Our new axolotl is floating!!

Our new axolotl is floating ,her tail and back is floating up so she cant stand on her back legs.She has been like that for about a week.Some days she has been well and can stand on her back legs.But now she has been like this for three days.She has been eating during this time though.So today i have put her in a icecream box in the fridge.For how long time shall she be there??Is it enough to change water in the box once a day?Our other axolots is all right though.

Marianne- Keeping the axolotl in the fridge is a good idea. I would keep it there until it is no longer floating and is eating.

Changing the water daily (with water that is the same temperature) is usually enough, just make sure you keep it clean. If it messes after you have changed the water clean up the mess and change the water again if you have to.

Since she is floating, using shallow water will help her to be able to regain her footing.


Once she is ready to go back into the tank, set her out of the fridge and let her warm up to room temperature before putting her back in the tank.

Thanks for the answer.We looked at her in the fridge last night after she had been in there for a couple of ours.And she had turned reddish ,she is a lecustic and I was afraid that the fridge was too cold for her so I put her out of there.Is the reddish colour normal??Now she is in the tank again and she is still floating.I feel very stupid to have put her out of the fridge,but I was afraid that she could die or freese to ice, because of our fridge is very wierd.Some times the food in the back turns to ice so its something wrong with the cooling system.What should I do???Can she be better without the fridge or must I put her there again..She is a very nervous little axie not like the otherones we have.So I'm afraid to stress her more if I take her out again.Can it be a bacterial problem i the cloaka, she have?I just want what is right for our little cutie axolots.By the way, I like your axie Doodad she is a real cutie.A real chocolat sweet.

she will be red from the stress. i think axolotls can survive pretty much down to freezing but im sure someone else will give you the ideal temp for in the fridge. if your fridge is way too cold can you place her a basement or another colder part of your house? isnt sweden rather cold anyway?

Yes in the winter Sweden is pretty cold so if I put her on the balcony she will be deep frozen.So it's not a good idea.Maybe we will put her in the wardrobe it's pretty cold there.So it wont go away by itself then?The floating I mean!!

im pritty sure it should go away with time.

it may just be she has taken in air and hasnt let it out yet, but it could be something more serious also. what is the temp in her tank? place her in a shallow bowl so that he little leggies can touch the ground

It usually does, but the main point about using the fridge when an axolotl is floating is to ease their stress. The small container allows them to touch the bottom, and the cold/dark relaxes them.

Unless your fridge is below 4C or so, it's probably not too cold. Leucistic and albino axolotls will get red in the fridge due to increased blood flow to the skin. This is normal. If you are worried about the fridge, wrap the tub the axolotl is in with a towel. This will insulate it from any sudden temperature spikes, and put a glass of water beside the tub with a thermometer in it. Check it often. If it gets below 4C, take the axololt out and set it on the counter (still in the cold towel!). I've had to do this before I got my new fridge.

She is all fine. Our new axolotl she stopped floating after one day.She needed a pooh. After that she was fine.