Please help!

hannahll

hannahll

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Hannah
Two days ago, i came home to find two very happy axolotls. Today, i went to feed and found one axolotl in plain site and ready to eat while the other, who usually looks vibrant and beautiful, under a plant with her gills curled forward, her back leg swollen, and her mouth slightly open. It looks like shes almost choking and she is trying to cough it up. It also looks like she's a bit paler than normal. I have no idea what happened but i'm freaking out. Please help!
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u186/hannahbabyx/IMAG0882_zps4f6f548f.jpg
 
Have you tested the water in your tank? PH, Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Temperature? Is there anything in the tank she could have swallowed, for example a small rock. She does look a lot paler.
 
What are the tanks water parameters
Ph / Ammonia / Nitrites / Nitrates /
Temperature of the tank water?
What is your usual maintenance routine - changing water etc removing visible waste.

Does that black sand feel rough / sharp when you rub it between your fingers? It looks like a quartz sand I tried using which I changed because it was very sharp & seemed to 'stick' to the axolotl skin.

Have you done anything differently in the last few days? What do you usually feed them?

Sorry for all the questions but these usually give a good indication as to what could possibly cause issues.

If possible please post a pic of the whole tank.



<3 >o_o< <3
 
Just got my water tested at the local pet store and nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia are good as well as pH. Water temp is good but could be could be a little cooler. The substrate is sand and there were once some larger pebbles scattered but i took those out once they got big enough to swallow them. Where i work, we have axolotls, and my manager (who is very knowledgable) uses the same sand for ours and she even researched the sand before putting it in the tank. Also, it does not feel too sharp and i have never noticed it sticking to my leucistic, he just naturally has that blackish speckling on his face (who is, by the way, doing VERY well). I syphon once or twice a week and add R.O. water (not city water) which is always around 65 degrees or so. I feed them bloodworms and chopped up earthworm. I also have ghost shrimp in my tank, and i believe they have been eaten by my axolotls, but i feel like it's so unlikely for my axolotls to get something from eating shrimp. If they were eating guppies, i would be a little more concerned.
 
The problem is probably the RO water, it is lethal for amphibians. Use dechlorinated tap water.
 
The only thing you've mentioned that is not advised is the RO water being used - it is mineral deficient & in most cases dechlorinated city water is preferred as it hasn't been stripped of minerals. If your city water is drinkable then try using that instead of the RO. I'm not sure a lack of minerals would be noticeable over such a short period of time so another issue may be causing this problem.

Everything else you've mentioned sounds as though you have everything under control. As long as the fish shop use the liquid test kit, then knowing the parameters are safe is a relief - what is the temp as you mentioned it could be lower, is it fluctuating much. You could try a fan aimed at the tank - it really does make a difference by a couple of degrees.

Is her mouth still open & gills forward? Perhaps removing her & popping her into a large tub of cool fresh dechlorinated water & leave it somewhere dark & cool - give her a hide & some plant & see if this helps refresh & destress her.

I hope she gets back to normal soon.



<3 >o_o< <3
 
I guess i didn't realize R.O. is that bad for them! Thank you for letting me know. I've only had to use it the last month or so because the city water has such a high pH and the water at my house is terribly hard.
& Yes, the water was tested with the drops.
But i just don't understand why my other axolotl has no signs of distress.
My female is now in the fridge and her gills have loosened up a bit and from what i can see, her mouth isn't gaping open anymore but her tail is all coiled up. Hopefully she will be on the mend though..
I was hoping someone would know if this was life threatening or not because she looks really really awful.
Thanks for the responses though!
 
Also, just bought a fan to cool it down as much as i can! The temp was pretty steady at 68-70
 
Aww she doesn't look good at all. I'd say it looks like she might have swallowed something or dodgy water quality. Am I right in saying aquarium salts can make unwell axies better? Hope she gets better.
 
Maybe the most awful question evar, but what is RO water?

Edit, I got it. Answer just popped up in my head.
 
SuperSteve said:
Aww she doesn't look good at all. I'd say it looks like she might have swallowed something or dodgy water quality. Am I right in saying aquarium salts can make unwell axies better? Hope she gets better.
Click to expand...

It's funny because i had her in the fridge for a total of about four hours now and she already looks better.....
see!
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u186/hannahbabyx/IMAG0883_zpsb8e8855b.jpg
well, maybe you can't tell, but her color is returning! weeeew!
but i totally forgot about salt! and i think i'm gonna add a little to the tank! thank you!
 
hannahll said:
It's funny because i had her in the fridge for a total of about four hours now and she already looks better.....
see!
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u186/hannahbabyx/IMAG0883_zpsb8e8855b.jpg
well, maybe you can't tell, but her color is returning! weeeew!
but i totally forgot about salt! and i think i'm gonna add a little to the tank! thank you!
Click to expand...

More experienced members of the community should correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Steve was referring to a salt bath. I would definitely not recommend adding salt to your aquarium. I'm pretty sure that is a very not a good thing. Once again, please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
ArdyBay said:
More experienced members of the community should correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Steve was referring to a salt bath. I would definitely not recommend adding salt to your aquarium. I'm pretty sure that is a very not a good thing. Once again, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Click to expand...

I guess i've always heard a teaspoon of aquarium salt in every 5gal can do some good by preventing certain types of parasites, it promotes healthy gill function, reduces stress and loss of electrolytes and is also used to reduce the harmful effects of nitrite.
Correct me if i'm wrong!
 
If she's doing better in the fridge, keep her there for now. Don't do anything drastic, like adding salt to your water, until you get a few more opinions. Everyone here is eager to help, but wait until these suggestions are confirmed by multiple experienced members.

Also, if the problem is your water, you may want to keep a close eye on your other axolotl to make sure it doesn't become affected as well.
 
EmbryH said:
If she's doing better in the fridge, keep her there for now. Don't do anything drastic, like adding salt to your water, until you get a few more opinions. Everyone here is eager to help, but wait until these suggestions are confirmed by multiple experienced members.

Also, if the problem is your water, you may want to keep a close eye on your other axolotl to make sure it doesn't become affected as well.
Click to expand...

Well, she died this morning. I opened up the fridge and she looked good.. except she had gone. So i guess i have a new question, what do red toes mean?? When i took her out of the container, i looked her over and the only thing i found weird was her red toes
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u186/hannahbabyx/IMAG0885_zpsfc19495e.jpg
My male, on the other hand, is looking great today.
 
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