't it?
 
Since I couldn't clearly see the red line on her face or now the white line I can't really say for sure.

But when you said her tail had a red line on the bottom of it as well as her face several things came to mind; I have seen an axolotl that was burned by salt and its tail had a red line on the bottom edge (then again that doesn't mean that is what caused the red line on your axolotls tail).

I have also seen a white axolotl that bruised its tail by thrashing around in a plastic container that had shallow water and that too caused a red line at the bottom and tip of the tail.

I have also seen a white axolotl scrape its face on a plastic plant and get a red line similar to what you described, it too faded and sort of sluffed off (again that doesn't mean that is what happened to your axolotl).

It is good that the red is leaving. If the flakey starts to spread to an area larger than than the original red area, or starts to look like fungus then I would salt bath her. If it looks like the skin is smooth and normal colored under the flakes coming off then I would hold off on the salt baths.

Yes her metabolism will be slower in the fridge. Has she passed anymore stones?

My estimation on 10 days before your tank should be back to normal is only an estimation. Please make sure you check for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as well as temperature before you put her back in there. Also she will need to sit out of the fridge for a day so she warms up slowly before you put her back in the tank.
 
Hopefully the red was just her scratching her mouth and tail on something. I heard somewhere of a disease called 'red leg'? Thought it might be that.

I'm checking the levels everyday at the moment. The Nitrate has gone down to 5 now, yesterday it was 10 and the day before that 40. I doubt it will get any lower because I tested our tap water and that was 5 too.

The ammonia was 0 for the last two days, but today has risen to 0.25.

She had 2 poo's today, one with 2 stones in the other not.

I'm going on holiday to Wales tomorrow, which is a 2 hour journey in the car - I looked at another thread about taking axies travelling and will use the advice because I can't leave her at home as my parents don't know how to look after her. Luckily the place I'm going to has a fridge I can keep her in and a freezer for her food.
 
All levels in the tank were as they should be and the temperature was low.

Elsa looked so much better yesterday, all the red has gone, she's lively and her gills are growing back so I put her into her tank.

She loves it!
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She's been swimming around, very active. Today I took her out to feed her in a separate container to monitor what she eats because she hasn't ate in one week. She ate loads of daphnia so everything's good!!

Her and Elmo seem to be getting on fine too
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