Yaimfat
New member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2010
- Messages
- 96
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- Location
- Sydney
- Country
- Australia
- Display Name
- Jake
Hi,
I set up an axolotl tank for my two axolotls a little over 6 months ago and they were thriving for so long! It is a 55G tank and I have an extensive thread showing it off. I am experienced and knowledgeable regarding axolotl care, causes for illnesses and general aquarium husbandry. There tank is perfectly balanced, even including a chiller for the hotter months in summer. It has plenty of hides and the water parameters are perfect, though I'm waiting on a high range pH test kit as the one I have has said 7.6 the last three weeks tests, so it could be over, however the three remaining white clouds have had no illness, and are in fact managing to breed.
About five weeks ago however all three began gulping for air all the time, as though there is no oxygen. So I adjusted the air stones and let the filter move the water surface (it's usually guarded) however they continued to gulp and also turned their gills forward from the water movement. There is a melanoid female, golden albino male and wild type male and the first to show further illness then the gulping was the wild type who stopped eating. Next the golden albino started to lose his gills, not from fungus but just shrinking and dying filament, all slowly going white. He however continued eating. The female at this point was only gulping and had forward gills so she was of least concern. After a week of not eating the wild type male developed gill fungus.
Firstly I fridged both the males and began salt bathing the wild type, who's fungus is also eating away his finger tips. This axolotl actively tries to escape water and floated all the time in the tank and has once nearly crawled away during a fridge water change. During the following two weeks of fridging the golden albino got significantly better and only now that I'm ready to return him to the tank do his gills go pale again. The wild type sadly had not gotten better and still would not eat. Then we reach today when the female who remained relatively healthy apart from constant air gulping started shedding her outer skin and refused to eat. The female and the golden albino despite eating since the wild type stopped would not eat as they used to. They used to look over every time I moved near the tank and come and bite my finger every time it so much as broke the waters surface whereas recently they pay no attention to me ever and will only eat when the food is taken to directly in front of there mouths (makes feeding far less enjoyable). Now with the development of the females problems she will also be fridged and a witch hunt begins on what is causing these nuisance illnesses!
I have ruled out any bacteria, virus or parasite as none of them have displayed the same symptoms, the fish are still fine and there is no visible characteristic that is present in all three. The filter media was changed recently and I am religious with my maintenance. They are very peaceful toward each other and only used to bite sometimes when feeding.
The only factors I could possibly think would be causing the illness are:
1) The water movement created by the 1000L/ph chiller pump however it is only intake water movement as the output is diverted through an undergravel filter, creating reverse flow and the eheim canister output is guarded to dispel waterflow with a piece of pvc.
2) The possibilty of high pH however the minnows imply this is not a problem.
3) A lack of oxygen due to lack of water movement, however an air pump is running.
4) The water not being hard enough (general hardness is only 125ppm and could easily afford to be 160ppm).
5) An external agent has corrupted the water, such as a cleaning product or deoderant though neither is ever used in the room and could only have come in from a water change bucket kept in the bathroom, though when bathroom is being cleaned its always removed. 6) Something leaching from the driftwood or the iron stone, though the iron stone is virtually inert.
7) The stress caused by the speaker system used for movies (though it is rarely very loud and the sub is at least 6 meters from the tank).
8) Diet as they will only eat earthworms or crickets and refuse anything frozen as though they were snobs!
Please help!!! I have no clue what it could be and there change in vigor was so sudden!!! I have absolutely no idea and have nearly exhausted all options aside from completely redesigning the tank!!!!
I set up an axolotl tank for my two axolotls a little over 6 months ago and they were thriving for so long! It is a 55G tank and I have an extensive thread showing it off. I am experienced and knowledgeable regarding axolotl care, causes for illnesses and general aquarium husbandry. There tank is perfectly balanced, even including a chiller for the hotter months in summer. It has plenty of hides and the water parameters are perfect, though I'm waiting on a high range pH test kit as the one I have has said 7.6 the last three weeks tests, so it could be over, however the three remaining white clouds have had no illness, and are in fact managing to breed.
About five weeks ago however all three began gulping for air all the time, as though there is no oxygen. So I adjusted the air stones and let the filter move the water surface (it's usually guarded) however they continued to gulp and also turned their gills forward from the water movement. There is a melanoid female, golden albino male and wild type male and the first to show further illness then the gulping was the wild type who stopped eating. Next the golden albino started to lose his gills, not from fungus but just shrinking and dying filament, all slowly going white. He however continued eating. The female at this point was only gulping and had forward gills so she was of least concern. After a week of not eating the wild type male developed gill fungus.
Firstly I fridged both the males and began salt bathing the wild type, who's fungus is also eating away his finger tips. This axolotl actively tries to escape water and floated all the time in the tank and has once nearly crawled away during a fridge water change. During the following two weeks of fridging the golden albino got significantly better and only now that I'm ready to return him to the tank do his gills go pale again. The wild type sadly had not gotten better and still would not eat. Then we reach today when the female who remained relatively healthy apart from constant air gulping started shedding her outer skin and refused to eat. The female and the golden albino despite eating since the wild type stopped would not eat as they used to. They used to look over every time I moved near the tank and come and bite my finger every time it so much as broke the waters surface whereas recently they pay no attention to me ever and will only eat when the food is taken to directly in front of there mouths (makes feeding far less enjoyable). Now with the development of the females problems she will also be fridged and a witch hunt begins on what is causing these nuisance illnesses!
I have ruled out any bacteria, virus or parasite as none of them have displayed the same symptoms, the fish are still fine and there is no visible characteristic that is present in all three. The filter media was changed recently and I am religious with my maintenance. They are very peaceful toward each other and only used to bite sometimes when feeding.
The only factors I could possibly think would be causing the illness are:
1) The water movement created by the 1000L/ph chiller pump however it is only intake water movement as the output is diverted through an undergravel filter, creating reverse flow and the eheim canister output is guarded to dispel waterflow with a piece of pvc.
2) The possibilty of high pH however the minnows imply this is not a problem.
3) A lack of oxygen due to lack of water movement, however an air pump is running.
4) The water not being hard enough (general hardness is only 125ppm and could easily afford to be 160ppm).
5) An external agent has corrupted the water, such as a cleaning product or deoderant though neither is ever used in the room and could only have come in from a water change bucket kept in the bathroom, though when bathroom is being cleaned its always removed. 6) Something leaching from the driftwood or the iron stone, though the iron stone is virtually inert.
7) The stress caused by the speaker system used for movies (though it is rarely very loud and the sub is at least 6 meters from the tank).
8) Diet as they will only eat earthworms or crickets and refuse anything frozen as though they were snobs!
Please help!!! I have no clue what it could be and there change in vigor was so sudden!!! I have absolutely no idea and have nearly exhausted all options aside from completely redesigning the tank!!!!