sick or not sick

[weebrenda]

Hi ppl,not an active poster as yet.......too much to read lol,well my problem,i got a 4ft tank which had 4 axies,2 were adult and 2 youngsters,one of my adults died yesterday,now the one that died and my other adult havent been eating for at least a cpl of weeks,while the youngsters will eat constantly,water levels are good and temp well in acceptable range,food is usually a selection of raw beef,bacon(will only eat the smoked variety EEK!)uncooked prawns,liver amongst others,the remaining adult is around the 8" mark and has a full set of gills,tank has cpl hidey places and sand floor,had remaining adult from around 4" size bought from a garden centre,2 youngster were bought from a Pet Shop,the one that died was 1 of 2 browny/green axies that were also from a garden centre,the other died about 3 month after getting it,but my concern is with the remaining adult(pinky)which i may add is still active and his body doesnt look as if hes starved,any ideas or suggestions ?????? brenda

 

[kapo]

Hi ppl,not an active poster as yet.......too much to read lol,well my problem,i got a 4ft tank which had 4 axies,2 were adult and 2 youngsters,one of my adults died yesterday,now the one that died and my other adult havent been eating for at least a cpl of weeks,while the youngsters will eat constantly,water levels are good and temp well in acceptable range,food is usually a selection of raw beef,bacon(will only eat the smoked variety EEK!)uncooked prawns,liver amongst others,the remaining adult is around the 8" mark and has a full set of gills,tank has cpl hidey places and sand floor,had remaining adult from around 4" size bought from a garden centre,2 youngster were bought from a Pet Shop,the one that died was 1 of 2 browny/green axies that were also from a garden centre,the other died about 3 month after getting it,but my concern is with the remaining adult(pinky)which i may add is still active and his body doesnt look as if hes starved,any ideas or suggestions ?????? brenda

No idea at this stage!

But how long have they been in this tank? Did you cycle the tank before they were added or did you just place them in? Also regarding the axies, did you get them all at the same time or if you didn't and you got some a bit later did you keep the new ones separate in quarantine for minimum 30 days?

What are your water levels (ie ammonia, nitrite and nitrates) and what is your tank temperature?

Meat should really only be used as a treat rather than staple food. Have you tried earthworms, slugs, slaters - as long as their are no garden pesticides used these are fine.

 

[weebrenda]

having done water tests again all tests are as follows Nitrite 0.ppm,nitrate 0.ppm,PH 6.0,and ammonia 8.0 ,ammonia extremely high so 50/50 water change needed,temp 20oC,u mentioned earthworms and slugs,are we talking about common garden variety?.What is the reccommended PH for axies i know for tropical fish its around 7.2? Brenda

 

[Saspotato]

PH of 6 is probably a bit low for axolotls. It should be 6.5-8, with slightly alkaline being preferred (7.3-7.6). I used crushed shell grit in a stocking near the filter to raise my PH from 6 to about 7. About a cupful of shells for 60L. You can get it at a petstore. Its basically the stuff that birds chew on.

Probably until your ammonia is low it is best if you remove your axolotl from the tank and put him in a container of fresh dechlorinated water and do 100% water changes daily. 8 is quite high and could be harmful to your axolotl. Perhaps your tank is cycling? In that case read up on how to cycle your tank http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml.

Earthworms and slugs can come from the garden, just make sure there are no chemicals being used. You can also use frozen blood worm, brine shrimp (live or frozen) and soft salmon pellets for feeding too. The food you are feeding at the moment can be too fatty and can lead to liver problems.

 

[weebrenda]

heres a pic of my adult

 

[weebrenda]

and one of my youngsters

 

[kapo]

Hi Weebrenda

With your ammonia being that high, just test your water daily and do a 20=30% waterchange over the next few days, if you intend leaving your axies in the tank.

Yes I do mean the garden type! Garden snails are also fine, though I tend to break the shell and drop the snail inside (I do so much more for my axies now then when I first started ). Did i mention slaters - husband said you may know them as woodlice! Here's a link to a picture of one, if you don't know what i mean: http://www.ento.csiro.au/education/Assets/images_allies/Isopoda.jpg

How often do you spotclean any uneaten/regurgitated food and waste and siphon your tank? Do you check under decos and caves etc.. and stir the sand regularly/weekly. Pockets of gas can sometimes build up beneath the sand if you don't regularly move it, waste can also get dug under/buried which can cause a problem.

 

[weebrenda]

think i`ll leave the snails and slaters to hubby or kids lol,tank got a 30% water change and will get same for next cpl days,food waste whats that lol hubby hand feeds them all so no food left in tank,poo taken out as soon as noticed.
thank all for responces
Brenda

 

[kapo]

With your ammonia being that high, you may very well have buried waste within your substrate or under decos/caves etc..., otherwise just make sure to stir up the sand in case there are pockets building up or hidden waste. I handfeed in two of the tanks and always find waste buried beneath decos/within the sand when siphoning or stirring.

 

[Bellabelloo]

now I often wondered what slaters where and now I know...woodlice beware!!!