My 4 month axolotl hasn’t pooped

[jul148]

I just got my 4 month Axolotl a week ago or last Saturday and it hasn’t pooped ever since. Is it sick? What should I do? Should I be worried?

 

[axolotl nerd]

I just got my 4 month Axolotl a week ago or last Saturday and it hasn’t pooped ever since. Is it sick? What should I do? Should I be worried?

pictures could probably help determine if it’s an actual problem or just a silly axolotl wanting to scare its new owner

 

[jul148]

Ok so here are the pictures

 

[AMurry24537]

What is your water temperature? What have you been feeding it? How much food and how often? What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels?

 

[jul148]

65 degrees, I have been feeding it one small piece of Earthworm daily, Idk the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels

 

[JM29]

With an earthworms diet, my axolotls poop very little (only a little earth which desagregate in the sand within a few dozens minutes).
In spring (now), I can see no poop for several weeks unless I watch the tank at the "good" moment

 

[jul148]

But I don’t have sand and I still don’t see anything, and it’s been a week and I am nervous because of it

 

[AMurry24537]

65 degrees, I have been feeding it one small piece of Earthworm daily, Idk the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels

The temperature sounds good. Has it continued to eat as normal? You should definitely by a water testing kit ASAP. I recommend the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. If it's a new tank, you should be testing ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate every day. Once you're positive the cycle is established, you can switch to doing that once a week. Can you include a top-down picture of your axolotl so we can see how wide it is?

 

[jul148]

Yeah

View attachment 88092

 

[AMurry24537]

Yeah View attachment 88093View attachment 88092

Very cute! Looks super skinny though. Ideally, the widest part of its body should be about the same width as its head. I would recommend adding more food. I can't tell what kind of worms those are from the picture, but I would recommend cutting up some European or Canadian nightcrawlers. Red wigglers can also work.

 

[jul148]

I feed it that too, so how big of a piece should I cut of the red wigglers. Because, I am scared I will give it a big piece to the point we’re I make it sick.

 

[AMurry24537]

I would start with cutting it in half. If it's too big, it'll just spit it out. If it does, then cut it in half again, and so forth. You could also get some axolotl pellets. I like to alternate back and forth between pellets and worms so my guy doesn't get sick of or too used to one. I personally have been impressed with the ones sold by Invert Aquatics. Whatever axoltotl pellets you get, you'll want to make sure they have plenty of protein. Invert Aquatics sells sinking pellets that are 45% protein.

 

[jul148]

Thank you, that’s why it probably isn’t pooping right?

 

[AMurry24537]

Quite possibly, yes. Some axolotls also just don't poop very often. I wouldn't worry too much about it unless it also stops eating; then there's some other stuff going on. But especially since you haven't had it for long, I would guess that it's a combination of the food thing and just getting used to a new home

 

[jul148]

Thank you so much, I will feed it now