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Illness/Sickness: Axolotl Illness (Constipation assumed)

drom5343

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Hey guys,

Been going through the forum and noticed a handful of people also had this problem.

My new bought axolotl is 7inches long, healthy looking gills and body. It fed well on frozen blood worms when first bought, however it has stopped eating for the past week and also has lost its active behaviour.

My axxie has clear looking strands attached to its bottom, seems to be stuck and swollen. Every now and then it will thrust on the gravel in a pull/push motion, or has even done one-armed push up motions against the tank wall.

I suspect he's swallowed gravel as we watched him swallow and spit whilst eating. The gravel has since been changed to large pebbles, and the existing wooden log has been taken out.

Water temp is 22degC and PH is neutral.

Wondering if anyone had suggestions or treaments?

Cheers
 

iChris

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There are already many things that you're doing wrong just reading your OP.

first of all, a axie's staple diet should be live earthworms, bloodworm is ok, but it should not really be a staple diet. Also keep in mind that axies are naturally not very active during the day and that a over active axie is not always a good thing.

22 degrees is too warm for a axie, their ideal temperature range is between 17-20, anything above that for a long time can be detrimental for their health.

as for the gravel, he probably has ingested some, it's almost a guarantee. the large river pebbles are a step in the right direction, but you're not there yet. sand is the best choice, in particular washed, white children's play sand is ideal, it does not trap waste and debris like river pebbles do, this waste builds up fast between pebbles and will mess with your water chemistry, its also harder to keep a eye on your axie's "passing waste" ie, in a situation like this, you won't know for sure if he has started passing waste if you can't see it. as gross as it sounds, its always a good thing to know your axie's "habits"

Follow the directions in this article: Axolotl Sanctuary
it details the fridging procedure, which is a very successful way to get your axie to pass waste when it's constipated. Basically, you put your axie in the fridge and the cooler water makes it poop, usually within the first day or two.

no offense but I personally think if you're new to axies you've been given some wrong information. ask lots of questions here, we are happy to help.

and finally, a question for you, is your axie floating? or does he seem more "buoyant" in his rear? these are also good indicators of impaction, along with loss of appetite.

some pictures of your current setup, your axie and details about water chemistry would also help.
 

blackdog

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What he said.

This site is the best, most accurate, and easy to undestand axie info site on the web - Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander

And this forum is the best place to get accurate, practical info re axies from experienced owners.

As Chris said,

- Axies are not active - so dont sweat that, in fact too active can indicate problems
- Earthworms with a few axolotl pellets are the best food mix - start a worm farm compost worms, worm farm, delivered Australia wide ( i use the little rotter, great product) Google for axolotl pellets, i cant thik of the site, but i've found them for as low as $9 - My LFS sells the same pack for about $18, my pack has lasted over a year
- Please test your water for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, ph, gh, kh (anything you can give us is good) the more info you post (including photos if you can) the better
- 22 celc is too warm for an axie, and if it is 22 celc at this time of year, i'm guessing you are up north or perhaps out west - in that case water temp is always going to be hard to control (i found it a problem and i'm in Melbourne) - consider a chiller - i bought a haliea from here and despite the halieas being the entry level quality chiller, i've found it relaible - Guppy’s Aquarium Products Online
- The wooden log should be fine, and i understand helps keep ph stable, so as long as it is / was aquarium safe, it should not be an issue but if it isnt in the tank it cant cause problems , right?
- Gravel is a big problem (anything bigger than 1-2 mm is anyway) , and pebbles are probably a close second. When you say "large" pebbles, define large - if we could swallow what an axie could on the same scale, we'd fit a basketball in our mouth, and easily swallow a volleyball - so if your definition of "large" is 20 mm, then you still have a problem. pebbles need to be bigger than the axies head.
The other thing about pebbles is the cleaning, apparently they are harder to keep clean as the waste sinks through to the bottom, while it sits on the top of sand

Sand is the winner by far for axies.

Finally, can you post a heap more info before fridging? Fridging has it's own stresses involved, so should only be used sparingly if possible. If you can post water parameters etc and some pics, you may find the answer without fridging

If you dont have a test kit, get one :) in the meantime your LFS will test the water for you, but frankly, take their advice with a grain of salt - the smartest thing i have heard from a fish store owner was " We don't keep stock of axies because they are NOT fish, and frankly they need special treatment, so we are not really the best place for them. However we can order them for you from a reputable breeder if you want one" - Nearly every other store i've seen them in it is quite clear the store owners treat them like fish, and dont know enough about them, in fact i've reported a couple to the RSPCA the conditions were so bad

Bren
 

drom5343

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Wow, thanks heaps for the info iChris and Bren. Yes I am new to axolotls and I think i've been given a lot of misinformation, based on your advice.

At work now but will get some more detailed info up tonight.

Cheers.
 
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