Illness/Sickness: Sick Axolotl

[tmorgan]

I just have to say Lids, you have a very lovely tank set up.

 

[zoezakella]

Hi I have checked the water on the main tank. Gh 180, KH 240, PH 9, NO2 0.5 & NO3 40.
I am still keeping him the fridge, I have just been out to check on him and he has fungi growing from his bottom area, I have just given him a salt bath. I have been unable to take a picture of this fungi as i could only just see it coming out from under him.
when i lifted his container up to look at his underneth he has two patches of fungi growing. Do you have any idea why it is growing there?

I think have attached a picture of the tank before i re-homed the plec and of axi and a close up of his tail.

Thanks

Lids

Hi Lids,

Do you have an ammonia reading as that is the important one?

Is it definately fungus as that is an odd place unless he has been wounded there, has your plec attached to him underneath at all do you know?

Can you try and attach the picture as it has not worked, if you go to attach files and manage attachments you an load it up that way :happy:

 

[Lids]

I attached tham on the previous message, I can see them. The sticks do not test that I got the 5-1 aquarium test strips.
I don't think the plec would have attacked him there as it is right under neath him.
I can try to take a photo and c if I can post it on x

Thanks

Lids

 

[zoezakella]

Ok can see piccies now and tail looks like it has been nobbled just hard to know by who!

Really sorry if this sounds like me giving you negatives all the time just trying to help so hope you take it that way

Your tank is fine for now but axies prefer length to height so that will need upgrading when they are bigger. Also as its quite a small tank I am guessing there is a lot of water movement going on in your tank as that filter looks quite powerful plus you also have an airstone going, axies dont like a lot of water movement it stresses them out so you may want to invest in either a bigger tank which can cope with that filter or buy a smaller filter.

Also the bog wood is lovely for the axies to climb on but they need things they can hide under to make them feel secure.

Sorry to go on....

 

[zoezakella]

I attached tham on the previous message, I can see them. The sticks do not test that I got the 5-1 aquarium test strips.
I don't think the plec would have attacked him there as it is right under neath him.
I can try to take a photo and c if I can post it on x

Thanks

Lids

they attached as I was replying lol thanks can see them

 

[Lids]

Hi thanks for your advise.
I have attached some not very good photo's of the white growth underneath Axi.
Have you got any other advise about the white growths.

Lids

 

[Lids]

I just have to say Lids, you have a very lovely tank set up.

Thanks :happy:

 

[zoezakella]

Hi thanks for your advise.
I have attached some not very good photo's of the white growth underneath Axi.
Have you got any other advise about the white growths.

Lids

NO worries

Ok that to me does not look like fungus but hard to say as piccies are not clear... are the growths attached, can you gently brush them off, does it look like cotton wool?

 

[Lids]

NO worries

Ok that to me does not look like fungus but hard to say as piccies are not clear... are the growths attached, can you gently brush them off, does it look like cotton wool?

They look like they r attached. It looks like cotton wool. I have not tried to brush them off. Is there a best way to pick an axolotl up to look a their belly? as I'm scared of hurting him.

 

[Lids]

NO worries

Ok that to me does not look like fungus but hard to say as piccies are not clear... are the growths attached, can you gently brush them off, does it look like cotton wool?

I've given him a salt bath this moring and have taken some photos of better quality due to the light. I'm not sure if he is looking a bit gray all over or if its the lighting.
When I was transferring him from the salt bath to clean water some of the white fell off (I have taken a photo of this). The other bit of the white disapeared when I turned him over it appeared to go up his bum. does this mean that the fungi is inside of him. Im concerned.

Help please

Lids

 

[zoezakella]

Its so hard to say what that is due to where it is does not look like any fungus I have seen and its coming out of his bottom??

What is your axies diet as he looks skinny & also his gills are very short I really think you need to get that ammonia tested as that concerns me...

 

[Lids]

Hi he has a diet of frozen bloodworm. I thought he was looking skinny too, I was going to try him with an earth worm after all the comments about how good they r but then he started to look ill again. I put some bloodworm in for him yesterday, but don't think he has eatten any. I'll see if i can get an amonia testing kit today.

Lids

 

[zoezakella]

yeh get some earthworms he will love them and he needs fattening up bless him

 

[mewsie]

Perhaps a nice juicy earthworm, if he's feeling up to eating it, would help. He does look quite skinny, and the nutrition from a worm will help him heal/fight whatever this is. Bloodworm are ok but they are missing in nutrients that earthworms have, and your axie needs all the nutrients he can get right now. Plus, the wriggliness of the earthworm will probably encourage him to eat.

I agree with Zoe that getting the water tested is going to help you diagnose the problem, or at least rule things out. I also wholeheartedly second her words of advice on how to make your tank more axie friendly.

(luckily) I have no experience with fungus, so others can advise you best there. (There is still a chance the plec could have got underneath the axie, axies have a habit of standing against walls, climbing on stuff, standing up balancing on their tails etc.)

 

[Lids]

Hi I have tested the amonia in the tank it is reading as 0.25 ppm (mg/L).

I'm off to find a wiggly worm in the garden as we speak as I do not use any chemicals in the soil.

Lids

 

[Lids]

Its so hard to say what that is due to where it is does not look like any fungus I have seen and its coming out of his bottom??

What is your axies diet as he looks skinny & also his gills are very short I really think you need to get that ammonia tested as that concerns me...

Hi I've found a little earth worm. I have just tested the water that I have axi in the fridge in and the NH2 is 2.0 ppm (Mg/L) that's too high isn't it. I've used tap water that has been filter I've just tested my tap water and it read as 0.25. The filtered water is reading as 1.0 (Mg/L).

Can I put him in some bottled water?

Help please Lids

 

[Lids]

Its so hard to say what that is due to where it is does not look like any fungus I have seen and its coming out of his bottom??

What is your axies diet as he looks skinny & also his gills are very short I really think you need to get that ammonia tested as that concerns me...

Zoe,

Yeh It looked like it was coming from his bottom. I might post the pic's as a seprate post and c if anyone else knows what it is. He is not eating I'm getting worried about him

Lids

 

[Lids]

The whit now has a clear jelly looking substance behind it, it might be a funny type of poo.
Axi didn't eat the worm, I am now trying him with some blood worm before i change his water, in the hope that he might eat something.
On the plus side his legs r looking fine and his tail looks no worse.

I think I might be worrying too much, but my last axolotl died so am trying my bast for my little man. :happy:

 

[Kaysie]

Are you sure it's not a spermatophore?

 

[Lids]

Are you sure it's not a spermatophore?

Oooh I think it might be thanks I found a picture of what it looks like and it looks similar. :happy:
That means I only need to worry about his tail healing and him not eatting.

Thank u