Help! Pebbles isn't too well

My axi Pebbles isn't too well. About a week ago I went to feed her and she was floating, I thought she was dead and was about to remove her body, only for her to take off! She continues to float on her side, only swimming to the bottom when she has been fed(she still takes her live earth worms no worries). Any other time she tries to get to the bottom, she spins in circles on the surface.

Anyone know what may be wrong with her? I don't want to loose her, I've had her for around 4 years and love her soo much.

all i know is that when an axie is dead they are on the bottom of the tank and sort of float on their side. When you see them doing this just push them a bit to make sure.

I hear axies float when they swallow a gravel although our axie also had a floating problem once in awhile but it couldnt have been gravel. She floated for a few days on her side and one day we saw her burp out air and she stopped floating. If you do have gravel that ur axie can swallow, i suggest u remove it from your tank. otherwise, from my experience, floating will just go away.

Eating gravel isn't the only reason they float. There are heaps of reasons like temperature, water flow sometimes, water quality and gravel also.

Thisusernameismyown1547 said:

all i know is that when an axie is dead they are on the bottom of the tank and sort of float on their side. When you see them doing this just push them a bit to make sure.

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even if they are at the bottom, on their side and not moving when you give them a nudge does not mean they are dead. My axie didnt move for about a week and still pulled through. the best way to tell is gill colour. if there is still blood going through them they will be red/pink and even thats not terribly accurate.

Pebbles, if she is still floating it might be an idea to put her in the fridge for a few days. Fridge temperature should be 5 degrees Cel. minimum.

Test the fridge, if unsure, by placing a glass of water with thermometer in for about 15=20minutes. Check thermometer and if ok then place her in the fridge:

Remove her from the tank.
Place her in a container of dechlorinated water (icecream container with lid should do or bigger if needed). Keep the water just high enough to cover her top fin, but her feet rest on the bottom so she doesn't float.
Cover the container with a lid
Wrap in a teatowel/dishcloth (to stop fluctuating temperatures and fridge light flashing from normal fridge useage as the door opens)
Place in the fridge.
Place another container or bottle of dechlorinated water in the fridge = this will be used to do the complete daily waterchanges every day (it has to be the same chilled temperature).

As for your tank, what is your current tank temperature? Have you tested your tankwater for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates? If not, I suggest you do so - if you don't have test kits, take a sample of water to the petshop and get them to write the test figures down for you. If ammonia or nitrIte levels are above 0, then 20-30% partial daily waterchanges should bring the levels down for your axies to reside in.

Have you added anything recently to your tank? Does she share with any other companions, and do they show any similar signs? What do you feed her?

Well, I moved Pebbles into another tank, and she has improved! She now spends most of her time on the bottom, like she used to. She is a bit lop sided though, but not as bad as she was. Her original tank tested fine so I have no idea why she improved with the move.

And no, I don't use gravel. I use river sand. Nothing has changed before the move, she has no tank mates since she ate her buddy months ago, and every thing else has remained the same. She is fed live earthworms.

Its possible your tank is still cycling which may annoy Pebbles. Or maybe even know you have sand sometimes poo can get trapped underneath the sand and foul the water. Or i could be wrong all together. How hot was your tank?