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Totally frustrated. Axies still appear stressed

J

jenny

Guest
I am still having problems with my axies being stressed, the water parameters are perfect, I now have sand, the temp generally between 18 - 20 degrees, and there is virtually no water flow, but still they are stressed big time, especially Shoana, her gills are way forward, Eddy not so much but still enough to cause me to worry, I just don't know what to do, I have done everything and spent as much as I can afford, to get things right, and still they are not happy
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I don't want anything to happen to them, but should I just give time for things to settle? as I only put them back in the tank yesterday after changing to sand.
 
J

jojo

Guest
I'd say give them time to settle.
My axies took ages to settle into a new home.
Their gills were constantly held right back and as soon as id walk into the room they would be skitish. I think you should give them some time to suss out their new home, and get comfortable.
Coz l cant think of any other reason as to why they would be stressed when your doing everything right.

Any other suggestions?? As to what may be stressing Jenny's little ones?
 
S

sharn

Guest
id say they just need time to settle down, moving all over the place and into a strange new home would be pretty stressful for them. minimise traffic around the tank and leave it darker and see if they perk up a bit
 
J

jenny

Guest
it's getting weird... Eddy is floating on the top of the water, but it like he's choosing to, if he relaxes? he sinks, but he is so close to the top that parts of his gills are sort of out of the water,he doesn't looked stressed in any way apart from the floating thing..he's eating ok, actually being a pig.. smiles but his weird floating is a concern, now Shoana, she is just hiding all the time, very very skittish, and her Gills are way way forward, unlike I have ever seen them before, and she stays close to the bottom of the tank, Shoana will venture out to eat, but will only take 1 pellet and then hides again.. Because she is so skittish (using Jojo words), I just leave a few pellets on the bottom of the tank for her to smell out and find, as long as Eddy doesn't find them first. I only did this today.. I tried to leave them alone as much as possible for the past couple of days..
This is sooo frustrating, because i am doing everything I think is right..
 
J

joan

Guest
Jenny, mine do the floating at the top thing on occasion too. They'll take a big gulp of air, float around, spit it out and sink. I chalk it up to general axolotl weirdness.

Have you made any changes to the tank recently? Are there any lights on that could be frightening Shoana? Has Eddy been aggressive to her lately? Does she normally get startled when you walk near the tank suddenly?
 
J

jenny

Guest
I knew the floating by choice thing was like normal, if you will smiles.. it was just the fact he/she was so close to the top of the water, that worried me. But apart from that he seems to be fine, so will as you put it, chalk it up to axolotl weirdness.
Yes there have been a few changes going on, what with finding out things were not as they should be for my little guys. So they have spent most of their time either in the fridge or in an esky, while I have been trying to get the tank right. I finally got them back into the tank, and all this stress stuff started to happen.
I don't think Eddy has been aggressive, if he has i havn't seen it.. I have a light but since i put them in the tank i don't turn it on, so as to help them settle.I think I will just have to stop being a worry wort and give it a few days Shoana is maybe I think just having trouble adjusting to the larger environment. But I can't help worrying about them, I guess..
So weird, I had axies a few years ago, now know I did everything wrong, and had 1 for about 2 years, and another 2 for a bit over 3 years, and thought that when they died it was just old age. Now I know better, but as they say sometimes a little knowledge can be dangerous, in this case dangerous to me, because I am now worrying and fussing more than I should I guess. And maybe I just need to relax.
 
S

sharn

Guest
for shoanas skittishness chuck a heap of plastic plants where she hides, so she can sort of sneak through them? might make her feel more secure, does she and eddy share the same hiding hole? if they do maybe giving them one each would calm her down a bit. when some of my axies float after their air gulp the very top of their heads can stick out of the water, reminds me of little islands lol. give it time and ill bet you'll see adventurous axies in no time!
 
J

jenny

Guest
Shoana has lots of plants already to hide in... real plants..and Eddy's not inclined to hide, but I do have 2 tunnels? Caves, whatever you want to call them smiles, so all those factors are covered..
Funny actually i turned the light on to see if she has settled in anyway, cause otherwise i couldn't see her at all in the darkness so to speak.. and she came out of her hiding spot and is now out in the light, so i have left in on since she chose to be in it. But her gills are still forward, but they don't look in such a stressed state, hope you know what i mean.. smiles.. before they were way forward and very very fluffy, don't know how to describe it any other way.. Now though forward the are less fluffy, just look calmer...

Yeah Eddy the other night we were calling bum floater, cause his tail end was up, due to i know needing a poo, giggles, but he's done his poo moved some of the gravel from before, and now he doing the complete float by choice.. It's like he enjoyed the floating giggles
 
A

apryl

Guest
Axies can be hard to "read" at times,my Boris has her gills forward all the time,although all is well tankwise,and Diablo,his gills stay back,even when he arrived cooked,and his tail has a permenant kink(also due to being cooked I'd expect),so if he got sick I'd probly not notice as easily.I hope Shoanna "comes out of her shell" soon,it can be a worry when they freak out and hide aye.

Lol,"skittish",reminds me of a thorobred (horse) I had a few years back.He used to nut out in his paddock like my axies in their tank,then go bush,strange word association
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