OMG! Isthis normal??!!

Sorry to make yet another thread but i just been looking away at Wisp and Slinky and Slinky is face down on the sand with the rest of his body up in the air and his back feet lok like their twisted back. I know theyre flexible like that and they dont really care much how theyre sitting or anything but is it normal? do your do that? ive seen him like it a few times, but mainly when he comes back down from air...and other times he goes up for air twisting and turning like a dolphin and glides back down. other times he just faces down and lets himself drop/float down wherever.Oh and im feeding a block or two blocks every other day of frozen food. they had a cube of daphnia between them earlier but now much later Wisp is snapping at something near the sand. maybe hes hungry again? or maybe its abit of food. im going to have to get pic on here so you can look at their gills and stuff for me. it would be easier. i cant even hand feed them cos the frozen food is so slippery.

(Message edited by blackrose_uk on April 15, 2007)

The face down on the bottom thing is perfectly normal mine do it loads

If his tail end is in the air he may need a poo. You could remove him from the tank, place him in a container of treated tapwater (tapwater with conditioner drops added) and place in the fridge, lower the water so he doesn't float, as floating can be stressful. Place a lid on the container and wrap with a dishcloth. Place another bottle or container of treated tapwater in the fridge so you can do a complete waterchange daily. Once he's done a poo and calmed down from lack of floating you should be able to return him to the tank. Make sure to let the container warm, by leaving it in the same room as the tank, before putting him back in.

cant he poo in the tank? Wont it stress him if i take him out whenever he needs one, especially cos i cant take him out in the night?

Yes he can poo in the tank, but it is far more stressful floating tail end up in an uncycled tank trying to straighten himself out. You don't have to always remove him but as you've only had them for a few days and the tank isn't cycled - it will be much better at this stage to remove him so he doesn't get anymore stressed than he is. Usually axies in the fridge poo and or vomit within the first two days (entirely normal)

BTW are you doing the daily partial waterchanges while it cycles and do you clean up any uneaten food with a turkey baster?

hehe constipated axie ahha

Lorie your axie is very pretty. i think mines going to turn out like that freckles and all. Looks just like little Wisp stalking her bloodworm