Poor Duchess.

So I haven't posted anything in agesss(I've been really busy). So I thought I'd give an update on Duchess.

She's currently residing in the fridge, due to a sudden floating problem. At first, I suspected the filter was stressing her, so I ditched it, and dropped her water a bit. I was doing water changes every 2 days, and she was going alright. The only issue was she seemed to struggle eating- She would take a worm, and spit it out. I got kind of worried when all she ate was about three worms in 2 weeks.
Stupidly, I didn't notice that I wasn't seeing poop. Well, hardly any at all.
She started floating th other day, so I took the water down a bit. She was alright, then this morning she was floating again.

Hopefully a stint in the fridge will fix her up- I'm pretty sure she's constipated.
Any one else have any suggestions to her floating?

The water perameters at last test(when I took her out) were Ammonia-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate- 5ish.

I'm afraid I'm not up on the Duchess Story anymore so I hope I'm not just answering out of hat here... The only comments I have are that some axolotls just have that method of eating worms (mine included) - suck, spit, suck, spit. I think they are trying to exhaust the worm so that it doesn't wriggle when they finally swallow it. Could this be what is happening? If you leave the worm sit for awhile, will Duchess eventually eat it?

As to floating, sometimes axolotls just float. "Hanging around" and all. I tend to think that when a keeper thinks something is wrong with her/his pet, there usually is, but I just wanted to add that floating is not always an indication of a problem.

I reckon on both counts you are going to have to be the judge (and doctor).

-Eva

When my axolotl was constipated he would try and eat the worm, spit it out then refuse to take it again.
Does that happen with you 'Urgh' (you need a nickname)...?
Fridging is the best thing to do and I've heard that starving is also good to help them pass faeces.
Is her bottom swollen at all..?

She always used to suck, spit, suck spit, drop and ignore. If it fell out of her mouth, she no longer wanted it.

Thankyou for the advice, but unfortunately, I woke this morning to change her water and found her floating on her side, dead. I'm absolutely devastated. I'm at an utter loss as to what caused her to die.

Oh no! I am so, so sorry for you and Duchess.

-Eva

Oh Urgh, I'm so sorry for your loss.

Floating can be caused by impaction. Is there any gravel in the tank Duchess may have ingested?

Any issues with tank water temperature?

There hadn't been any gravel in her tank since just after I got her. She was still dropping gravel from the pet shop for months after, though.
The temperature wasn't an issue- it never got over 20 degrees celsius, I can't stand my bedroom much warmer than that, so I have my bedroom window open all the time during winter.

I guess there's nothing I can do now, unfortunately. I guess just learn from my mistakes.
I will be getting a new axolotl, but not for quite some time, I think. A friend of mine wants one, too, so when he gets his licence, I'll go with him and get another one.