Sick axie! please help!!!!

[crickit785]

I got my new axie about a week ago from my local pet shop. I put him in my tank with my other axie. A couple days later he started acting weird. He was gulping for air about every min and floating at the top a lot. He also seemed to have glazed over eyes and his skin seemed to be peeling a bit. I immediately put him in the fridge and checked my water. I thought maybe it was because of high nitrates, about 80ppm, so I did regular water changes to get it down. My other axie seems perfectly fine so its really weird. Once I got my nitrates lower, 20ppm, I decided to take him out of the fridge. He now looks considerablely worse. Pics are attached if anyone has any suggestions? He is now back in the fridge :-(

 

[keiko]

Did you test ammonia and nitrite? What were they?
Have you been doing water changes while the axie was in the fridge? Did you treat the water?

Also when introducing a new axie in your tank you should always keep them in quarantine first at least for a few weeks to make sure they don't carry any diseases that could infect your other axies.

 

[HayleyK]

Fridging axolotls should really only be done during an emergency, and should be done for atleast a couple of days with daily water changes with the same temperature water. When removing the axolotl out of the fridge it should be left in its original tub to rise back to room temperature/tank temperature over a long period of time so it can acclimatize better.

Try popping some indian almond leaves, or black tea in the tank to help soothe its slime coat.

 

[Bette]

Is that just shedding of the slime coat, or does that look like a type of fungus? Thoughts anyone? I'm seeing the substance on the gills, too.
IF it is fungus, it may benefit from having its water treated with a half teaspoon sea salt per gallon.

 

[crickit785]

Ammonia is very slight close to 0ppm and no nitrites either. When I took him out of the fridge he sat in the tub he was in for at least 8 hrs while I was at work. When I got home he seemed worse than when I put him in the fridge. Im guessing fungus aswell. I've started doing salt baths along with fridging. As far as I'm concerned this is a emergency.

 

[Bette]

Be careful with the salt baths. If it's not fungus, it can just make matters worse. Is the axie still eating? The abdomen doesn't look like a healthy shape... it almost looks a bit swollen.
I can't tell for sure.... it's just my observation.

 

[HitmanSougo13]

I can't tell for sure but it looks like fungus all around the body. I would do one round of salt bath for 10 minutes and see if that reduces. You can still use Indian almond leave or use an antibiotic remedy. But you need to give it a few days to see the effects of the salt bath.

 

[crickit785]

He quit eating that was another reason I decided to fridge him. Should I continue to try and feed him while in the fridge? I notice his abdomen does look a little swollen. The pet store I got him from had him on gravel so he had swallowed some, but I think he passed them all luckily. The guys at the pet shop said the same thing happened to his axie when he got his. He used a uv sterilizer and it fixed the problem, but I don't have the money to just go out and buy one.

 

[Bette]

He quit eating that was another reason I decided to fridge him. Should I continue to try and feed him while in the fridge? I notice his abdomen does look a little swollen. The pet store I got him from had him on gravel so he had swallowed some, but I think he passed them all luckily. The guys at the pet shop said the same thing happened to his axie when he got his. He used a uv sterilizer and it fixed the problem, but I don't have the money to just go out and buy one.

Well, fridging won't help with getting him to eat again. Most axies won't eat while being fridged. I tend to think that his best chance would be to keep him in cool, room temperature clean water with sea salt disolved in the water at the concentration of a half teaspoon per gallon. Keep offering him a variety of foods. If he improves, then great! If not, you should consider other treatments and/or see a vet.
Also, he could still have gravel inside from the pet store. Hopefully it will pass in time. I'm confused about how the pet store employee said that a uv sterilizer cured his of being gravel impacted.. that doesn't make sense.

 

[crickit785]

No it cured it of the fungus or whatever the problem is mine is having not impaction. Sorry I should have been more clear

 

[keiko]

UV sterilizers only clean the water that runs past it. It would not cure an axie with an infection.

 

[Bette]

No it cured it of the fungus or whatever the problem is mine is having not impaction. Sorry I should have been more clear

Oh, ok.
Uv sterilizers do a nice job purifying the water, and could therefore help the tank inhabitants stay healthy or get well from illness. But help is all they can do... usually other treatment steps must be taken if you have a sick animal.

 

[Sweetie]

It does look like fungus, which can be a side-effect of fridging. I agree that fridging is probably not the best option at this stage. A hospital tank or plastic container in a cool, dark place, with daily water changes, would probably be a better place for him and may encourage him to eat.

I was under the impression that Indian almond leaves soothed the skin but could stop the salt baths being as effective against the fungus, so if you are doing salt baths, don't use the Indian almond leaves until after the course of treatment with the salt baths is complete. The Indian almond leaves may then help soothe the skin and restore the slime coat.

 

[Bette]

Yes, a hospital tank would be good for him. Has the presumed fungus gone away/improved at all? Is he eating anything yet?