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Axolotls are illegal in California. Please read this thread for detailed information and links to the actual laws: https://www.caudata.org/threads/axolotls-are-illegal-in-california-here-are-the-relevant-laws.30779/
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what is wrong?
- Thread starter diannpf
- Start date
kapo
New member
Have you tested the water parameters, ie ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
How long has your tank been setup with your axolotl in it and how often do you clean the tank (waterchanges)? Did you cycle the tank before introducing your axolotl to it or did you just put him in the same day you set the tank up?
Does he have any tank companions, or have you added anything, chemicals, companions etc or anything else recently to the tank?
How long has your tank been setup with your axolotl in it and how often do you clean the tank (waterchanges)? Did you cycle the tank before introducing your axolotl to it or did you just put him in the same day you set the tank up?
Does he have any tank companions, or have you added anything, chemicals, companions etc or anything else recently to the tank?
jay_coward
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Also are there any sharp objects or hard objects in the tank he might have swam into really hard.
Well I basically set the tank up and then got otto from the shop and put him straight in it. I have not cleaned the tank properly yet, but i have taken some water out and refilled it. How do i test the water. There are no sharp objects in the tank although he sometimes swims into the tank sides. And he is the only one in the tank.
kapo
New member
How long has your tank been set up (how many weeks)?
The damage to skin may very well be caused through toxins in the water damaging his skin.
When you say you haven't cleaned it properly, since you had the tank, how often did you waterchange since you first set it up (take out and replace water), and how much % of tankwater?
How do you remove the water, using a scoop/jug/container or using a gravel cleaner?
Do you clean up any uneaten food or waste?
All this can effect water quality.
If you don't have freshwater test kits, then tomorrow take a sample of tankwater, if able, to your petshop and ask them to test it for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Get them to give you the results (no.s written down). Don't buy any chemicals or stuff to fix it. The best way to fix any water quality problems is through frequent partial waterchanges (usually 20-30%/ 1/4 tankwater every day or every 2 days)
Depending on length of time you've had the tank, your tank may very well have been cycling. See: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml
The damage to skin may very well be caused through toxins in the water damaging his skin.
When you say you haven't cleaned it properly, since you had the tank, how often did you waterchange since you first set it up (take out and replace water), and how much % of tankwater?
How do you remove the water, using a scoop/jug/container or using a gravel cleaner?
Do you clean up any uneaten food or waste?
All this can effect water quality.
If you don't have freshwater test kits, then tomorrow take a sample of tankwater, if able, to your petshop and ask them to test it for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Get them to give you the results (no.s written down). Don't buy any chemicals or stuff to fix it. The best way to fix any water quality problems is through frequent partial waterchanges (usually 20-30%/ 1/4 tankwater every day or every 2 days)
Depending on length of time you've had the tank, your tank may very well have been cycling. See: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml
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Well I took a sample of the water to the fish shop and all the levels were threough the roof. they guy said it is amazing i havent lost my 'otto'. I have bought a new tank...a bigger one, and started fresh. I also got a water testing kit so i will be testing the water every week. I have a querry though about water changes. I know i am not meant to completly empty and refill with new water, so do i just take out about 30% and refill with tap water straight into the tank. I dont want to lose him, this near miss was bad enough, well we are still not out of the woods but i am hopeful he will make it.
kapo
New member
Dianne, what size tank did you previously have? (As in length)
All you had to do was frequent partial waterchanges - removing approx. 1/4 the tank. That would have bought your ammonia/nitrite levels down. The amount was understandable as you had a newly cycling tank. Cycling tanks anywhere from 3=10.5 weeks (ours have taken 3-8 weeks, Tara another australian axie owner's tank took 10.5 weeks to cycle with every two days testing and waterchanges).
Do you not treat tapwater with something that removes the chlorine and chloramines before adding it to the tank?
The best method is following:
Fill a bucket or two with tap water and add the required amount of dechlorinator/water ager or water conditioner to remove the chlorine and chloramines.
