My axolotl is Dying! Please Help

[kristie85]

Hi,
Been following this site for a year now, we are avid keepers of axolotl's.
My albino (yellow) axolotl appears to be dying.
A little history:
He is over a year old, when we first got him, we did not realise he was in bad shape to begin with, we had not cycled our tank for long enough and introducing 3 axies at once we unfortunately lost one to a micro bacteria and a prolapsed bowel We researched for months and are now fully informed on these beautiful creatures!
The other 2 have lived for a year since but with irreparable damage done to their gills due to the pet shop being so bad, they have had more sick axolotls since ours which I have put in a complaint about it. We now go to Amazing Amazon which are amazing, caring and so knowledgeable esp. Ben!
Back on topic our tank needed to be re-cycled and has been perfect ever since.
Ph: 7.2
Ammonia 0
KH: 4
GH: 7-8
Temp: Always at 18 degrees as we brought a chiller due to the heat in Australia.

Taco (yellow axie) has not been eating well over the last 3 months but due to how we brought him and his leucistic friend they have never really had huge appetites. He has lost weight over the last 2 weeks. We took him to an axolotl vet as we were concerned with gills etc. Because our tank is perfect conditions/setup. He said he still looked in good shape and took a biopsy and concluded their was no bacterial infection.
I have noticed different behaviour over last few days, further lack of appetite, and found him floating at top of tank this evening.

Can someone please help me, I will call vet tomorrow but although he tried his very best to swim back to bottom, he eventually got under a slate ledge and is floating under there. Then trying to swim to places he can attach to to not float to top.

I know he is going to die so do i refrigerate him( not very comfortable with that)
My biggest fear is that he is in pain dying slowly or that if i think he is dead tomorrow and he is not really and I bury him alive or something.
Never posted before. Someone please:confused reply, very concerned and upset.

Thanks

Kristie

 

[HayleyK]

I'm sorry to hear your lotl isn't doing too well.

What are your nitrite and nitrate readings?
How old are they?
What do you feed them/how often?
What substrate do you use?
Is your vet a herp vet / treats axolotls or amphibians?

If he's in the fridge fill the tub just to cover his back so he doesn't get stressed by floating.

 

[Velice]

Can you post some pictures?

 

[kristie85]

Hi, I don't have pics atm. Not sure about nitrates and nitrites as I dont have the kit however all 3 other axies have been fine, healthy this whole time. Sunbrate is very fine sand. new axies eat daily but the two older ones eat around 5 days. Earthworms mainly. Love trout. Vet is amphibian vet in frankston but specialises in axolotls. He said to also try prawns which they like. We have varied from yabbies to feeder fish and crickets but trout, prawns (soaked to get rid of the salt) and earthworms are the favourites.
He doesnt like to be touched very much and is floating at top of the tank. He has now got an arched back and curled tail. If I put him in the fridge will that help? I feel like im just leaving him to die...

 

[kristie85]

He has dropped down in the tank hanging onto a plant now. As I said he doesnt like to be touched and now barely moves when I touch him. I will call the vet early morning and see if I can get him looked at however the stress may be too much for him to drive 40 mins in a car. I will get a nitrates and nitrites kit tomorrow also. Worse case scenario they put him down if he is a lot of pain.

 

[kristie85]

I have also just noticed where his mouth ends it looks like its inflamed/bulging slightly in a white colour. almost like its swollen. I will reluctantly go to bed now and hope for the best in the morning.
Thanks heaps for replying to me.

K

 

[HayleyK]

It's still a good idea to test for nitrites and nitrates because they too can make axolotls I'll and potentially die. If the herp vet couldn't find a cause after biopsy it is most likely something to do with water quality. Leucistics and goldens (though not proven) can be affected by water quality/temperature more so than wildies. I suggest buying liquid test kits just to rule out water quality.

That being said, I had a leucistic I bought from a really bad pet shop and raised her to be healthy for over two years. One day she started floating, not being her usual piggy self and her tail fin was receeding, gills disappearing etc. My water temp and quality was spot on, my earthworms were all natural and her tank mate was eating like a champ, beautiful fluffy gills, beautiful tail etc. My leucistic didn't have an infection most likely as it wasn't passed on to her tank mate. I did notice however she had a mass lump of tissue growing in her mouth, almost like a tumor or skin tag the week leading up to her death. People on here advised it could be likely that she was an unhealthy lotl from the get-go. Pet stores use the same breeders and inter-breeding can occur leading to other problems internal or with their DNA. Unfortunately I had to euthanize her. Other members on the forum stated that sometimes they can just pass, with no reason why (I felt guilty and sad that I was doing something wrong)

 

[kristie85]

Hi Haley,
Thank you so much for replying again. I also feel guilty and sad. I know that we really monitor these guys to the best of our ability and even the vet says our tank is perfect so maybe it is a genetic thing, however he was the healthier out of the two originally. I will go to shops now to buy nitrates and nitrites test. I have an appointment with the vet today not sure if he will survive the stress of the trip so I am undecided whether to take him or not.

 

[xxianxx]

You said the axolotl was floating, does it appear bloated?