5-year-old Axolotl has an injured underside

[Babykittenz]

My 5-year-old Axolotl has an injured underside and I don't know what it could be. He lives in his tank alone and I started noticing he wasn't eating much. I checked him out and noticed a small gash on his underside and figured maybe he injured himself with a rock so I put him in the fridge for a few days. I put him back in the tank after I saw he was a bit more active and checked again the next day and the injury looks like it's gotten much worse.

He has lived in that same tank for his entire life with no issues and water quality has been tested and it's all normal.

Attached are pictures of his topside, underside, and tank.

https://imgur.com/a/mRQzjfp

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Treat with methylene blue to prevent infection

 

[wolfen]

check to make sure that she hasn't grown too big for your rock structures as the injury could have been caused by trying to drag herself through one of the holes/knots/tubes etc..
you might have to tub her for a bit longer to prevent further abrasions until it is healed more.

 

[MangoAxolotl]

try to just pull through, it will heal but i recommend keeping heavy watch on it.

 

[Babykittenz]

check to make sure that she hasn't grown too big for your rock structures as the injury could have been caused by trying to drag herself through one of the holes/knots/tubes etc..
you might have to tub her for a bit longer to prevent further abrasions until it is healed more.

I just checked him again today (he's in the fridge) and one of his back feet is just bone, it really seems like the skin is either being eaten away or melting off, like ammonia burn, but I've tested the water twice already the ammonia is at 0ppm.

Here are the rest of the water parameters:

pH: 7.4
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm

Is there a possibility that this test kit is maybe bad? It is the API Freshwater Aquarium Test Kit.

 

[MangoAxolotl]

no, its good. just make nitrites stay low, cause thats how my axie almost died, very high nitrite

 

[MangoAxolotl]

try to just buy a new kit.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

I just checked him again today (he's in the fridge) and one of his back feet is just bone, it really seems like the skin is either being eaten away or melting off, like ammonia burn, but I've tested the water twice already the ammonia is at 0ppm.

Here are the rest of the water parameters:

pH: 7.4
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm

Is there a possibility that this test kit is maybe bad? It is the API Freshwater Aquarium Test Kit.

It's possible that the test kit is bad. I would suggest giving him baths in methylene blue daily. It does sound like a bacterial infection and methylene blue is an over-the-counter aquatic pet drug safe for axolotls. Stay far away from anything containing aloe vera and malachite green though.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

It's possible that the test kit is bad. I would suggest giving him baths in methylene blue daily. It does sound like a bacterial infection and methylene blue is an over-the-counter aquatic pet drug safe for axolotls. Stay far away from anything containing aloe vera and malachite green though.

According to this thread, you should be able to add just enough drops of methylene blue to make your tank water blue with no harm to the axie.

Question: - Methylene blue how much???

Hi All, I have kindly been advised by another caudata member to use methylene blue on my axies can someone please tell me do I use a normal dose as whats on the instructions or do I half that dose for the axies??? If someone could advise me I would be grateful as I want to get them in the...

www.caudata.org

It's antibacterial so if it's fungal, you'd have to do tea or salt baths but it sounds like a flesh eating bacteria got into your tank.

 

[Babykittenz]

According to this thread, you should be able to add just enough drops of methylene blue to make your tank water blue with no harm to the axie.

Question: - Methylene blue how much???

Hi All, I have kindly been advised by another caudata member to use methylene blue on my axies can someone please tell me do I use a normal dose as whats on the instructions or do I half that dose for the axies??? If someone could advise me I would be grateful as I want to get them in the...

www.caudata.org

It's antibacterial so if it's fungal, you'd have to do tea or salt baths but it sounds like a flesh eating bacteria got into your tank.

Thank you. I just ordered a new test kit and it will be coming in tomorrow. He's currently in the fridge, do you think it's okay to do this treatment while he's in the fridge? Or should I set up a separate tank for him in the meantime?

Also, will his tank need to be completely reset?

 

[wolfen]

I assume that having had your axolotl for 5 yrs you will know about using holtfreters solution, if you aren't aware then read/look it up and start using the solution in the water if you decide to use a modified solution make sure the salt level is at 3g per litre or 3ppt.
change the tubbed water every 24hrs scrubbing it clean before rinsing and using, you don't want any bacteria build up in the tubs.
your axolotl has a bacterial infection, using holtfreters will help heal as well as using methylene blue in her tub (it is better to use methylene blue whilst she is tubbed so as not to damage any beneficial bacteria in the tank.
what are the tank parameters? if they are the levels you have posted then there is a issue as nitrates wouldn't be 0% unless a 100% water change had been performed.
her gills are a bit short even for a 5yr old. put a air-stone in the tank.
whilst your axolotl is out of the tank do a rigorous clean then get some ammonia chloride and dose the tank to 1ppm daily to keep the tank bacteria healthy. dosing the tank with ammonia should produce nitrates if they still read zero try another/new test, if they still read zero clean through all of your substrate removing any oxygen dead zones (may require removing it and rinsing through the substrate with old tank water).
was there any signs apart from lack of appetite? such as erratic movement, gasping at surface, rubbing gills.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

While you can do it in the tank, the methylene blue will kill all bacteria, including beneficial. Also, your test kit may be faulty so it's probably safer to do it in separate tub.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Did it end up living?