Peeling Skin

[kate]

Hi I'm new.
I have had my white axolotl Sigourney since the 5th of January.
On Sunday I noticed that her skin was peeling. She gets little flakes and then once or twice a day she sheds them. She has also started breathing at the surface fairly often and is off her food (she didn’t eat much when I first got her and had just started to when this began). I can’t see any fungus growing on her.
I have searched the internet, this forum and the axolotl mailing list and have found many people describing the same thing happening to their axolotls, but no one seems to agree on what causes it. Many people suggest salt baths as treatment.
Her tank; holds 60 litres of water, is 45cms long, has an under gravel filter - the pump outlet is facing the glass and the flow is quite gentle, there is a large layer of gravel covered with another layer of smooth river rocks, she has a ceramic log she likes to hid in, there are live plants - java moss, java fern and duckweed (the java fern and duckweed are new), ammonia - less than 0.25ppm, nitrite - less than 0.25, nitrate - about 10ppm, pH - 7.4 - going by these readings I don't think it is ammonia burns which was a suggestion I read.
I also read someone suggest it could be from adding water to the tank before it is properly de-chlorinated, even with instant water agers. I did a 25% water change yesterday where I left the water out with ager for an hour and then added extra ager to the tank.
I quarantined, treated and then thoroughly washed the plants before I added them.
I have aquarium salt if I need to do the baths. axolotl.org suggests a ten minute bath in a solution of 2 – 3 teaspoons per litre. I’m a little concerned that catching and bathing her will be stressful and make her worse, or that I might injure her in the process of catching or bathing her. My Dad (who would help me with the treatments) is also concerned and said as it has only been a few days we should wait and see if she improves and I agreed as I can not see any fungal infection and I have not read anyone report that this condition was terminal to their axolotl. He rang the place we bought her from but they didn’t know what to suggest, so I decided to finally post a question here instead of just lurking.
I would be so grateful for any advice,
Thank you,
From Kate.

 

[heihei]

Your tank sounds like its cycling. The peeling skin could be from the ammonia, as does the floating and breathing at surface. pH seems fine. Even that amount of ammonia/nitrite can cause discomfort to your axie - combined with high tank temperatures (above 22-24 degrees)
See this link: www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

Cycling establishes bacteria to aid in the cleaning of the tank. Once you added your axie and started feeding it you effectively started the nitrogen cyle of the tank.

You don't mention tank temperature. Warmer temperature also has less oxygen in the water. You need to ideally keep the tank below 20 degrees, definitely below 24 degrees.

Don't add too much ager to the tank and or water bucket. Just use what you're meant to use as you can add to the bioload of the tank, especially if it has aloe vera included in the product.

Since your tank is cycling you will HAVE to do daily waterchanges 25% so your tank is at safer levels for your axie. The 25% daily change will keep the ammonia low enough that your axie doesn't get stressed and show those symptoms. Otherwise you may find your axie develops fungus which would then involve the salt baths.

Next test the water every few days and keep a record of it. Once the readings are approx:
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 5-40ish
then your tank will be cycled.

Don't be tempted to add any ammonia/nitrite fixes to the tank; as this will invariably stuff up your cycling and possibly cause more waiting involved through the fluctuations as they really aren't permanent fixes. Water changes done regularly/daily as suggested are more likely to work and not throw your cycling out.

When I do waterchanges I add the required ager/dechlorinator to buckets and let it rest for several hours in the same room as the tank to be changed so they're the same temperature (or prepare it the night before as I have several tanks to do).

Anyway, welcome to the forum, there aren't many petshops that have knowledgeable people concerning axies; and this is an extremely helpful site.

Keep us posted how things go!

Also, have you visited here: www.axolotl.org

 

[kate]

Thank you for all that info Heihei. I added some filter squeezings to the tank when I set it up, and it has been running for 3 and a half weeks so I really didn't expect the problem to be cycling. There is some decomposing food in the tank that I have had great difficulty removing. When I said the water had less than 0.25ppm it was because the colour changed very slightly, I didn't know such a low amount could affect an axolotl, I have never cared for an amphibian before. I changed her water everyday for the first week and a half, I will start again and try to remove the uneaten pellets.
Thanks again,
From Kate.

 

[kate]

Oh i forgot, the tank tempeture is usually steady at 20 degrees celcius.

 

[kate]

I just tested the water again (the last test was yesturday) and the ammonia level is 0. I may have been slightly paranoid yesturday when I thought that it was a bit higher.
So any other ideas about what is wrong?
Thank you,
From Kate.

 

[kate]

I have a terrible feeling it could be chlorine related. What should I do?

 

[heihei]

do you not add a water conditioner or ager that removes the chlorine and chloramines?

Also, just squeezing filter media into your tankwater does not actually cycle your tank as there is not enough bacteria in there tank at that stage to cycle it.

If you are having problems removing waste from your tank, invest in a turkey baster they are great little spot cleaners. Other than the gravel vac/siphon thing whatever you call it!, if you can't get the waste out that way then you'll have to reach in and get them out yourself. Just make sure your hands don't have any soap or perfume on them, if you do! Or alternatively buy a pair of plain rubber gloves that aren't powder coated, so it doesn't contaminate your tank and harm your axies.

The waste if not removed will be adding to ammonia/nitrite of tank.

With your tank in the process of cycling what happens is ammonia goes up with introduction of food/waste, then it drops back to 0 and then nitrite rises, eventually falls back to 0 and nitrate will gradually rise. What was your reading for the nitrite - you mentioned 0.25 the other day? Once the first two have dropped to 0 and you have a nitrate only reading your tank is cycled.

Is your axie on sand, bare tank or gravel? With gravel, as well as causing possible harmful blockages - my sister's still poo gravel after 12months of not being on it, a lot of waste and gunk soon builds up and gets trapped underneath.

 

[kate]

yes i do add water ager but i think the last few times i changed her water i absent mindedly added only half the required amount, but i'm not sure. im such an idiot. i've tried syphoning but the food seems to heavy to be picked up and then when i try to pick it up myself it crumbles. she does look a bit better today.

 

[karrie]

Have you used a turkey baster for picking up food or poo? Works great for me.

 

[kate]

i will try it. thank you.

 

[kate]

i think she is recovering. i haven't see any flakes the last 2 days. Thank you for your help.