Reassurance please

[christine]

Hi,

I am new to the forum having just found you a couple of nights ago while looking for info about axolotls. I bought Chilli during the summer and he seemed to be doing really well, he is a good eater and has grown a fair bit. About a week ago I noticed a tiny bit of white which I am assuming was fungus on one of his gills, a couple of days later it had gone, the next day it was back and a couple of days later it disapeared and hasn't returned although the tip of the gill has gone too. I have now noticed the same thing on a gill on the opposite side. I have done a 50% water change (the water was pretty dirty which has probably caused the problem)and I have replaced the filter with a smaller one. I had hoped that this second spot would disapear like the first but it doesn't look as though it is so having read all your posts I decided to try a salt bath. It took me three goes to actually get a firm enough hold of him to lift him out of his tank, the first twice he wriggled away from and cannoned off round the tank. As soon as I got him into the salt bath I noticed a red line running down his back and tail and another couple of red dots on his tail as though he had broken some blood vessels. After ten minutes I put him back in the tank and he swam to the corner where he has sat with his back to me for over two hours. I am now worried that I have done him more harm than good and I should have left him well alone. Can anyone give me some advice please, he is a lovely little guy and normally so friendly.

Christine

(Message edited by chrisluke on October 05, 2006)

 

[kapo]

Welcome to the forum!

How much salt per water quantity did you use? Too much salt or too long a salt bath could burn or it may have been due to stress. (Saltbaths are 2-3teaspoons for each litre or pint of water)

You should try not to handle him as too much handling can damage their skin. Next time maybe use a net and container or two containers (one to gently herd him into the other). If you use the net when you lift him, place your hand under his body/net so it doesn't swing and he's not hanging so much.

What is the tank temperature? Temp should be kept below 20deg cel. as axies prefer cooler temps and heat stresses them, which in turn may lower their immune systems and fungus could develop or they get sick.

Also you shud really have left your old filter in the tank, you may have set your tank into a minicycle with putting in another filter, unless that filter had come from another tank (or was it brand new?) To clean a filter you should wash it in tankwater, not on a waterchange day.

Do you test your tankwater at all with water test kits - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & ph? And how often do you usually do waterchanges? The dirty water might not have caused the problem which is why you need to test first before doing a big change. Then if there is a problem - ammonia or nitrites above 0 - then do a 20-30% waterchange every few days.

What substrate do you have, sand/pebbles/gravel rocks or bare tank floor?



(Message edited by kapo on October 05, 2006)

(Message edited by kapo on October 05, 2006)

 

[christine]

hi,

I used two teaspoons salt to 2pints of water for 10 minutes. Since I posted the first message I have taken a water sample to the pet shop to be checked, the nitrates were way too high and the PH too low (while I was there I bought a net.) Tank temperature is 19, the filter came from another tank. I have large pebbles on the tank floor but I think they are part of the problem as food/dirt gets between them and I obviously haven't been cleaning it as throughly as I should. A lesson learned.

Thanks for your advice.