Urgent help needed

[Reevo]

Hi all, I've had m axoltlots 2 years now, theyv even bred several times. One is dark blue/black ~3 yrs old the other is golden in colour ~2yrs.

I fed them 2 days ago with defrosted White blood worm, quite messy but all ok, then today I picked up some shrimp from the pet store. It's been 7 hours since feeding them and as I was going to bed I noticed the golden axolotl was sitting on a log at 45 degrees face down and was almost completely red. I've done an emergency water change ~50% (was on my list of things to do tomorrow due to some works still in the tank) in case of contaminated water from the shrimp or worms and taken all plants out of the aquarium. Her blood vessels are all raised and highly visible over her skin. It's hard to tell but the darker one seems ok, and is quite happily swimming about and is now nose to nose with her.

Any ideas?

I know then can go pink when stressed etc but this is different. Eaten too many shrimp? Poor water? Dying? She went pink when she was going to lay eggs after eating shrimp and is fairly large (eggs or shrimp?!) but she doesn't look well compared to previously....

Help required.

Matt

 

[Bellabelloo]

That is rather worrying, I hope she is looking much better today, if not I would take her right out of her tank and fridge her. This link explains it well :-
Axolotl Sanctuary
Would you know what your water readings are at present?

 

[Reevo]

Thank for the response. I've added ph nitrate balancing drops today and kept the tank to a minimum fuss. She's looking better, still pinkish, still large and still with several visible blood vessels but much better than last night. She's spent most of the day pretty still but is now swimming around (tonight).

I'm hoping she is recovering.

Perhaps she's eaten too much as I put several live shrimp in the tank? Possibly blocked as eaten a pebble?

Fingers crossed. If not fridge tomorrow....

 

[siona]

if there are pebbles in your tank, remove them. Better not to risk blockages like that. Can you post a photo? I hope she continues to recover. Fingers crossed.

 

[Bellabelloo]

I hope she is improving , but a few alarm bells rang from your last response.

The only thing you should potentially use in your water is de-chlorinator for your water changes. Using other chemicals to balance water problems may affect your axolotl.

If you have pebbles in your tank, she may have consumed one. Pebbles are also great at hiding all sorts of gunk. Uneaten bloodworm will be wafting all over the tank and settle among the stones, in turn this will rot and cause ammonia to rise. I am wondering if this may be the problem ?

I would take her out fridge her. This way you can monitor anything she passes.

Would you be able to post a picture of her so we can see her?

 

[Reevo]

its not the best picture, sorry.

Basically i took out all the plants and have left the tank alone for several days not avoiding cleaning etc and haven't even put a light on (low powered).

She is looking much much better, imagine her the colour of a blood orange! all her veins were up. A few are still showing.

Blue, the boy, hasnt seemed to chage at all the last few days and seems as happy as ever! he came over to pose for the picture!

I fed them last night, but only a small portion.

 

[Reevo]

what do you guys have for a tank bottom? surely sand and smaller pebbles will be ingested much easier than larger ones?

normally for a water change i leave water to stand for a few days before or use tap safe to take out the chlorine. The stuff i added i only bought on saturday as i panicked friday night a did a 60% water change incase some of the shrimp water etc was harmful and if the levels changed..... i wont use it again,

its a 65 ltr tank so normally do a bucket water change ever 7-10 days using a suction pump and churn the gravel to get the ****. It seems to have worked for the last two years as shes laid eggs on numerous occasions and this is normally tricky isnt it?!

 

[emz]

Most people use sand as it passes through without problems but i just have mine on a bare bottom tank at the moment with a few large pebbles much bigger than his head for decoration.