Tubbing/refrigeration?

AMurry24537

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Well, it's happened. After a year and a half of almost perfect health, my axolotl now has fungus! :(

I noticed it tonight just as I was finishing up his water change/tank cleaning; a tiny blob of white fuzz at the tip of one of his gills.

Since I don't have all of the necessary materials yet, I'm going to begin treatment when the stores are actually open. I'm feeling okay about starting these processes, but what I don't know is how they end, so I'm hoping on some advice from all of you.

Here's my main thing I'm wondering about though: I know that the fungus can come back from just a microscopic piece. What does this mean for the main aquarium? How would I get rid of all of it?

Any help, advice, or accounts of personal experience would be helpful.
 
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Hi!

I think you have the wrong idea of where fungus comes from.
Fungus is all around. It's in the water from your tap and the water in your tank, it's in the air you breathe - it's everywhere.

If your axolotl is strong and healthy, the fungus that is all around will not be able to grow on the axolotl.
But if your axolotl is not as healthy - usually because of bad water quality - fungus might start growing on the axolotl as well.

That means that if you remove the fungus but don't fix the water quality, it will just grow back immediately.

So before you start with salt baths or fridging (there's no need to fridge anyway), you have to look for why the fungus could grow on your axolotl and fix that.

You don't do 100% water changes in a tub to "remove fungus spores" (because you can't - fungus spores are everywhere always), you do it to keep the water quality good.

In almost all cases, fungus issues come from too high ammonia, nitrates or temperature (or all three).
What are your ammonia, nitrites, nitrates values?
Temperature?
pH and hardness, if you have it?
Do you use a dechlorinator and if so, which one?
Is the axolotl otherwise healthy and fat?


For healthy axolotls, once you fix the water quality issues they are usually strong enough to fight the fungus off themselves, even without salt baths.
 
Well, it's happened. After a year and a half of almost perfect health, my axolotl now has fungus! :(

I noticed it tonight just as I was finishing up his water change/tank cleaning; a tiny blob of white fuzz at the tip of one of his gills.

Since I don't have all of the necessary materials yet, I'm going to begin tubbing, refridgerating, and salt-bathing him tomorrow when the stores are actually open. I'm feeling okay about starting these processes, but what I don't know is how they end, so I'm hoping on some advice from all of you.

First, how long would you say it takes for the fungus to go away?

Here's my main thing I'm wondering about though: I know that the fungus can come back from just a microscopic piece, which is why we have to do 100% water changes in the meantime. What does this mean for the main aquarium? Will the fungus spores die without the axolotl being present? Will I have to entirely empty out the tank and restart the cycle? What about the moss balls? Can I put them back in?

I'm trying not to stress out about this, particularly since I already have enough on my mind trying to finish my degree, but I'm so worried. Recycling the tank is the last thing I need right now, but anything for my buddy.

Any help, advice, or accounts of personal experience would be helpful.
I 100% agree with Murk on this one. Fridging and salt baths are not always required. In fact, fridging is the last thing i would do. Depending on the severity of the fungal infection, salt baths may not be required either. You may be able to get away with tubbing him in fresh clean water and do a simple tea bath. Tea is much easier and less stressful for them.

As Murk said, most fungal infections have an underlying cause; usually water quality. let us know what your water parameters are and we can help sort that part out for you.

In the meantime, tub him in cold clean water (change 100% daily in the tub) and brew up some good quality plain black tea. Then you'll dilute the brewed tea with cold water until its a light amber brown color and let him hang out in it. Tea is mild enough that if diluted properly, they can be left in it for hours with no issue.
 
Hi!

I think you have the wrong idea of where fungus comes from.
Fungus is all around. It's in the water from your tap and the water in your tank, it's in the air you breathe - it's everywhere.

If your axolotl is strong and healthy, the fungus that is all around will not be able to grow on the axolotl.
But if your axolotl is not as healthy - usually because of bad water quality - fungus might start growing on the axolotl as well.

That means that if you remove the fungus but don't fix the water quality, it will just grow back immediately.

So before you start with salt baths or fridging (there's no need to fridge anyway), you have to look for why the fungus could grow on your axolotl and fix that.

You don't do 100% water changes in a tub to "remove fungus spores" (because you can't - fungus spores are everywhere always), you do it to keep the water quality good.

In almost all cases, fungus issues come from too high ammonia, nitrates or temperature (or all three).
What are your ammonia, nitrites, nitrates values?
Temperature?
pH and hardness, if you have it?
Do you use a dechlorinator and if so, which one?
Is the axolotl otherwise healthy and fat?


For healthy axolotls, once you fix the water quality issues they are usually strong enough to fight the fungus off themselves, even without salt baths.
Thank you both so much! It seems I did indeed misunderstand how the fungus works--I knew the infections were usually causes by poor water quality and/or stress, but I didn't realize the true nature of the fungus. I also don't know as much about tea baths, so I appreciate your help on that too. Do you recommend any particular brand of black tea?

I'm at work right now, so I can't perform the water tests until I get home (I have the API liquid test kit). I did just do his weekly tank cleaning/water change last night, which is when I noticed the fungus, so I don't know how indicative they'll be.

The water is fairly hard in my area and the ph is also usually above 8, so I use SeaChem's neutral regulator to bring it down to about 7.3. This product is also a dechlorinator and I've used it with no problems ever since I got him in 2018.

I have a temperature controller and chiller that keep him between 62 and 64 F. After last night, I programmed them to drop it down to about 55 and opened my window (it's below freezing outside) to help my chiller out. Basically, the temperature in my room is currently about 65 and the chiller was able to get the tank down to 55.7 when I left this morning.

He has been undergoing some changes to his tank recently, and I worry that these may be the root of the problem, but I don't know how to fix it. I described in another fairly recent post about he's repeatedly injured the end of his tail, started to grow it back, and then injured it again before he was completely healed. I'm pretty sure the hide was the problem, so a few weeks ago, I took it out and put a blanket around the tank to help shade it and make him feel safer without his hide until I could get him a different one. Last week, I actually put in one of his old ones (a pvc pipe that I rinsed off well in hot water beforehand) and he's loved it. This and a new marimo ball (which I rinsed in the old tank water last time that I cleaned and then put it in--this was last week) are the only "new" conditions. Does it seem likely that one of these is causing the problems? If so, what should I do?
 
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