Signs your axolotl has a parasite
If your axolotl has a parasite, the first indication is that it will start refusing to eat. It may float and it will start to loose it’s floofs, loose weight and sometimes loose its slime coat.
This is an axolotl that was surrendered to me because the previous owner couldn’t work out why it wasn’t eating. I asked a few questions to be sure, but as soon as they said they had fed unquarantined feeders, I knew what was making the axy sick.
What causes a parasite?
The main cause I have come across is feeder fish or shrimp. Often people don’t quarantine feeders, they buy fish or shrimp from a pet store or another fish keeper and just put them into the axolotl tank. Doing this means you have no way of truly knowing if the fish you are feeding are healthy or not and could be putting a parasite into your tank without knowing.
Quarantine
Feeder fish and shrimp are fun for your axy, but you must quarantine them or breed them in your own tank to ensure they are 100% healthy. All aquatics should be quarantined for a month before they are added to any tank you already have fish or axolotls in.
The easiest way to do this is to have a little sponge filter in your main tank. When you buy feeders, fill up a little tank or even a food safe container and put the little sponge filter over from the big tank. The little tank won’t be perfectly cycled, but it will be enough to have the feeders in for the month they need to be. If they are all healthy after a month, go ahead and add them to the main tank. If not, you will need to fully clean the sponge filter as well.
You have determined that your axolotl does have a parasite, what now?
To begin with, you will want to put her in the fridge. Get yourself two tubs the same size with primed water. Put your axy in one and the other in the fridge empty. This way after 24 hours, you can move them to the second tub, knowing the water temperature is the same.
Doing this should kill the parasite, but adding parasite medication into the water at the same time will guarantee it.
What’s that in the water?
By day 3 they should be doing green poos. While it looks gross, it’s a great sign, this is the body ridding itself of the parasite. If you see poo, change the water sooner. The last day you may change the water multiple times as the axy will be getting the parasite out.
Next stage
After your 3 day fridging, set up a tub with an air stone and fresh primed water, between 16 – 18°C. Put the tub from the fridge into the bigger tub to slowly bring the fridge water temperature up and then release the axy into the tub.
Tubbing stage
Once in the tub, alternate between medication for inside and medication for outside. Changing the water every 12 hours. The first 12 hours, add parasite treatment and anti-biotics. After 12 hours, move your axy to a fresh tub with a little methylene blue.
Check the water for any poos as they will continue to poo green for a few days. Once you see no more green poo, do one last day of treatment and then move to fresh primed water with an Indian almond leaf.
All healed
By this stage, your axy should be all healed, possibly hungry, possibly not ready yet. Start offering food. If its not eaten, remove any breakdown.
It may take a few days to heal a bit more, but once they are ready, they will start taking food again. If your axy lost a lot of weight, be careful to feed too much in the first couple of days, increasing the food amount slowly.
You will need to keep your axolotl tubbed, changing the water daily, until you are confident they are eating every day and doing healthy brown poos again. Once you see this for a few days, go ahead and put the axy back in its main tank.
Side note
Your tank may still have parasites in it. While you are looking after your axolotl, you will need to cleanse the tank. If you have other axolotls in the tank, they will need to be tubbed and given the parasite treatment as a precaution. If you have feeders in the tank, they will need the same treatment.
The tank will also need treatment. You can put parasite treatment straight in it, use a UV light filter, or if you want to be 100% sure, strip the tank. Put all hardscape in the sun to bake and kill anything and rinse your filter in boiling water. This third method will crash your cycle, but will definitely kill the parasites fully. If you are doing this last method, be sure to complete the cycle process before you add back anything living.
Take away
In future, never feed unquarantined feeders 😉, but if you do, you can help your axy, just like this one. She still needs to put on a little weight, but she is doing so much better
Surrenders
As mentioned previously, if you are in the Perth Western Australia area, I will take in a surrender if this all seems too full on for you.
