My axie doesn't seem to be growing.

I have has my axie for 6 months now and when I got it it was around 15cm long and now 6 months later it has only grown to 17cm. I am feeding it every second day. It looks skinny but it doesnt seem to put on any weight. I got another axie at the same time and it has got heaps bigger than the size it was when I got it. It is now around 26cm. Could the one that doesn't grow be some sort of axolotl midget?

lol my yellow albino is a axy midget - she has topped out at 16 cm!

Hi Stephen,

Some types of axolotl seem to be smaller. It seems that the wild types tend to be larger than the other variations, also I suspect that the different sexes grow at different rates.. But if you have concerns about its growth, and there does seem to be quite a difference between your two ,I'd increase the feeding for it at least once a day for a while. There is a possibility that its not receiving enough nutrition, maybe the other axolotl is taking the bulk of the food or maybe a change in its diet may help. My two have earth worms, lean slivers of most meat, sliced raw prawn etc.
Hope this helps your little axolotl midget.

bellabelloo said:

...maybe the other axolotl is taking the bulk of the food...

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My thoughts exactly. Do you monitor feedings to make sure the skinny one eats as much as it wants before the bigger one porks it all down? If the smaller one feels intimidated, it may eat less than it would otherwise. A temporary tank divider might be an option.

I hand feed both of them seperately and they both get the same amount of food. I feed them blood worms and beef heart. I sometimes feed them worms but i dont have many worms in my backyard so I can't give them to them all the time. So my other axie isn't taking all the food so does that mean it is a midget? They are both wild types and they are both girls from what I can tell.

It has died. It some how broke its tail and then got fungus and died. This all happened in one day. It is amazing how quickly things can go wrong. I dont think I will get anothor axie becauce every time I get two one seems to always dye. I will just have my one axie from now on.

I wish I had seen this a bit sooner my axie had the same problem (she has caught up now after a growth spurt) I would of told you to give the axie a good look over for all conditions (bloat..fungus etc) as with hind sight I think mine had bloat at the time.... which unfortunately she has again vet thinks its kidney problems deaky has always been a bit 'odd' I put it down to genetics. I am just watching to see if it gets worse I think her 'diet' (because she was 'fat') might of made it worse cause its obviously bloat now.

sorry to hear that

Hi Carrie, my axie Snowhite had bloat, but after having baytril antibiotics every day for 5 days she is well again, now she has a very sore cut leg!! so im watching for funfus etc, . Don't give up hope, our vet had to drain Snowhites fluid twice, before she started to improve. Best Wishes with your little one. Regards Tara.

I have already asked the vet re bloat and she said something about the stress of it might be too much for her especially if it is kidney damage not an infection like she suspects (it could cause the damage to be fatal as oppossed to making her bloat?) as I am pretty sure she has recovered from it before I will 'watch and wait' for now if she gets any bigger she will be going back to the vets and I will try the antibiotics as I suppose there will be nothing left to lose. I am not inclined to have her put down as she is a fighter and I have previously had a cat with kidney failure who lived 1 yr and a half happily after I was told it was best to have him put down. I trust these vets as although they do not specialize in exotics if you register an animal with them they immediatly research it (their policy), I have even been there whilst they phoned for help from zoos and the junior vet is doing some course on amphibs/ reptiles and birds at the mo to specialize she is really enthusiastic about them which I think is priceless. I have been following your thread it is what made me aware of the problem in the first place really pleased to see snowwhite is almost better same about the leg though.

ps if it was bactirial wouldnt the other two axies be in the same boat?

Sorry to hear that Steven

axolotls can be quite large, reaching up to a foot (30 centimeters) in length, although the average size is closer to half that.