Impacted Axolotl?

[CherryRipeTheAxie]

Hi everyone!
My axolotl Cherry Ripe has been not eating his food for around 4 days now and we haven’t noticed any poop for about a week and a bit. He recently suffered from a fungal infection but that’s all sorted now and he’s happily growing back one of his gills. He lives in a 110 litre tank with many plants a cave made out of dragon stone and smooth sand substrate. He also has a pre juvenile tank mate and she is doing fine and happily eating her bloodworms. We feed cherry ripe one to two earthworms two times a day that we hand collect from our garden. I am now well aware its over feeding but right now we just want to make him start eating.

Should I try fringing him? Or are there other things is should do to nurse him back to health? The water parameters are all good and the temperature is a nice 19 degrees Celsius.

Thank you!

Raff

 

[wolfen]

what are the water parameters ie.. temp, ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and if possible kh and gh.
how was the fungus treated?
has any other type of food been offered?
are you using any additional salts or minerals?
helpful to post picture if possible.

 

[CherryRipeTheAxie]

what are the water parameters ie.. temp, ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and if possible kh and gh.
how was the fungus treated?
has any other type of food been offered?
are you using any additional salts or minerals?
helpful to post picture if possible.

We treated the fungus with 21 ml of fungonex which got rid of the fungus entirely within a day. We also feed Cherry Ripe bloodworms and as a treat night crawlers. The ammonia was 0, the nitrite was 0.01, the nitrate was 1 and the ph was 7. The kh was low at a 1.4 and the gh was 4. We were advised to put shells in the tank to raise the kh so we did. They also told us to give him a salt bath which we did and while he had that we put 2 and a half tablespoons of Epsom salts into the tank. He’s still not pooping but acting more active which is a good sign I guess. Attached is a picture of him. He doesn’t have any bloating which is strange.

 

[wolfen]

fungonex contains two main ingredients, acriflavin .. which is a medication that can be used with axolotls, malachite green .. which is poisonous to axolotls.
if the medication was given in the tank then the tank needs the water draining with the filter media cleaned to remove any debris, then refilling with fresh dechlorinated water with activated carbon added to the filtration to remove every last trace of malachite green from the tank, whilst this is being done he needs tubbing in 100% holtfreters which will hopefully detox him.
if he was tubbed whilst fungonex was used then skip to the tubbed part.
magnesium sulphate can be added to the holtfreters solution at 0.2g per litre for 100% holtfreters and 0.1g per litre for 50% holtfreters, info on holtfreters here .. Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity and here ... https://ambystoma.uky.edu/genetic-s...Issues-1-12/archive/Issue 3/09-16brothers.pdf
50% holtfreters with 0.1g per litre magnesium sulphate can be added to the tank which will deal with the water hardness issue and also prevent further fungus issues, but you plants might not cope with it because of the slight salt content.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Wolfen, epsom salt contains magnesium sulphate in it and they did say they put epsom salt in the tank.

As for malachite green, OP, this is a copper substance toxic to amphibians. Make sure any medication you are giving to your axolotl is amphibian-safe. Axolotls are amphibians and they're genetics are different from fish so what's safe for fish, not necessarily for an axolotl. As wolfen has stated, if there is the medication containing malachite green in the tank, get your little friend out of the tank and tubbed immediately! If it was in the tub, cease and desist using that medication.

Your little guy doesn't look too well. I don't know if that's from the unfortunate malachite green exposure or from other things but I hope he improves.

 

[wolfen]

another name for magnesium sulphate is epsom salt (named after Epsom in UK) and is used as an essential mineral with axolotls and most animals, it also has the effect of a laxative.

 

[CherryRipeTheAxie]

what are the water parameters ie.. temp, ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and if possible kh and gh.
how was the fungus treated?
has any other type of food been offered?
are you using any additional salts or minerals?
helpful to post picture if possible.

Hi thank you for the clarification it’s good to know we weren’t giving it more poison. We have given him another salt bath since and completely rid the tank as best as we could of the malachite green, the filter looks brand new. Please could anyone tell me what it could possibly be? Is it a parasite? Or is he constipated or something. He hasn’t been eating for about a week now and I want to know if we need to resort to force feeding or not. He has been moving more and I think I noticed some poop but still no appetite. I also want to know what to do with his tank mate do they need the same treatment? They’re a pre juvenile and about the length of your ring finger. They‘re doing great, got slightly more than average movement and not exhibiting any symptom of anything. I just want to know what treatment to give my axolotl. I’ve got ptsd of losing an animal to sickness and I don’t want it to happen again (my cat died of a stroke in its leg, it didn’t poop for a week before it died). We’re giving cherry ripe a salt bath once a day and every time he seems to look a bit better. Attached is a picture of him in his habitat so if it is impaction your pretty much seeing everything apart from a few plants on peanut butters side of the tank. Thank you everyone for replying!

Raff

 

[wolfen]

use 50% holtfreters solution plus 0.1g per litre magnesium sulphate to get/keep the salt/mineral levels to the correct amount required for axolotls.
as for detoxing copper ascorbic acid can be used to help remove copper, it can also be used as a dechlorinator, 0.05g per litre should be enough for detox.
both holtfreters plus magnesium and ascorbic acid are safe to use at the described levels in the tank.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Just keep offering him food every now and then. Detox the water as wolfen said. If his tank mate is still eating then he probably will also recover fully. That picture he looks a lot better actually.

Please remember - animals get sick! It's not your fault! You are doing everything you can to help him just like for the cat! I'm sorry you went through that with your cat and now maybe with your axolotl but it's not your fault!

