Axolotl Lea
New member
Hi. I got my 2 axies only 10 days ago. We cycled the tank and the water quality is perfect. One is fine, the other - looking back at photos - had some white skin patches on photos that I took at the aquarium store. She was fine at first but has been sick for 6 days now. She was eating right up until last Thursday then suddenly (and I have looked back on photos) her gills curled forwards and had white fluff in them. She became quite unresponsive. Looking back on some videos from the day before she was shedding some white stuff from her skin but it isn’t noticeable unless you are looking for it and she was swimming and eating fine.
we took her to the vets that day who swapped and found multiple bacteria and Protozoa. Recommended an isolation tank and betadine baths.
we followed their advice. The friday (next day) she looked dead. We called again and were referred to a specialist vet who’s dealt with axies before.We couldn’t take her in for fear the journey would kill her. she was given potassium permanganate baths daily, oral antibiotics (metronidazole) And an anti inflammatory all daily. We were told don’t fridge her but use a tank chiller to maintain temp around 14c.
Saturday we thought we’d lost her. Limp right side and only responding a little to uncomfortable stimulus. Her gills looked terrible.
Sunday she rallied a little - moved a bit, still had a limp ish right side. But still not fighting when giving her medicines.
Monday I called the vet who was heartened by her improvement and gave a nutritional supplement for every second day 0.1-0.2mls we gave 0.1 as we didn’t want to make her sick. Yesterday (tuesday) she had moved and pooped. When my husband did her meds she fought a bit more than she had. He said her arms felt even when they pushed against him. But then when she went back into the tank (daily water changes, daily water tests - all good) she flopped onto her side and her right side was once again limp. We managed to get her onto her belly. She hasn’t moved overnight (just like on Saturday). We won’t check for a response until this eve when we do her daily water change, meds and nutrition.
has anyone had experience with an axolotl this sick? I’m devastated.
The other one is fine. In the normal tank. Eating, swimming and gills look great. I don’t understand how 2 from the same place can be so different. I’m also angry at the aquarium store for not noticing she was sick. It was subtle..... but it’s their job. Id still have her but we could have fixed this earlier. Attached is a photo from the shop with the patches circled. A photo of her from her new home looking well on the Wednesday but the white patches now I know to look at there. A photo from the vets on the Thursday so only a day later and photo from Monday.
we took her to the vets that day who swapped and found multiple bacteria and Protozoa. Recommended an isolation tank and betadine baths.
we followed their advice. The friday (next day) she looked dead. We called again and were referred to a specialist vet who’s dealt with axies before.We couldn’t take her in for fear the journey would kill her. she was given potassium permanganate baths daily, oral antibiotics (metronidazole) And an anti inflammatory all daily. We were told don’t fridge her but use a tank chiller to maintain temp around 14c.
Saturday we thought we’d lost her. Limp right side and only responding a little to uncomfortable stimulus. Her gills looked terrible.
Sunday she rallied a little - moved a bit, still had a limp ish right side. But still not fighting when giving her medicines.
Monday I called the vet who was heartened by her improvement and gave a nutritional supplement for every second day 0.1-0.2mls we gave 0.1 as we didn’t want to make her sick. Yesterday (tuesday) she had moved and pooped. When my husband did her meds she fought a bit more than she had. He said her arms felt even when they pushed against him. But then when she went back into the tank (daily water changes, daily water tests - all good) she flopped onto her side and her right side was once again limp. We managed to get her onto her belly. She hasn’t moved overnight (just like on Saturday). We won’t check for a response until this eve when we do her daily water change, meds and nutrition.
has anyone had experience with an axolotl this sick? I’m devastated.
The other one is fine. In the normal tank. Eating, swimming and gills look great. I don’t understand how 2 from the same place can be so different. I’m also angry at the aquarium store for not noticing she was sick. It was subtle..... but it’s their job. Id still have her but we could have fixed this earlier. Attached is a photo from the shop with the patches circled. A photo of her from her new home looking well on the Wednesday but the white patches now I know to look at there. A photo from the vets on the Thursday so only a day later and photo from Monday.