Spink Posted August 25, 2008 Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 I know this is probably in the wrong place, but I wanted to post somewhere more people would see this and offer help. I got up this morning and went to do my usual rounds of turning on the fish tanks lights and having a quick check. My 4 year old daughter has an axy in her room, and when i went in this morning, his light wasn't on, so I turned it on, and OH MY GOD! I noticed a perfume like smell in her room yesterday, and figured she'd been playing with her Johnson's hand and body lotion, but I couldn't find any evidence. When I flicked on the light of the tank, there it was - truck loads of body lotion floating in the axy tank! So, after the initial panic and the explosion of fish things in the entrance way, this is where I am at: - axy is resting quietly in an icecream container, probably uncomfortable, but safer there than in the tank - new tank set up with fish tank water, filter, airstone and a log to hide under; just waiting for the temp to adjust a tiny bit more and settle before putting the axy in - old tank emptied and cold water running through it to flush out the crap - filter in warm water in the kitchen sink to flush out anything in there So my question is, what now? Is there anything I can do before i go to prison for manslaughter to help my poor axy survive his tragic beauty session? Any treatments or suggestions gladly welcomed. Jeez, I haven't even done my hair yet! AAARRRGGGHHH! Gotta love kids aye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted August 25, 2008 Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 I don't have any suggestions on what more you can do, but just wanna say I hope he survives! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 25, 2008 Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 oh no! I would stand up in court and support you in your plea of justifiable homicide I imagine the filter media is totally shot. I would suggest starting over. Too much risk of not being able to get it completely clean. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted August 25, 2008 Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 poor axie lol i bet its never smelt so good though sounds like ur doing everything right, jst keep up with wc's and fingers x'd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted August 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 Update: Darby (that's it's name) has been moved in to the spare tank, and has 'spazzed' out a few times, but so far is doing his norm - nothing. I'm taking that as a good sign. I also discovered the filter and heater were not on and haven't been on for about 2 days - the kid must have played around with the power cords, and unplugged the 4 way board from the extension cord, and we never noticed. So he was very cold (I had numb hands) and may be more overdosed with toxic beauty products than I thought as it wasn't filtering through anything. Here's a pic of what the tank looked like at 8am this morning: Jeez. What do you do. I've always thought they were ugly, but I don't think half a bottle of lotion would ever fix that. I think i need a really strong coffee now, my day doesn't seem to be getting any better :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navarre Posted August 25, 2008 Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 Well thats a bit nasty throw away filter media. tho as it wasnt running might be saved depending on base of hand lotion water may not do trick of removing it. if its is silicon or petrolium based you may need a solvent of some sort. The chemists on here may be able to help with that. You may need to wipe everything with solvent and then use water. good luck Nav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted August 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 Hmmm, hadn't thought of that. :-? I just had a look and there's no mention of either silicon or petrolium, but that's not to say it isn't based on either - I have no idea what all the rubbish in it is, other than i know it has parabens. Maybe I should give up and get another tank - it only cost me $10 for both the 2 foot tank and the axy at a club auction night. I'll keep an eye on the tank and see what it looks like once I have given it a good clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitzy Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 Kids aye, I had one of those days on thursday just one thing after another, then to top it of 1 and 3 year old had pull the pipe from the jebo extenal filter out of my 160 litre tank so about 60 litres of water on the floor had to empty whole tank and move it as water had got under the cabinet too then to top it off 3 year old flooded the bathroom while i was cleaning that mess up, lounge floor still drying :roll: then from there just one thing after another kept happening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted August 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 I SO know that feeling! :roll: I think my little 'darling' had a night of getting in to mischief while I was sick on Sunday night - she played with my sunglasses and stretched them, sprayed my body spray all around my room, ate my chewing gum but spat it on the floor because she didn't like it, drew all over the coffee table with vivid, tipped half a bottle of soap in the bath because we had no bubble