Illness/Sickness: Something's not right

[pavett1990]

Hey guys

Not posted In a while but have come across a problem with my lottl..





The leg is not being used.. This is the only leg and only affected this axolotl out of the 3 in the tank

Please help..




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[wandering]

Ooh, is that gravel? You must be aware that it can block your axolotl's gut?

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[pavett1990]

I am.. That isn't the issue tho


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[FX1C]

The leg looks as though its been munched!!

You're very brave keeping them on gravel - especially when all we read on here about impaction... Your earlier posts and pics showed Playsand... What made you change back to dangerous gravel? I'd suggest removing all the gravel & leaving it bare bottomed. Are there hides in the tank sufficient for all lotls to hide? Please post a pic of the whole tank

What are the water parameters
Ammonia / Nitrite / Nitrate / Ph / Temp

These will help ascertain if the tank is healthy enough to repair the limb or if it's likely to be toxic & encourage fungus growth.

I'd separate the injured one & pop it in a large tub with daily changes of fresh dechlorinated water to aid the repair.



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[pavett1990]

Yeah there are a number of hides.. There are 2 small lottls in one side and it's blocked off with a larger one on the other.. Iv never had play sand in my tank I had coral sand which iv removed..

What could have munched on his leg?

Took water sample to petshop today and he said everything is fine


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[sabre]

Another lotl maybe? Is the redness actually creeping up onto the torso or is that just the gill fluff? I can't tell from the photos. But if it is, I'd be worried it's some type of infection and not just bruising.

Did the petshop guy happen to give you any numbers along with that 'fine?' And do you know if he used a liquid test kit or strips? And how warm is the tank right now?

And even if gravel isn't an issue right now, it very well could be in the future.

 

[pavett1990]

Does the water need to be freezing cold? Or just cool or warm or?


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[pavett1990]

The gravel is coming out next tank change.

Ill try and get better pics for you but doesn't seem to be moving anywhere just where it is..




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[pavett1990]

The water in the tank is cold.. Ill have to take more water to the pet shop as I didn't think about getting numbers.. I think he uses a fluid kit but again I'm not sure.. I will ring him tomorrow..

This is the best pic i could get



The leg is sort of bent and not being used.. It's not spreading or not on any of the others.. Which is why I didn't think infection.. Does this look fixable?

Ash


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[Asevernnnn]

Was his head always blue?

 

[pavett1990]

No..

I put a thread on here.. It's happened to the 2 albinos I have.. (Both from same mother and father) in exactly the Same place on both..




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[pavett1990]

Went back to the store today.. Had another test.. All is fine he uses a stick and tests everything



Not an amazing picture but the stick on the left is from the tank and the one on the right is from the recovery tank


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[snuggly time]

It might be worth purchasing your own liquid tests, like the API liquid master test kit. It can give results for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph and high ph. The test strips are known for being inaccurate compared to liquid tests. They cost a around £25 online from amazon or £35 in pet shops but they last ages. I got mine in January and it's still got plenty left in it.

 

[wandering]

You can get the API freshwater master test kit from a seller on eBay for £18.50 with no postage. Very good value as it will last for ages.

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[FX1C]

I wouldn't be going to a shop that uses strips to test people's tank water
The strips are inaccurate & I can only imagine how many people's tanks are running toxic with instore testing like that.

Definitely invest in the above mentioned
API freshwater master test kit (liquid)
That's the only way you'll get peace of mind when it comes to knowing your water quality is safe.



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[pavett1990]

That's not the question! All I want to know is has anyone seen anything like this before? Every time I ask a question on this forum it seems to drift off and end up nothing about the original post? Not staying on topic?


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[maghan6]

All anyone is trying to do is help you. If your water conditions are not optimal the axolotl will have a difficult time healing. The leg looks like it has either been bitten by another axie or injured by something in the tank like a hide. I would separate the axie as has already been recommended so that you can change the water daily and give the little guy a chance to heal. You can do tea bathsto soothe his skin. I would also recommend having your water tested with a liquid kit to see what is causing its head to turn blue... That would be my biggest concern right now.

 

[FX1C]

That's not the question! All I want to know is has anyone seen anything like this before? Every time I ask a question on this forum it seems to drift off and end up nothing about the original post? Not staying on topic?


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Your original question regarding the arm repairing was answered / covered in my first reply!

The more important problems are the fact that you don't know if your tank water is at safe levels.

And even more important than that is the fact you've stuck them on gravel!!
Why would you do that when you can see so many posts on here about gravel problems??? It's sad you went from coral sand to gravel knowing all the risks!! There's no excuse to ever put them on gravel!!

If you use these forums -
Be prepared for others to point out the bigger problems that you may not even realise... Although you should already know gravel is bad from reading the forums & articles on caudata!

I asked you to post a pic of the whole tank to see if there are any other issues that could hinder the healing process. All the questions / requests for more info help to ascertain what could be causing problems.

The leg looks like a basic munched on bitten leg (as already mentioned) & as long as water conditions are clean & healthy it should repair fine.





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[pavett1990]

Thank you.. 2 of these replies have answered my questions that I am looking at.. I was told to segregate him into another tank and change water daily which I am doing.. When I put coral sand in I was told to take out which I did.. Iv been told that this small gravel was ok by another owner who's had her axolotl for 5 years on this gravel with no problem.. I was then told that its not.. I have said I will get it removed.. I was told about this liquid test online which I can't buy right now and even if I did I wouldn't have it now..

All I wanted to do was find out what it looked like and if it will heal.. Now I have an idea of what I am up against I thank you


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[FX1C]

You can also buy the liquid test kits at most good pet stores / aquarium shops.
So no need to wait for it to arrive from online. Given it is probably the most essential item for novice aquarium keepers. Water quality is not guess work it is chemistry & shouldn't be ignored.

As for gravel - I'm sure I could walk in to many stores & be told gravel is safe... But thanks to these forums it's pretty obvious that it's definitely not ok... The fact that hers have managed to exist for 5yrs on gravel doesn't mean that it isn't slowly building up inside her lotls guts eventually causing problems.

I prefer to learn from these forums & the articles on caudata when it comes to keeping my axolotls properly.



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