x-post from Sick Axolotl: fungus, loss of appetite?

[jmlotl]

This seems to be the more active forum, so I'm just cross-posting here (from here: Fungus and loss of appetite)

First of all, thank you for sharing your experiences on this site — it's very helpful, even if sometimes disputatious!

My son's beloved 7-month-old 'golden albino' axolotl Sunny has hit a rough patch. About a month ago, I noticed she was making many trips to the surface for air, combined with diminished appetite (liked pellets a little, but spat out worms, even once cut up). The water parameters were OK, but I had just added sand that I believe I failed to adequately rinse (I swear I tried!). Then a few days I checked and ammonia and nitrates were high-ish (0.5/40, nitrite at zero) and I live in a city where the water comes out of the tap very hard and with a pH of around 9, which I know can worsen ammonia's effect — I've tried to tame it with IAL/IAL extract.

After those tests, and a week or so of her eating less and less, I moved her to a tub. Have been doing daily water changes, and tried a day of tea-bath therapy, since it seems relatively low-risk. But she is still not eating like she used to — no worms at all, pellet or two every couple of days. And a stalk of (apparent?) fungus on one of her gills (pictured below) has only gotten longer after, say, 100 hours in the tub. What do the salamander sages recommend?

I'm not super-alarmed, since she's acting relatively normal now (a little sedate, maybe) and has stopped her manic trips to the surface. But maybe I should be? I have gone through worrying about sand-related impaction (her belly was almost bloated; she pooped twice, now she's almost too thin, I guess), ammonia/nitrate poisoning (she had had unusually reddish eyes, and the worrisome recent tests), and then the fungus. In short, I just don't know whether I should...

• Just stick to the tub for a while
• Try fridging or salt (both super-divisive on this forum, I would argue!)
• Or try some sort of other chemical treatment some people favor.

Let me know what you think? Thank you!

Additional note: I just don't know what the signs are of a serious bacterial infection, and wish that there was a semi-authoritative resource on axolotl care. I saw that sometimes undechlorinated water may help contain fungus, but my water is also known to be high in chloramine, which I have read can be worse than plain chlorine.

 

[axie owner]

i would say that you tea bath you axy as it is not painful like a saltbath. also try rubbing bloodworm onto an earthworm as it makes the earthworm taste and smell better.

 

[Murk]

After those tests, and a week or so of her eating less and less, I moved her to a tub. Have been doing daily water changes, and tried a day of tea-bath therapy, since it seems relatively low-risk. But she is still not eating like she used to — no worms at all, pellet or two every couple of days. And a stalk of (apparent?) fungus on one of her gills (pictured below) has only gotten longer after, say, 100 hours in the tub. What do the salamander sages recommend?

Yes, especially the gills do not look happy.
What are your parameters in the tub? It's good that you do 100% daily water changes in the tub - but could you provide ammonia/nitrites/nitrates values for the water in the tub, as of today?

• Try fridging or salt (both super-divisive on this forum, I would argue!)

I don't think either are necessarily divisive. Both have pro's and cons, and people have different opinions on which pro's outweigh which cons.

Fridging slows things down. It slows down bacterial and fungus growth, it slows down digestion, it slows down your axolotl.
That means it helps against rapidly growing fungus, bacteria or illness, and gives you time to find a solution, wait for a vet, or wait for constipation to pass - but it also slows down growth and healing so is generally not recommended for juveniles.

Salt baths work great against fungus. A day (or a few) of salt baths will remove most fungus. It will also leave your axolotl weakened, so if you haven't removed the source of the fungus (usually bad water quality) the fungus will only grow back worse.

I don't think either is divisive - they're just not always the best option. Often they are, but it depends on when the pro's outweigh the cons.

I saw that sometimes undechlorinated water may help contain fungus, but my water is also known to be high in chloramine, which I have read can be worse than plain chlorine.

I guess chlorinated water would function the same as salt water, in that it rapidly and effectively kills fungus, but is also detrimental to your axolotl's skin. If you don't remove the original source of the fungus, it will simply grow back.
Either way salt baths seem the safer option, since you can more easily control the amount of salt.

i would say that you tea bath you axy as it is not painful like a saltbath.

Tea baths are nice, but they're not really a cure for anything.
Axolotls like water with more tannins and it is said to be "soothing" to their skin (though I haven't read any conclusive research on it) - but it doesn't help against fungus.
It's a good general method of improving water quality, and it might help with irritated or damaged skin. I'd say tea baths (like any improvement on water quality) can help prevent problems and can help heal after problems, but it doesn't solve problems.

I compare tea baths to a nice lotion or massage for humans. If you have wounds or burns, a bit of lotion or a nice massage might help you relax and feel better, but it won't actually cure your injuries.

Additional note: [...] and wish that there was a semi-authoritative resource on axolotl care.

Around here, that is the main Axolotl information site linked to the forums (axolotl.org).

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

This seems to be the more active forum, so I'm just cross-posting here (from here: Fungus and loss of appetite)

First of all, thank you for sharing your experiences on this site — it's very helpful, even if sometimes disputatious!

My son's beloved 7-month-old 'golden albino' axolotl Sunny has hit a rough patch. About a month ago, I noticed she was making many trips to the surface for air, combined with diminished appetite (liked pellets a little, but spat out worms, even once cut up). The water parameters were OK, but I had just added sand that I believe I failed to adequately rinse (I swear I tried!). Then a few days I checked and ammonia and nitrates were high-ish (0.5/40, nitrite at zero) and I live in a city where the water comes out of the tap very hard and with a pH of around 9, which I know can worsen ammonia's effect — I've tried to tame it with IAL/IAL extract.

After those tests, and a week or so of her eating less and less, I moved her to a tub. Have been doing daily water changes, and tried a day of tea-bath therapy, since it seems relatively low-risk. But she is still not eating like she used to — no worms at all, pellet or two every couple of days. And a stalk of (apparent?) fungus on one of her gills (pictured below) has only gotten longer after, say, 100 hours in the tub. What do the salamander sages recommend?

I'm not super-alarmed, since she's acting relatively normal now (a little sedate, maybe) and has stopped her manic trips to the surface. But maybe I should be? I have gone through worrying about sand-related impaction (her belly was almost bloated; she pooped twice, now she's almost too thin, I guess), ammonia/nitrate poisoning (she had had unusually reddish eyes, and the worrisome recent tests), and then the fungus. In short, I just don't know whether I should...

• Just stick to the tub for a while
• Try fridging or salt (both super-divisive on this forum, I would argue!)
• Or try some sort of other chemical treatment some people favor.

Let me know what you think? Thank you!

Additional note: I just don't know what the signs are of a serious bacterial infection, and wish that there was a semi-authoritative resource on axolotl care. I saw that sometimes undechlorinated water may help contain fungus, but my water is also known to be high in chloramine, which I have read can be worse than plain chlorine.

Good Morning! I agree with everything Murk has said, with the exception of tea baths. I have successfully treated many fungal issues with rescue axolotls using tea. It comes down to concentration and exposure time. While its not usually as quick as salt baths, it is less harmful overall so I usually make that decision based on the animals overall health.

Fungal infections will continue to come back though if the source is not corrected. I know you have him tubbed now, but what are the exact water parameters in the tank (Ammonia, nitrities, nitrates, pH)? Definitely keep him tubbed until the fungus is gone doing 100% water changes daily. I do not think fridging is necessary at this point.