bath...the list goes on. We love them, but I often tell my kids (all 4 of them including the 40 year old) "I love you, but today I just don't like you". My cats need that lesson too - I had a bucket in the bedroom with stones in, and they just HAVE to get in it and tip water all over the floor, then they got in the tank which was in the bath whole I was cleaning up the water and trapsed water all over the bathroom floor! Some days you just can't win! :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 axys can absorb stuff through their skin you are doing the right things so far another trick with a sick axy is to put it in a bowl of water in the fridge for awhile even up to a week it slows their metabolism down and allows them a chance to get over shocks, poisoning bacterial infections etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 It sounds like having the heater off in the tank might have been a blessing in disguise. Perhaps the cooler water (so lower metabolism) may mean the axy hasn't absorbed so much poison? From the look of the body lotion in the photo, it is floating in globules on the surface of the water. Hopefully most of it has stayed on the surface rather than actually dissolving in the water, so again the poor little guy might not have absorbed too much of it. Sounds like the best thing you can do is keep the axy in water that is being constantly flushed/changed to dilute any nasties he has been exposed to. I would suggest that the tank, all its décor and the filter media should be thrown out as they are probably contaminated and it would take more effort to clean them than to replace them. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 My cats need that lesson too - I had a bucket in the bedroom with stones in, and they just HAVE to get in it and tip water all over the floor, then they got in the tank which was in the bath whole I was cleaning up the water and trapsed water all over the bathroom floor! Some days you just can't win! :roll: Hehehe why is it that buckets of water are SO appealing to cats? My youngest just loves watching the water be siphoned out of the tank, has paws up on the top of the bucket looking in waiting for it to get to the top so she can paw at it.. silly cat. I have a bucket full of hoses, nets, siphon etc sitting next to the tank.. it got tipped over last night by a nosey cat. Good thing there was no water in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 Oh Spink, my deepest sympathies, sounds like everything is being thrown at you right now! Good point of Livingart's on the cold thing. I was wondering that myself as it can be good for native fish but they prefer cold temps anyway. If the lotion is all gobby I wonder if it is oil-based and therefore not much would have actually got absorbed into the water. AT LEAST HE IS STILL ALIVE AT THIS POINT. That is a really good sign. Sounds like it is nearly 24 hours ago that the lotion got put in the tank. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted August 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 Hey all - update: Darby seems to be doing ok in his temporary tank. I put a chunk of beef heart in earlier and he ate it, so I'm hoping a healthy appetite is a good sign. Oh my gosh put my axy in the fridge!? I didn't think they could survive such low temperatures! Here's me panicking if the tank goes below 18C! I think my hubby might find it weird having our daughter's pet living int he fridge - he doesn't even like white worms in the laundry! I picked up the sprog from daycare and asked her if she had done anything to the tank, and she said no. I took her home and showed her an empty tank, and she got very upset. When I asked her directly if she unplugged the appliances and put hand lotion in the tank, she admitted it, and kept asking "but where's Darby?! ". Once I knew she understood what she had done wrong and that she wouldn't do it again, i took her and showed her he was alive, and you could see the relief on her face. I felt a little bad, but hey, at least she's alive and I'm not in prison :roll: The heater's not currently on in the temporary tank, so hopefully if the temp drops a few degrees over night, he might come right in a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted August 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 Update: over 24 hours later and Darby is still alive. I thought he was dead this morning as he wasn't moving, but then he moved his head so I knew all was ok. he ate another chunk of beef heart this morning too, so i guess he's ok. Panic over. Well, at least until the next big fish drama :roll: Thanks to all for their help, I learnt a few interesting things, like putting the axy in the fridge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Thanks to all for their help, I learnt a few interesting things, like putting the axy in the fridge! watch out for drunk flatmates looking for a feed in the middle of the night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Good to hear Darby is doing ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 the fridge works on turtles as well if they have to be injected injecting directly into the vein can overload their system so cooling the turtle down can lessen the shock was told this one by a vet in america many moons ago, hiawatha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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