Not eating and don't know what to do next

So I have two axolotls. Both are full grown and apparently healthy. I had originally kept them in two tanks while the younger one finished growing. About 3 weeks ago I moved the younger axolotl in with my other one in a 20 gallon long aquarium. Both Axolotls had great appetites before hand and now the axolotl I moved won't eat at all. I was hoping it was just stress from moving to a new location and living with a tank mate for the first time. But he hasn't improved.

I feed my axolotls night crawlers and I have tried blood worms and protein pellets and he is not interested at all, he even turns away from the food when I wave it in front of him. I don't want to take him out and fridge him because I am worried the added stress of handling him will make him worse.

My water parameters are all normal (I even transferred from on the new tank water into his old tank ever time I did a water change for a few weeks to acclimate him. My tank temperate is at 68F. His tail isn't curled, his gills are relaxed, and his skill looks healthy. He doesn't appear agitated and he has a log to hide in. His tank mate doesn't even mess with him so I am not sure what to do next.


I should mention that the tank mate is acting 100% normal, eating almost every day and active.

Is it possible some axolotls aren't social by nature? Should I put a tank divider in? I don't want to limit his tank space but I hated keeping him in a 10 gallon.

Any tips or help would be appreciated.

Keeping him in fridge will actually cause him to lose more of his appetite cause very cold water make axolotl less active less hungry. Sometime Axolotl can loose appitite from new environment , maybe his eating spot is now in unfamiliar territory . As long as he still look healthy I don't think you should worry about it. I have simailar situation not long ago when I moved every tank in to the cold room earlier this summer . The lighting are different and the stuff inside the tank got switch. One of my male albino Melanoid stop eating all at once , his gills , color, and slim coat are all in top condition, cause water condition even better than before . He got very skinny so I was very worried .. Then I had to stop worrying too much cause that worrying will cause him even more stress. . You need to worry only if your axolotl looks unwell like losing color, fungus , or shown any real sigh of stress. Imagin a blind child in the new home right along new family. You have to give him time to adjust. :wacko: also how soft or hard is your water ?

He's probably just still stressed from the move and the new surroundings.. I wouldn't worry unless he starts looking unwell.


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tipnatee said:

Imagin a blind child in the new home right along new family. You have to give him time to adjust. :wacko:

Click to expand...

That has to be the best description I have ever read.

I have to agree, it's probably just the stress of moving and new surroundings. Give him time and I bet he is just fine in a day or three. :happy: