HELP!!! axolotl sick :(

alien1019 · Feb 25, 2011

My axolotl is looking really ill. She seems too weak to move - she is only moving her gills weakly and her front legs are splayed out far from her sides. She seemed fine this morning but when I came in later I thought she was dead.

She is a juvenile axolotl that I only got about three weeks ago. Since I got her she has been fairly lethargic with the occasional burst of activity. She has stayed still for long periods of time before but she has always had normal gill movement. She has never really been interested in food - she has only taken a bit of bloodworm.

I've checked all the water parameters and they are all fine, and there are no signs of injury or a fungus. I really don't know what's wrong with her and I'm worried she's going to die - please help if you can!

zoezakella · Feb 25, 2011

Hi there ok first things first if you could answer these questions we may get more of an idea whats wrong...

1) Do you have the water parameter results?
2) What is your tank set up, how big, do you have a filter, what substrate do you use?
3) Do you have any pictures of your set up and your axie?
4) Is it just bloodworm you have been feeding your axie?
5) What is the temperature of your tank?
6) Do you have any tank mates other than your axie?

Thanks :happy:

alien1019 · Feb 25, 2011

Thank you for your reply but we think it's too late and she is dead, but we're not sure so we don't want to move her.

Here are the answers to your questions anyway so we can maybe find out what was wrong. The parameters were all zero, the water temp is 17degrees C, we have offered her prawn as well as the supplier recommended but she hasn't taken it. There is nothing else in the tank except a couple of wee snails from the plant. I have a filter but it was maybe too strong. The substrate was sand.

Thanks for your help.

alien1019 · Feb 25, 2011

Sorry if this sounds really callous but we cant tell if she's dead

its really upsetting - she hasnt moved in over an hour, not even her gills, but she is still at the bottom and we thought she was dead before ...

dragongirl413 · Feb 25, 2011

I have one axie that likes to sit quite still most of the time, especially when the lights are on. His gills go from bright pink to pale because of his lack of movement and he only flicks his gills every few minutes. He just sits/stands on the bottom for maybe hours. Are you only basing your diagnosis strictly on lack of movement? Is she in an odd position or acting sickly in any other way? Mine turns up his nose at his bite-size pieces of nightcrawler except for every 3-4 days while the others will eat loads everyday if I let them. I just figure his sedate lifestyle slows down his metabolism and he eats what he needs. He seems healthy to me. One of the saddest stories I know is that a friend's mom flushed her juvenile axie down the toilet because she thought it was dead (not moving) when the fact was the axie was perfectly fine. My friend was very sad. Make sure it's not just that your axie prefers a more sedate lifestyle. Hope this helps!

mewsie · Feb 26, 2011

dragongirl413 said:
I have one axie that likes to sit quite still most of the time, especially when the lights are on. His gills go from bright pink to pale because of his lack of movement and he only flicks his gills every few minutes. He just sits/stands on the bottom for maybe hours. Are you only basing your diagnosis strictly on lack of movement? Is she in an odd position or acting sickly in any other way? Mine turns up his nose at his bite-size pieces of nightcrawler except for every 3-4 days while the others will eat loads everyday if I let them. I just figure his sedate lifestyle slows down his metabolism and he eats what he needs. He seems healthy to me. One of the saddest stories I know is that a friend's mom flushed her juvenile axie down the toilet because she thought it was dead (not moving) when the fact was the axie was perfectly fine. My friend was very sad. Make sure it's not just that your axie prefers a more sedate lifestyle. Hope this helps!

I'm with Kelpie! Two of mine can sit for hours and hours and not budge. Great for taking photos, though

Is she still with us? If so, can you post up some pictures?

alien1019 · Feb 27, 2011

no she died

totally devastated - I don't know what I did wrong. The only thing I can think of is maybe the filter was too strong, but there wasn't any sign of stress that I could see.
She was my first axie, so I don't know if this is true but she seemed very small. The person in the shop said she was a year and a half old, but she was only 13cm long. Is that a normal size for an axolotl?
thanks to everyone for your help

zoezakella · Feb 27, 2011

So sorry to hear your sad news

No 13 centimeters is far too small for a year and a half old axie, am guessing the pet shop owner really did not know so guessed.

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