Hello,
I have always wanted to get an axolotl but have mainly stuck to other amphibians and reptiles however at the last reptile expo I came across these beautiful creatures and ended up taking a wild type 6 month juvenile home. While having it in a very small tank for the first day I fed a fair bit of bloodworms which were readily accepted. Now when I moved it to a 10 gallon filtered tank with a submerged spraybar with only one small hole uncovered the rest have been taped shut to reduce flow.
I have experienced two problems since then
1. Problem: the axolotl was having trouble reaching the bottom of the tank
My thoughts: I thought it could have been the water but I had purchased demineralized water so I did not think that could be a problem. Maybe the filter was to wrong so i did what I could to severely lower the flow rate. I thought it could be constipation or an air bubble and refrigerated.
Solution: Refrigeration worked well by the next morning two small pieces of fecal matter were found and taking the axolotl out of the fridge and letting the temperatures slowly decrease I added it back to the 10 gallon. It could swim fine now!
I fed the axo again and the following day I removed the filter to test it in a final tank that would hold the axo permantely
2. Problem: The axolotl is floating on its side/upside down
I came back home to find the axolotl on its back floating at the top of the tank motionless, thinking it was dead I went to cradle it and it swam down to the bottom still upside down and wedged itself into a hide, still upside down.
My thoughts: The previous day I had watched the axo occasinaly swimming to the top for a breathe of air. Maybe this was done since I had removed the filter and the water was not oxygenating as much and maybe again It had taken in too much air. After researching this problem on caudata etc I did consider supersaturation as a problem however this didnt make sense to me. Would supersaturation not occur from a filter introducing too many air bubbles? And the fact that I had watched the axo going to the top of the tank wouldnt that indicate that too much oxygen was not a problem in the tank? Or am I thinking of supersaturation in the wrong manner?
Attempted solution: So far I have removed the axo and placed it in a very shallow container in the fridge, enough so it can somewhat stay in a proper swimming position. No fecal matter has been found in the two days it has been in there so far.
Questions:
What can I do to speed up this fellows recovery?
What could I have done wrong to cause this issue?
Is surface feeding not a smart thing todo as it can cause a juvenile to possibly take in too much air?
The new tank I have setup has a PH greater than 7.6, and negligible NH4 and NH3 levels Sadly my water test kit only goes as high as 7.6 so I will be grabbing a test kit to get a more accurate idea of how high it is. Can PH be too high?
Supersaturation can be from excess oxygen being present in the water however can I rule that out If I have witnessed the axolotl coming to the surface for air?
Sorry for the long post I have been wrestling with these questions for the last few days, If anyone can chime in on any of the questions it would be much appreciated.
Thanks
I have always wanted to get an axolotl but have mainly stuck to other amphibians and reptiles however at the last reptile expo I came across these beautiful creatures and ended up taking a wild type 6 month juvenile home. While having it in a very small tank for the first day I fed a fair bit of bloodworms which were readily accepted. Now when I moved it to a 10 gallon filtered tank with a submerged spraybar with only one small hole uncovered the rest have been taped shut to reduce flow.
I have experienced two problems since then
1. Problem: the axolotl was having trouble reaching the bottom of the tank
My thoughts: I thought it could have been the water but I had purchased demineralized water so I did not think that could be a problem. Maybe the filter was to wrong so i did what I could to severely lower the flow rate. I thought it could be constipation or an air bubble and refrigerated.
Solution: Refrigeration worked well by the next morning two small pieces of fecal matter were found and taking the axolotl out of the fridge and letting the temperatures slowly decrease I added it back to the 10 gallon. It could swim fine now!
I fed the axo again and the following day I removed the filter to test it in a final tank that would hold the axo permantely
2. Problem: The axolotl is floating on its side/upside down
I came back home to find the axolotl on its back floating at the top of the tank motionless, thinking it was dead I went to cradle it and it swam down to the bottom still upside down and wedged itself into a hide, still upside down.
My thoughts: The previous day I had watched the axo occasinaly swimming to the top for a breathe of air. Maybe this was done since I had removed the filter and the water was not oxygenating as much and maybe again It had taken in too much air. After researching this problem on caudata etc I did consider supersaturation as a problem however this didnt make sense to me. Would supersaturation not occur from a filter introducing too many air bubbles? And the fact that I had watched the axo going to the top of the tank wouldnt that indicate that too much oxygen was not a problem in the tank? Or am I thinking of supersaturation in the wrong manner?
Attempted solution: So far I have removed the axo and placed it in a very shallow container in the fridge, enough so it can somewhat stay in a proper swimming position. No fecal matter has been found in the two days it has been in there so far.
Questions:
What can I do to speed up this fellows recovery?
What could I have done wrong to cause this issue?
Is surface feeding not a smart thing todo as it can cause a juvenile to possibly take in too much air?
The new tank I have setup has a PH greater than 7.6, and negligible NH4 and NH3 levels Sadly my water test kit only goes as high as 7.6 so I will be grabbing a test kit to get a more accurate idea of how high it is. Can PH be too high?
Supersaturation can be from excess oxygen being present in the water however can I rule that out If I have witnessed the axolotl coming to the surface for air?
Sorry for the long post I have been wrestling with these questions for the last few days, If anyone can chime in on any of the questions it would be much appreciated.
Thanks