Leave the buckets in the same room as the tank (overnight before a waterchange, or an hour minimum before you do the waterchange). This is important as it allows the water to degas (you know the bubbles that form in a glass of water you've just filled from the tap? Well those bubbles disappear if the water's allowed to rest.) and also the water will come to the same temperature as the tankwater you need to change. If the temperature differs, ie too cold/warm, when you fill the tank, your axolotl can get stressed and in turn develop fungus.
Since you've completely changed tank and added new water your tank is cycling again.
Your tank needs to be tested more than once a week, every 2 days at least depending on size of tank, and if any ammonia or nitrites are ABOVE 0 that's when you need to do the waterchange (the same day/night = the longer you leave the waterchange, ie: for a week or more the more chance of your axolotl getting ammonia burns and becoming stressed/sick).
All you had to do was frequent partial waterchanges - removing approx. 1/4 the tank. That would have bought your ammonia/nitrite levels down. The amount was understandable as you had a newly cycling tank. Cycling tanks anywhere from 3=10.5 weeks (ours have taken 3-8 weeks, Tara another australian axie owner's tank took 10.5 weeks to cycle with every two days testing and waterchanges).
Do you not treat tapwater with something that removes the chlorine and chloramines before adding it to the tank?
The best method is following:
Fill a bucket or two with tap water and add the required amount of dechlorinator/water ager or water conditioner to remove the chlorine and chloramines.
Leave the buckets in the same room as the tank (overnight before a waterchange, or an hour minimum before you do the waterchange). This is important as it allows the water to degas (you know the bubbles that form in a glass of water you've just filled from the tap? Well those bubbles disappear if the water's allowed to rest.) and also the water will come to the same temperature as the tankwater you need to change. If the temperature differs, ie too cold/warm, when you fill the tank, your axolotl can get stressed and in turn develop fungus.
Since you've completely changed tank and added new water your tank is cycling again.
Your tank needs to be tested more than once a week, every 2 days at least depending on size of tank, and if any ammonia or nitrites are ABOVE 0 that's when you need to do the waterchange (the same day/night = the longer you leave the waterchange, ie: for a week or more the more chance of your axolotl getting ammonia burns and becoming stressed/sick).
I never thought this would be so involved, not that it bothers me. Ok my previous tank was about 20 litres and the new one is 80 litres. I dont quiet understand the cycling procedure although i have read up on it...sorry it just seems a bit involved so let me try to get it....cycling is when the bad bacteria gets turned into good bacteria by using a filter, right? So I have just today set up the new tank so in about 2 days i should do a water test and if its not normal then i do a water change 1\4 of the water but i fill up a bucket of tap water, put in the water conditioner and leave it overnight or at least an hour before putting it into the tank. I do have a gravel cleaner too now so i can clean up the mess if any on the floor.
By the way so far so good. Otto is swimming around very happily at the moment, i have got two snails in the tank to help take put uneated food etc...the fish lady recommended them.
I hope you dont get inpatient with me i am just trying to get this right so my otto lives happily
By the way so far so good. Otto is swimming around very happily at the moment, i have got two snails in the tank to help take put uneated food etc...the fish lady recommended them.
I hope you dont get inpatient with me i am just trying to get this right so my otto lives happily
kapo
New member
Yes that's right for the waterchanges!
We didn't quite understand the cycling process when we got our first tank either, but this site us helped alot. No petshop ever explains and just trys to sell you products for your tank.
Cycling is the establishment of good bacteria but not necessarily through having a filter. The bacteria grows on the substrate, glass, tank decorations and plants (and filter media if you have one).
When a fish or axolotl is introduced into a new tank, any food/waste/poo left in the tank creates ammonia (ammonia levels rise, which is the start of the nitrogen cycle). Ammonia will rise, peak and then nitrIte will develop as ammonia drops back gradually to 0; nitrIte in turn will rise and peak and nitrAte may develop (Nitrate can be effected by presence of live plants, so may not readily show on tests). NitrIte will then drop back to 0 and your tank should be cycled. I've found the nitrIte part of the cycling tends to be the longest part of it (waiting for it to finally drop). This is why cycling can take between 3-10.5 weeks. There is really no speedy method to cycle, adding tank decos/media, substrate (which is what you're doing) will help.
