|
Is there anyone here who keeps Axolotls or other regenerative aquatic salamanders? Mine have managed to damage their tails in various ways recently, and I'm wondering what I should be doing to help them beyond just feeding them more often and letting their Wolverine-style Healing Factors take over. The one had a small clean break (I think the other one nibbled some of the tip fin off), the other I think somehow managed to tear the fines on the tip by getting them near the filter (a thing I've always been worried about happening  )
|
#
¿
Jan 19, 2012 02:54
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 21, 2024 21:10 |
|
|
OneTwentySix posted:What size tank do you have them in? It could be that they're outgrowing whatever tank they're in, and the stress and close contact has lead to nipping. More food, and possibly more cover objects (plants, fake plants, PVC pipes, etc.) to break line of sight might allow them to get away in case of minor fights. I've moved them up to a 40 gallon now. It may be the fact that there's not enough coverage, but I had stopped using coverage about 7 months back without any issues in a slightly smaller tank (mostly because it made cleaning much easier and I was planning on upgrading them). Now that I've finally got them a proper chiller, I'm probably going to start introducing more coverage back in, if only because if the flow rate bothers them they'll have more traction or places to "hide". The one looked like it had some very minor damage to the tail membrane of its tip, just the outer edge, and that already seems to be healing. The other looks like it managed to like... flay part of the membrane in about the same area. Like it was a less clean tear or bite or whatever. I'm not sure if it's them being nippy or its them getting close to the filter and being stupid. I've modified the set up so the flow area around the filter is a bit more spread and covered (I built a container just under the outflow, for example, which should spread it a bit more, as well as give an area of filtered water for intake into the chiller), so I'm hoping that will remove the risk of contact with it. I haven't seen anything that indicated infection as of yet, though we'll see. I'm slowly dropping the water temp regardless. I've also every few days been introducing some of that slime membrane treatment stuff. It's more intended for fish but it's the same sort of thing. They've been doing good otherwise 
|
|
#
¿
Jan 19, 2012 23:27
|
|
|
OneTwentySix, here are some really bad pictures of the injury zones since my camera kept focusing on the glass (also I need to clean the glass more than I thought apparently)  Leucetic's tail. It was the one that was slightly "ripped" looking at the tip, it seems like it's nubbed down. Dunno what that means. The reddish coloration I take is just tissue coloration?   Natural black's tail. It's already healing quite a bit, which is good since it was the older injury. Hoping the leucetic improves as well. e: Hmm apparently the Leucetic has also been probably bit on its front left arm. Still has it, but it's "holding" it odd and it has a red mark on it. I have no idea why the black one is being so... bitey. They have plenty of room. Zorak fucked around with this message at 06:28 on Jan 20, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Jan 20, 2012 06:22
|
|