is my axie pregnant

R

raccy87

New member
Joined
Oct 26, 2007
Messages
33
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Australia
Country
Australia
Display Name
raccy87
i recently got 4 axalotls from a pet shop at the pet shop they said they had guessed 1 of my axies was pregnant she is huge around the waist and is swimming up and down the tank she isnt trusting or hitting the end of the tank is there some thing wrong or is she pregnant, my water is also merky from left over food i have taken it out and flushed some of the water i am getting a new filter as i was sold the wrong one could it be caused from stress?
 
if you didnt cycle your tank before getting your axies this could be a reasonfor her recent activity, i suggest you go to axolotl.org and thoroughly check all the caare sheets for axolotls starting with their set up
 
im not sure what u mean by cyling my water, i had my filter going for 3 days before i got my axies. i have set up my tank according to this site, she had a big belly when i brought her home but it has gotten bigger since, if that is any help. does ny one have the symptoms for a pregnant axie?
 
Last edited:
she could be pregnant a photo would help.
the cycling of a tank can take 2-3 months.
i really think you need the AXOLOTL.ORG site as this will tell you all about cycling and all the other important things you need to know to keep all your axies healthy.
you will need to do water changes daily, remove all poop and uneaten food as soon as it is seen.
hopefully she is pregnant but there are other reasons why she could be fat.
has she been kept on gravel?
if so it should be removed and either a bare floor or sand should be used. gravel causes impaction (blockage) which can prevent her from going to the toilet.
bloating is also another thing that could be wrong, im not sure of the cause of this im afraid.
but as i said before a picture would be the easiest way to answer your question.
and please visit the axolotl site as that is the place to gain immediate knowledge.
people here can help you but firstly you need to help yourself to the knowledge offered.
good luck and i look forward to seeing a pic of your axies so we can see if there might be a problem.
hopefully not :)
 
photo

this is a photo taken a few min ago hopefully it is clear enough
 
Axolotls don't get 'pregnant'. They carry eggs. They can also get bloat, as Frances said.

There are a few very important articles you need to read.

Filtration:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/filters.shtml

Cycling:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/waterquality.shtml

Bloat:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/bloatEDK.shtml

Axolotl breeding:
http://www.axolotl.org/breeding.htm

Axolotl housing:
http://www.axolotl.org/requirements.htm
http://www.axolotl.org/housing.htm
 
pics

ok last time it didnt work so i will try again to work out his camera
 
Be sure to read the articles linked by Kaysie. If your water is clear now, reduce the amount of feeding and remove ALL uneaten food right away after feeding (important!!!!). Get your water tested for ammonia and nitrite, and continue doing partial water changes often.

If the water is still cloudy, I would recommend getting the axolotls OUT of there immediately! Water that is cloudy from uneaten food is potentially deadly. The cloudiness is bacteria, so they are swimming in bacterial soup. Move them to clean dechlorinated water and change all of the water in the tank.

What is the size of the tank?
 
update

the water this morning has died down quite a bit it is still cloudy a bit but not not to much, though my axie is still swimming from one side to the other, her apperance hasnt changed over night though
 
see if this works

102_1866.JPG
not sure if this is going to work
 
If you're keeping the axies in there, be sure to to massive water changes daily. And get the water tested for ammonia, etc.

The axie doesn't look bloated, but it also does not look in great shape. The gills seem to be reduced, and it shouldn't be swimming all the time.

What size is the tank? What kind of plants and hides does it have?
 
hiding places

there is some plastic piping and plastic plants in there. I have just noticed there is light blots on her tail and also on another axies tail of the same colour is this normal? i have been reading the axalotl.org site trying to find some info. my tank is approximatly 4 foot its over 120cms long but i cant remember the width or height, im thinking she is just stressed because of the condition of the water and maybe because the room she is in is a entry room and there is quite alot of people comming in and out frequently i will keep an eye on her today and see how she goes if any body has any ideas please let me know these are my first axalotls and i have never had them before. Also i was wondering if i took half the water out of my tank and got another tank cycling would the bigger tank cycle quicker because it doesnt have more water in it?
 
Last edited:
The bacteria for cycling mainly live on surfaces, not in the water. Having more water is a good thing. It buffers against changes better than less water. With the amount of axolotls you have in your size tank, I'd do 30% water changes daily, until you can start testing for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.

The placement of the tank isn't ideal, either. Axolotls should be in areas that don't receive a lot of traffic, and are shaded from sudden changes in light and temperature.

The spots may be normal coloration, as I didn't see any indication of fungus in the pictures you'd emailed me.
 
ok i wont let out all the water then :) i am going to get a tester kit later on today and test it as soon as i get home, if i put a ordament from a tropical tank into the axies tank will there be any spread of diseases? or should i clean it first? if i have to clean it how do i do that effectively
 
New problem

sorry for being a pain i has only just noticed that axie (the one swimming constantly) has fungus growing on her gills, i have tried to get the salt from the pet stores in my area though because it is a sunday i wasnt able to get any, they recomended a lotion to treat the whole tank what should i do?
by the way my water levels are
nitrate 0
amonia 0
ph 7.0

is this ok
 
Whatever you do, don't treat the whole tank.

The axolotl should be quarantined, fridged, and given salt baths.

You should also test for nitrites. I doubt your tank is actually cycled yet. What did you use to test your tank?
 
Complete cycling of a tank takes approximately 3-5 weeks. The levels you have are good, but you need to keep testing throughout this period.

I'm not sure what you mean by "lotion". What is the active ingredient in the product? I doubt that it would be as effective as salt baths. You can use ordinary household salt. See FAQ#43:
http://www.axolotl.org/faq.htm
 
to test my tank i took samples of water to the petshop and they tested it with test tubes and there testing kits, the active ingrediant in the lotion is acriflavine and malachute green, its more of a liquid to treat the whole tank if that helps thanx for the advise i have noticed that 2 of the others in the tank have also got fungus on the gills :( i have treated the worst one (she doesnt have alot of her gills left) :( she is now in the fridge.
 
Last edited:
Malachite green is toxic and should not be used with axolotls.

Because your tank is cycling, it's causing stress on the axolotls, and causing fungus. They could also be stressed by temperature and location of your tank.

I'd take everyone out and put them in temporary housing while your tank finishes cycling. The best is to put them all in the fridge and do salt baths on those who have fungus. Remember that salt baths should be done twice a day, until fungus is gone.
 
Hi raccy,

Don't worry once your tank cycles and settles down things get alot easier. In the meantime you have heaps of advice.

Good luck
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
     +1
    Unlike
  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
     +1
    Unlike
  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
     +1
    Unlike
  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
     +1
    Unlike
    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
    Back
    Top