Your tank sounds like a much better size, and yes that 20litre tank was a bit small, I can imagine what your levels were. Smaller tanks tend to warm up faster in summer and also tend to get dirty faster.
While your tank is cycling over the next few weeks/month or so; just leave your filter (don't wash it at all - the good bacteria will develop on it and if you wash it, you'll wash away the bacteria).
Invest in a turkey baster if you can get them, if not, ask some of the other Aussie owners, like Teesha, where they got theirs, generally they can be bought from a kitchen section of a supermarket. Turkey basters are excellent daily cleaners and save you having to pull out that siphon for that little bit of waste/poo stuck unde the cave or near the corner. We had to cut the tips of our turkey basters (individual ones for each tank), as they were very narrow and the waste kept dropping and making a mess (can be a bit frustrating when it disintegrates and flies back down the baster too!)
Also, careful what the fish lady recommends. Some people do use snails in their tanks, just be careful what they recommend for an axolotl (generally things like feeder fish, what chemicals to use, or medicines - many fish medicines are toxic to axies).
If you're unsure and the fish lady/petshop person advises you to use something. Just check here first before buying, then you'll save yourself and Otto any stress. Some fish enthusiasts/petshop people, I've met, tend to think that axolotls can be treated the same as goldfish/cold water fish in their feeding/treatment etc...
Good luck and keep us posted!
We didn't quite understand the cycling process when we got our first tank either, but this site us helped alot. No petshop ever explains and just trys to sell you products for your tank.
Cycling is the establishment of good bacteria but not necessarily through having a filter. The bacteria grows on the substrate, glass, tank decorations and plants (and filter media if you have one).
When a fish or axolotl is introduced into a new tank, any food/waste/poo left in the tank creates ammonia (ammonia levels rise, which is the start of the nitrogen cycle). Ammonia will rise, peak and then nitrIte will develop as ammonia drops back gradually to 0; nitrIte in turn will rise and peak and nitrAte may develop (Nitrate can be effected by presence of live plants, so may not readily show on tests). NitrIte will then drop back to 0 and your tank should be cycled. I've found the nitrIte part of the cycling tends to be the longest part of it (waiting for it to finally drop). This is why cycling can take between 3-10.5 weeks. There is really no speedy method to cycle, adding tank decos/media, substrate (which is what you're doing) will help.
Your tank sounds like a much better size, and yes that 20litre tank was a bit small, I can imagine what your levels were. Smaller tanks tend to warm up faster in summer and also tend to get dirty faster.
While your tank is cycling over the next few weeks/month or so; just leave your filter (don't wash it at all - the good bacteria will develop on it and if you wash it, you'll wash away the bacteria).
Invest in a turkey baster if you can get them, if not, ask some of the other Aussie owners, like Teesha, where they got theirs, generally they can be bought from a kitchen section of a supermarket. Turkey basters are excellent daily cleaners and save you having to pull out that siphon for that little bit of waste/poo stuck unde the cave or near the corner. We had to cut the tips of our turkey basters (individual ones for each tank), as they were very narrow and the waste kept dropping and making a mess (can be a bit frustrating when it disintegrates and flies back down the baster too!)
Also, careful what the fish lady recommends. Some people do use snails in their tanks, just be careful what they recommend for an axolotl (generally things like feeder fish, what chemicals to use, or medicines - many fish medicines are toxic to axies).
If you're unsure and the fish lady/petshop person advises you to use something. Just check here first before buying, then you'll save yourself and Otto any stress. Some fish enthusiasts/petshop people, I've met, tend to think that axolotls can be treated the same as goldfish/cold water fish in their feeding/treatment etc...
Good luck and keep us posted!
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