Sick Axie??

C

charlbeer

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I've had my axie for just over a month, he's in an 18x10x12in tank with a small fiter, which you fill with filter floss and is run by a small air pump. I choose this cause it doesn't disturb the water too much and gives the good bacteria a home. He has 2 pieces of drain pipe to go in, and sand on the floor. We change 30% of the water every week and still the nitrite levels are high and now there's small white creatures in the tank. We read up on them and they are often due to over feeding so we've cut him down to a small worm every 3 days or so instead of every other day, I'm wondering whether we are still over feeding him???? The tank temperature used to be quite high 23-25 so we have attached 2 small computer fans to the tankin case of a hot day they get put on. He doesn't seem to like the noise/vibrations so we try to leave them off as much as possible, we leave the windows open in the room 24/7, one is right above his tank and he seems to stay below 20 now usually about 19. i checked the tank today and the results were:
pH- 7.2-7.6 (somewhere between the two)
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite 2-5 (again somewhere between the 2 these things aren't that exact!!)
Nitrate 0-5
I am using a freshwater master test kit from aquarium pharmaceuticals, inc.

Unfortunately when I looked today he has a small red patch on his tail, alfie is about 8-10cm long this area is only 2-3mm long and less than a mm wide but I am worried and the white things are feeding on it!!!! Could they of caused it, is it a cut? I don't know what to do or how to get the tanks nitrites down. Should I give him a salt bath? He seems active plodding around as usual, He has small dark vein bits on his gills as well, they have been there since I got him but is it normal? His gills are becoming more fluffy but they are still quite small. Also he seems to like to not float as such but I have a plant in there and he likes to sit on it about half way up the tank, he's not gulping for air or anything and can get down whenever he wants, is this normal? Is he just being quirkey or should I be worried. i don't know what to do!! Sorry bout the the longness of this but it does say to explain everything you can!!!lol!
If anyone has any ideas about how to lower the nitrites, how to get rid of these white things, or what to do about his tail they would be much appreciated....also he seems to be losing a finger, its just kinda shriveling, he only has 3 on the other hand and the 4th on the right just seems to be being reabsorbed or something, He has 5 toes on each foot and it's just that 1 finger, didn't know whether maybe he just wanted them to match?!?!
Anyway any help will be great, I'm getting some aquarium salts today, as they seem to be useful to keep around incase you have a problem anyway!
Thankyou
Charlotte
 
Good afternoon,
It sounds like your tank may be cycling ( no not a bike) and doing more frequent 20-30% water changes will in time bring the nitrite level down. I too have tiny white worm like things in my tank, that I suspect came via my water butt water, and I believe are harmless and in my case mildly irratating. You do need to keep the tank temperatures down, I ended up buying a small (9 inch diameter) fan that I clip on a shelf above the tank and this has kept the temps down ( when its been warmer!)
I suspect your axolotl is still quite young and may need feeding at least once a day ( a worm ) any left over food / pooh etc can be removed by a turkey baster ( sucks it all up and just squirt it out side). I check my tank a few times a day and spot clean when neccesary.
With regards to the injury, is it possible it was caught on something ?, i cut down a drain pipe for mine, but it left a rough edge that I just sanded down. I'd watch the tail and toes carefully as it could be a symptom of the water condition. If it looks like a cotton wool like growth on iether you may need to do salt baths. Other wise it sounds like your axolotl is quiye normal, my two lurk floating amongst the plants trying to convince me they are leaves.
I'm sure others will post more imfo too, in the mean time this site has loads of imfo either throught this forum or the axolotl site ( link at top of page)
 
I sanded the pipe down until it was very smooth with fine grain sand paper so I don't think it could be that. It's just that one toe and it doesn't look cotton woolish just like its disappearing! I did find when I did the water change this afternoon that he had been depositing presents inside his tubes so that may be the cause as I didn't notice them. The turkey baster is a great idea, thanks. I'll feed him a small worm everyday and just keep checking the tube as that seems to be his favourite place to deposit, lol! It was reading the forum that got me worried cause someone elses axie had red bits on his tail and then he died so I thought it was best to check. I've followed everything as well as I can, unfortunately the place I got him from didn't tell me much so it was only after I bought him I found out you shouldn't keep him with goldfish and so I had to buy a new tank, I just figured with the filter and also with water from an established tank that it would happen faster. People in pet shops are pretty useless alot of the time. Well I'm not as worried now, and thankyou for your reply!!!:eek:
 
Read the article Ed posted, and start testing your water daily and change more regularly - 20-30% daily after the tests if nitrite is still high, this is what will keep the nitrite and ammonia, if any down, in your tank (much better than adding unwanted/unneeded chemicals).
 
The tank temp is 20 at the moement so not high. If I put the tank fans on it drops by 2-3 so I've done that now. I've cycled tanks before I have a well established tropical tank and a cold water tank so I have done it all before but unfortunately with alfie when I found out on this site after I bought him you shouldn't keep him in with fish I had to set up a new tank. The aquarium kept them in with fish and said he would be ok in the cold water tank, but I didn't want to leave him in there after reading this site!Would it be worth my while doing daily water changes, but every couple of days putting 5-10% water from my established tank to try and quicken it? I did put water from the established tank in the first place to try and establish it quicker so I'm guessing this may help???
 
If the levels in your other tanks are fine (low nitrates) then you can use it to replace the water removed with the water change as it will help speed up the cycle.
Depending on the type of filter you are using in each tank if you could use some of the seeded filter material from the established tank, it will go even faster.

Ed
 
You could also put in some of the deco. from the established tanks also. Maybe put some of the gravel in a filter bag and place in the new tank.
 
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