Kids put hands in water!!!

G

grant

Guest
Ok my girlfriend finally got her tank at her house all set up and cycled and she put in her axolotl. She had cycled her tank for a month and it was all good. First day she put it in a neighborhood kid was over and I guess he put his hands in and picked it up for just a second and dropped it back in. When I went over to her house with her after she got off work the tank was really murky and just looked dirty. When we found out what happened she was freaking out. I did a 70% water change just in case and to clear it up. I don't know if I should have done it on such a newly cycled tank but I really didn't want to risk it. I have some Pro-Clear stuff from Kent that I've used on my fish before. It seems to clear the water up pretty good and I was wondering if that would be good to use in this situation its only ingrediants are deionized water and polyelectrolytes. And the axolotl in the tank has a cut on his front leg which seems to be healing nicely though but seems to be pretty fresh (like happened a few days ago). He is a little guy only about 4 inches right now. I no longer have an extra tank or I'd keep him there and I dont want to put him in with my other axies because they are so much bigger (my golden is about 12 inches now! and still doesn't even have the black finger tips!) Since the water changes the water is a lot clearer but is there anything I should do to help reduce stress especially because he was just put in the new tank today? He is currently still in the same tank with the water changes. I would have put him some where else but all my tanks are being used and I dont have anthing until I pick up some big plastic bowls at wal-mart tomorrow. Anyone have any suggestions of what to do. I have most chemical stuff for fish and common stuff used with axolotls. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
I don't think the axie should be too stressed by being picked up if it was only for a second. The cut on the leg - are you saying the kid might have done this, or did you notice it before. If its healing, well and good. Maybe give a couple of salt baths to be on the safe side if you want.
You could maybe buy some Stress Coat if you are worried about his slime coating being damaged.

As far as the water change, if the bio agents in the filter and the substrates are still present, the tank should be fine. Do the ammo, nites and pH testing to be sure.
 
Yea shes testing it at her work first thing in the morning and I use Stress Coat as the dechlorinator in her tank so I'm pretty sure hes doing ok. I noticed the cut before but it seems to be fine and I'd rather not give him the salt bath right now since hes gone through so much already today. If the cut is still very visable in a few days I will give him the salt bath.
 
Hey, could you guys explain this stress coat to me? What brand is it? It sounds like it is good for Axolotls, I would like to get it just incase anything should happen to my little buddies. I am going to the store tomorrow to get some Amqual +, so this stress coat, as soon as i know the brand I will get some of that too.
 
Thanks so much Joan
happy.gif
Really appreciate that ^_^
 
Grant - The water should not of become cloudy from the kid sticking their hands in the tank.

When a new tank becomes cloudy like that it is usually a bloom of bacteria from the axolotl/fish waste.

You probably should of just tested the water for the usual 3 ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to see if there was a problem.

Removing 70% of the water may cause a rise in ammonia or nitrite over the next few days keep a close eye on it.

I would try to avoid using chemicals to clear the water with the axolotl in the tank.
 
The water did not become murky from bacteria or anything. The axolotl was put in the tank that after noon and the water had just been tested, 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and low nitrates. The kid is 6 years old and had been out playing in their back yard (it is all dirt and they are getting a swimming pool put in) and he was all dirty and did it. I am positive that is what it was. And I am aware that there probably will be a spike of ammonia then maybe even nitrites again. I have had to do this on my fish tanks before for different reasons but I would much rather be safe and just clean up his water then let him sit in it if there was something that the kid either had on his hands or something.
 
Unless he dumped a fistful of dirt into the aquarium, I can't see how normal child dirt (or adults... *looks at her hands*) would make a tank dirty. If your biological filter is all cycled, you shouldn't have a spike of anything. Keep an eye on it.
 
Yea well I wouldn't lie about the tank and how it was dirty. She tested the water today and everything is normal, 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and low nitrates. She will continue to test the water everyday. She knows quite a bit about cycling tanks (a lot more than me) and she works at a pet stores and is constantly cycling tanks everyday.
 
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