 

[CherryRipeTheAxie]

use 50% holtfreters solution plus 0.1g per litre magnesium sulphate to get/keep the salt/mineral levels to the correct amount required for axolotls.
as for detoxing copper ascorbic acid can be used to help remove copper, it can also be used as a dechlorinator, 0.05g per litre should be enough for detox.
both holtfreters plus magnesium and ascorbic acid are safe to use at the described levels in the tank.

Hi! Thank you for the suggestions. I found a website that shows the ingredients to make HoltFreters solution (if you want to know, Holtfreters Solution Salts Mixture (treats 5 gallons) ) but I can't seem to find anywhere that sells copper ascorbic acid so if anyone knows where to buy some that is safe for axolotls' hat would be helpful. I am also thinking about taking him to a vet. He hasn't eaten for over a week now so it's starting to get a bit serious. I have no idea how long a previously overweight axolotl can last but google says a week and a half and we're growing very close to that time period. I live in Sydney so if anyone knows a good amphibian vet that would be great.

Raff

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Hi! Thank you for the suggestions. I found a website that shows the ingredients to make HoltFreters solution (if you want to know, Holtfreters Solution Salts Mixture (treats 5 gallons) ) but I can't seem to find anywhere that sells copper ascorbic acid so if anyone knows where to buy some that is safe for axolotls' hat would be helpful. I am also thinking about taking him to a vet. He hasn't eaten for over a week now so it's starting to get a bit serious. I have no idea how long a previously overweight axolotl can last but google says a week and a half and we're growing very close to that time period. I live in Sydney so if anyone knows a good amphibian vet that would be great.

Raff

If it's only been a week, you can take him to a vet preemptively. But they can go three weeks without eating. Amphibian metabolism is slow.

 

[CherryRipeTheAxie]

If it's only been a week, you can take him to a vet preemptively. But they can go three weeks without eating. Amphibian metabolism is slow.

I took inspiration from your comment to keep giving him food and I tried feeding him bloodworms, black worms, red wrigglers and earthworms, which he ignored apart from the blackworms which he at least looked at. I then tried feeding him one of the feeder fish that have been swimming in the tank for 3 months now and he ate it! I still want to give him a bath with holt freeters solution so just for the clarification the ingredients which were in the website i posted are alright? And does 50% holt freters mean 50% of the ingredients? I will continue to give him salt baths until you or Wolfen reply with the answers to those questions. I’ll try feeding him again in the morning and hopefully he eats something and he’s got his appetite back. I’m still not sure whether he’s been pooping though. Also should I give his tank mate the same treatment or a lower amount of solution but still a bath?

Raff

 

[wolfen]

100% holtfreters is 3.5g salt, 0.1g calcium chloride, 0.05g potassium chloride, 0.2g bicarbonate of soda, so 50% is half the amount of ingredients, both articles that were first linked to ie.. axolotl.org and axolotl colony had the ingredients listed, they also both included adding magnesium sulphate (epsom salt) 0.2g for 100% holtfreters and 0.1g for 50%.
ascorbic acid (vitamin c) helps to remove the copper that was absorbed from using malachite green.
the link that you added only seems to include only salts required for holtfreters solution (nusalt is mostly potassium chloride) not the complete holtfreters so is a modified solution at best.

 

[CherryRipeTheAxie]

100% holtfreters is 3.5g salt, 0.1g calcium chloride, 0.05g potassium chloride, 0.2g bicarbonate of soda, so 50% is half the amount of ingredients, both articles that were first linked to ie.. axolotl.org and axolotl colony had the ingredients listed, they also both included adding magnesium sulphate (epsom salt) 0.2g for 100% holtfreters and 0.1g for 50%.
ascorbic acid (vitamin c) helps to remove the copper that was absorbed from using malachite green.
the link that you added only seems to include only salts required for holtfreters solution (nusalt is mostly potassium chloride) not the complete holtfreters so is a modified solution at best.

Thanks, I'll try to find those ingredients. But do you know where I could possibly buy ascorbic acid? Also, should I give the tank mate the same treatment or not? They were both in separate tubs when I put the fungonex in. And by 3.5g salt you mean Epsom salts right?

Raff

 

[wolfen]

3.5g salt per litre is non-iodinised sodium chloride ie.. marine salt etc..
ascorbic acid powder is used quite often as a health supplement so should be readily available through ebay or amazon.
using holtfreters + magnesium sulphate would benefit both so there is no harm in using it in the tank with them both in it, the same applies to ascorbic acid.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

If he ate the feeder fish, it sounds like both of them are on the right track for a full recovery! It may be your axolotl is more picky or is more movement oriented and that's why he went after the feeder fish as opposed to the worms, or you may try blanching worms as sometimes they can give off a bad odor axolotls don't like, etc. Or it could just be he prefers to eat fish instead.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Q for @wolfen - OP mentioned giving a holtfreter's bath but can the solution be added to the tank???

 

[wolfen]

Q for @wolfen - OP mentioned giving a holtfreter's bath but can the solution be added to the tank???

holtfreters is best used in the tank as a permanent means of providing the salts and minerals to keep axolotls healthy.

 

[CherryRipeTheAxie]

holtfreters is best used in the tank as a permanent means of providing the salts and minerals to keep axolotls healthy.

Just a quick question. While the holtfreters ingredients and the ascorbic acid ship to Australia what does the ascorbic acid actually do for the tank? Ive read about the benefits of holtfreters but I couldn’t find a website that tells me about ascorbic acid, so what does it actually do?

Raff

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is a supplement that is found in numerous fruits such as oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, limes, and tomatoes, and helps the body detox from copper exposure. Malachite green is a copper substance which amphibians are incredibly sensitive to so any accidental exposure that they may have been subjected to from the substance, the ascorbic acid will help them greatly in detoxifying. It will also help them build strong bones and other connective tissues, muscles, and blood. These are all generic effects of ascorbic acid.