SOS Thick white coat onn gills and feet of dying axy

K

katrina

Guest
Help. We have had our Axy for 4 months. In brief
-got partener and new bigger filter 2 weeks ago, water level 30 cms and 50 litres
-started to gulp for air 4 days ago-ok said girl on another site
-increased appetite
- started to float on surface with partener yesterday
- this morning,floating mid tank, gills and right forfoot covered in thick white fluff with build up behind gills, moved when touched, white foot inactive.
-took out filter and 1/3 water, cleaned filter took out charcoal, replaced filter and water and put broadspectrum in water.
My baby girl is dying, I will check for ammonia this afternoon, what can be done?
 
Your girl sounds like she has fungus. I think you should put her in the fridge and give saltbaths twice daily.

Check the fridge temperature first, by placing a thermometer in a cup/glass of water and placing in fridge - check in 20minutes.


If the fridge temp is 5C and above, then it's ok to put her in the fridge. The fridge temperature will slow her metabolism down in order to give her body a chance to heal. Fridging my axies over the past year and a half has been an absolute lifesaver/stress relief; especially early on when we first got axies and two of them got quite sick.

You will have to do complete daily waterchanges on her container while in the fridge. You need two foodsafe containers and a bottle for the dechlorinated water. Or if you don't have the space, one foodsafe container and 2 bottles (softdrink/pop bottles will do)

Using the 2 container/1 bottle method!
1. Put dechlorinated water in a bottle/s and one of the containers and put them in the fridge.
2. In the other foodsafe container, put dechlorinated water in and put your girl in.
3. Make sure the water just covers her body so she doesn't flip over or float, which can cause undue stress.
3. place a lid on the container and wrap with a teatowel, then put in the fridge.
NB: No need for holes in the container, as colder water has more oxygen in it than warm water.
The lid will stop her jumping out if she gets startled, the towel is to stop light flashes and temperature fluctuations as fridge door opens through normal useage.

Tomorrow/next day First salt bath,
a) take the spare container out of the fridge
b) add 2-3 teaspoons of aquarium/tonic/sea salt or uniodised table salt (if you don't have any of the former) per litre of dechlorinated water.
c) Take your girl axie out of the fridge and either lift her out with hands or net her out and place her in the salt bath.
d) Cover with lid and place saltbath container she's in back in fridge.
e) Place her container back in fridge, so temperature doesn't warm up
f) If you have an egg timer/oven timer set it for 10minutes
g) When timer goes off, remove her from saltbath and return to her original container, cover and wrap with towel, return to fridge.
h) Empty the saltbath, and give it a wash with a mix of bicarbonate/baking soda and water.
i) Fill with dechlorinated water and return to fridge.

Same day - 2nd saltbath/waterchange:
i) Remove saltbath container, add the salt and give her a 10 minute saltbath as above.
ii) While she's in the fridge, empty her original container, give it a clean with bicarb/baking soda and water.
iii) Remove the bottle of dechlorinated water from fridge and fill up the clean container.
iv) When saltbath is finished, transfer her back to the clean dechlorinated water, cover, wrap and return to fridge.
v) Clean the saltbath container with baking soda and water, refill with dechlorinated water, return to fridge.
vi) Top up the bottle with dechlorinated water, return to fridge.

One thing you should always do before introducing more axies/fish to any tank is to quarantine them for 30days, this will ensure your new one is free of any problems and/or doesn't pass anything onto your current axie and make them sick.

How is the partner doing by the way? Have you had problems keeping your tank temperature below 24C?

I'm not sure how much 50litres is, what are the tank measurements?

Check all your water parameters - ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
 
thanks so much Kapo
The partener is floating as well. Thor is a green boy, and has no visual signs of fungus, but Lolas came on so rapidly, I am being very careful.
I thought that the water in the tank was cold, but made a trip to the shop and bought a new thermometer and the temp is 24c. I am floating icebergs in it now, ice in bags.
The ammonia test was bright yellow (almost zero)
but the shop couldnt do a nitrate or nitrite test. The tank is 2 feet by 1 foot by 1.5 deep, it is almost full of water.
does the water that they gulp stay inside them? Is that why they are floating?
I have to adjust the fridge temp as it too low.
What are you doing up at 0400 in the morning?
 
No the water doesn't stay in them, you'll notice if you ever see them snuffling round substrate they suck things in, water included then will sort of spit it out. Probably trying to get oxygen.

I assume the time question is for Karrie!
 
Sorry Kapo
I meant does the air they gulp stay inside in some kind of bladder? Is that why they float?She is a bit more active today, however has lost some weight as there appears to be bumps between her back legs that werent there before! Remember that old song about Lola where she was a woman dressed as a man? Well thats the least of her troubles at the moment.
She is still floating alot but is able to swim away from the filter where yesterday she would just get caught in the current.
At least she looks alive. A small step from yesterday.
 
No they don't have a air bladder. They have gill and lungs. Some times a little air can get in their tummy. Has she ever been on gravel. Is she eating?
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • Newt Rancher:
    Hey Jamiee this is Rodger from Calgary we chatted a few years back. Do u still keep these newts?
    +1
    Unlike
    Newt Rancher: Hey Jamiee this is Rodger from Calgary we chatted a few years back. Do u still keep these newts? +1
    Back
    Top