I don't know whats wrong

Today my male axolotl started yawning/opening its mouth frequently and making some weird sounds, like it was coughing or something.

It also began to swim at the top of the tank and continued making weird noises. He is also very active and hasn't been eating. He has lost some weight and has gone skinnier.

Can someone please tell me what's wrong?

What are your water readings and temperature? It could be stress from water quality problems.

Also, I am a bit confused by your post, as axolotls don't tend to make noises. So was it gulping at the top of the water or something like that?

Yeah it was gulping at the top of the water, and popping it's head out of the water.

Ok that does sound like there is a problem with your water. As I said before, check your water parameters and temperature, what are they?

Ammonia and nitrite should be 0 and nitrate 10-40. Also your temperature is important. Ideally it should be under 20C, and anything over 24C will cause serious problems...

I'm not exactly sure wat the water temperature is, but it seems to be cool, and my other axolotl in the same tank is behaving normally.

You should get a thermometre, they are essential for keeping axies. If I was you, I would get one asap to rule out temperature problems.

Again what are your other parameters? Ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/ph? It does sound like a water quality problem so it would be really helpful if you could check them out to rule out any problems in that area... How often do you change the water and how much by? Do you dechlorinate the water first?

Are there any other symptoms with your sick axie? I think you might need to post a bit more detail about your setup in order for people to help more.

If you haven't got test kits to test your water for ammonia, nitrite or nitrate, then I advise you to do a 20% water changes daily; and yes please do invest in a thermometer - it's crucial to keep the temperature below 20C, especially if you're based in Australia which is going through its usual hot summer.

Apart from the water parameters (which are essential!) - could it be that he has something stuck in his mouth or throat? What do you feed him, are there any fishes or other animals in the tank?

You can check this by carefully opening his mouth with a spoon handle or something similar but before you should try to look into his mouth when he is "yawning".

hmm... i realize 1 of my axie(mango) is doing the gulping move... but not always(just noticed today) and the other axie(borat) is fine.

i feed them with meal worms(last meal), normally i give frozen blood worm

temperature of tank: 22deg

any idea of whats going on with him/her???

Try cooling your tank, bringing it below 20C. Also, check your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) to be on the safe side.

Did you chop the heads of the mealworms (or crush them).

they seem to manage swallow the whole meal worm, ever since i first bought them.

but that gulping move is only once a while... so i guess he's just playing with bubbles(i hope so)

bought a real thermometer, previously was a sticker thermometer it didn't really show colors often, sometimes i don't even know the temperature of the tank.

so the thermometer reads 20deg. =)

i also realize when i light up the tank, it seems to be a layer of oil above the surface... a real thin layer. how do i cure it?

Do you have an airstone in the tank - this will help.

Also regarding the meal worm - it's not the fact that it can swallow it whole. The mealworm can cause internal discomfort and sometimes damage to an axolotl - hence the need to crush the head or decapitate it. The local petshop used to feed them to the juveniles till one died - they've since stopped that.

You should try earthworms rather than mealworms - which are available from Bunnings stores or other hardware stores may sell them too.

by the way, are air stone a necessary equipment for axies?

i only feed them meal worm once a while...

about the layer of oil, how do i cure it???
i read around the net, n it says it's caused of ammonia, is it???

I get patches of oil on my tank sometimes when I have used bloodworms as food for a while. I have not been too concerned about it as my axolotl has not been affected by this. If there is a lot of it, perhaps just do a 20% water change and hope that makes a difference. But you should check your water parameters just in case to check ammonia levels.

If you feed your axies meal worms (even if only rarely and even if they can eat them whole) you must crush or remove their heads first. They can cause internal damage if this is not done.

Air stones are not 'necessary' equipment for axolotls but they are nice to have.

which is the most important to check first, ammonia, nitrite or nitrate??
because each test kit is cost around $20

i never seem to find a solution for ammonia, u know how there is a solution for ph by buying the "ph up" powder, so what about ammonia?


by the way, here is the link... i think he's just started to get playful because today i got a thermometer, n he get curious n start getting close to it n trying to bite it -.-"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zQ9waJqJs5E

The air bubbles rising from the air stone will break the surface of the water, which in turn will cut down the oil slick on the water.

Right, firstly pH up or down are not fixes for pH problems. When you say you have a pH problem what is the reading. You should avoid adjusting it at all if the range level is 6.4-8.0, axies can reside in this. Don't try for a perfect pH you invariably will cause fluctuations or more problems using the pH up or down powders. If the pH is very low below 6.4 then you can use shell grit in a stocking placed in your tank (shell grit is available from petstores - the stuff used in birdcages).

As for ammonia problem (or nitrites); the solution is spotcleaning daily, don't overfeed (you know if you've overfed if you find any regurgitated food), weekly waterchanges, ensure you test the water weekly and if ammonia or nitrites are above 0, then you do a 20-30% waterchange the same day and test again within 1 or two days.

Waterchanges are what sorts things out. Ammolock or ammonia binders do not work nor fix the problem.

The best freshwater test kits are the test tube variety. You can buy an all in one master test kit that is approximately $50-$70 and includes tests for low and high pH as well as ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. I use the AP (Aquarium Pharmaceutical brand).

The most important one to test for first is ammonia if you can't find the master test kit. Otherwise just make sure you take a sample to the petshop and DON'T buy anything they suggest to fix it - frequent partial (20-30%) waterchanges sort out water quality problems.

kapo said:

The most important one to test for first is ammonia if you can't find the master test kit. Otherwise just make sure you take a sample to the petshop and DON'T buy anything they suggest to fix it - frequent partial (20-30%) waterchanges sort out water quality problems.

Click to expand...

:rofl: lol, i always get trap in this situation... always suggested to get this n that

well, at least now i got it clear each solution n cause of it...

thanks alot...

by the way, the water in my tank isn't really clear yet... it's still abit cloudy... any idea how to solve it? try the link in youtube in my previous reply...







i think he adapts well in my aquarium... he rather swim now that walking, while for the other axie(borat) only walks, rarely swim

The cloudiness could be a bacterial bloom, caused by hidden ammonia source (overfeeding or waste). Waste could be hidden beneath sand and/or decos. How often do you waterchange your tank usually? Do you ever stir the sand at all? (If not, you do need to stir the sand at least weekly to ensure pockets of anaerobic gas don't build up beneath it which can cause a problem with your axies; as well as making sure food/waste isn't buried within the sand.)

Also, how often do you keep the light on your tank? Also, do you add any other products to your tank, other than a dechlorinator, that the petshop may have suggested?

i've just change my aquarium from gravel to sand recently
on the first day, it was something like this, today it's better, but still not crystal clear yet -.-"
http://www.caudata.org/forum/showpost.php?p=133914&postcount=13
it's about 9 days and my sand still haven't settle down. i got a fresh water muscle inside which have been going round n round, cleaning up waste... but i still see black thing on the sand, i think it's their waste

about the light, i only on it when i want to have a good look at them and when taking photo shots.

i bought a solution call "accu clear" by API. it says it'll clear cloudy water. we'll see how it goes by tomorrow.

other than that, what you reckon is the cause of the cloudiness??