Please help this newbie! :(

Hi all. i have owned my 2 axolotls for around 4 months now. i had them at around 3 months old. as i only intended to get 1 axolotl i kept both of them in a 10 gallon tank (not ideal but didn't want to leave the other one as he was very skinny ) anyway, all has been well and with some love and attention both axolotls have come on really well! i have now upgraded to a 20 gallon long tank that i was bought for xmas. i was trying to do the best for my axies but since then thy have gone down hill!

originally i thought they were stressed, understandably. they are both normally explorers, always begging for food and full of character but they have been hidin ALOT. they had their last proper feed on the 28th of December (which is also when i moved them into their new tank) and it is now the 2nd January. i normally feed every other day, and drop some pellets in here and there. which they eat within seconds. a few days ago, i managed to coax one from his hide and he ate lots of pellets but the other came out late had a few and quickly went back in. the next morning, one axolotl (presumably the one that had eaten most) had bought most the pellets back up. i have tried with pellets since but both axolotls are completely uninterested! and the one who didn't eat many pellets has came out of hiding only once! the other has started to sit at the back of the tank, but goes in and out of hiding!

today i removed both from tank to monitor feeding. one ate a few worms (usually their favourite and can't get enough). less than normal but not too worried about that! the other, thin and hiding axolotl still hasn't eaten. i even got the blood worm out but still no luck. has snapped once or twice at a worm but thats it.

neither axolotls seem stressed anymore (they were when they first went into the tank) no curled gills, no flicked tail. i have done 2 water changes since they have been in, hoping that would help as i understand the tank has got to cycle again.

only thing noticable is that their gills aren't as 'fluffy' as before but i wouldn't say they have got smaller. also, athough they didn't gulp for air in the tank, since moving to container for feeding they have come for air a quite a few times. i changed the water in the container making sure it was the same temp but still the air coming for air. temp in tank is also okay, about ranging from 19-21 celcius but never above.

totally at a loss of what to do! this worried axie owner needs help please

How did you cycle the new tank?

Have you tested the new tank water? What are the parameters?

Changing tanks shouldn't cause stress if you have provided plenty of hides & areas of cover as well as the most important thing - healthy water.

Post some pics of old tank & new tank as well as pictures of your axolotls - all the information & pics help to diagnose what could be the issue.




<3 >o_o< <3

hi, thanks for the reply!
i couldn't cycle the new tank as i didn't have the room for 2! the axies were kept in a bucket over night while it settled i'm sorry to say i had to cycle with them in when i first got them so i am treating this new tank like one that needs cycling. the water is fine, i tested earlier as i did a water change, a little ammonia present so i did a water change.

i'm not sure how to post pics *cringe*

Abbie, to post pics, click on the 'go advanced' button, and then click 'manage attachments'.

hi, just an update! my axolotls are still refusing food, regardless of my 30% water changes everyday. i've offered bloodworm and earthworms. no pellets as you suggested. they are losing weight pretty fast, and i don't think they are gonna last a month without food like you said.

this morning i have done a big water change, approx 50-60% and i have moved my filter as that is the only thing i can think of that i changed. i have an internal filter that previously was lay on its back angled towards the tank wall. there was no current on the ground like this but i suppose i'm no axolotl! i have now changed it to how it was in my old tank to on its side with the out put facing my log.

another thing i am worried about is the amount of oxygen in the tank. the have an airstone and obviously air pump, to be honest i think i need to get another kne. i was given l this air pump by my uncle so have mo idea what it is capable of. it won't power a long airstone at the bottom of the tank though, so i have a smaller one floating a lil' bit. there are bubbles coming out so i presume it is doing something! any toughts on that though would be great!

i sure hope they start eating soon because i'm so worried. i really don't know what to do next should this not work!

They don't look terribly thin.

Keep trying live, wiggly food. Moving the filter may help. They're stressed by any water flow. I wouldn't worry about adding more airstones. If you have a filter on one side of the tank and an airstone on the other, that's plenty. They do have lungs, and will use them if needed.

Why are you doing such large water changes, so frequently?

okay, good to know i'm doing something right! i'm getting readings of ammonia that i obviously don't want but understandably so as my tanks gonna have to cycle again. i think it must be the ammonia causing my axies to go loopy so i did a larger water change this morning hoping it would help.

its the axie on the left i am most worried about, as he was thin and when i first got him. alot less confident and more fussy than the other one. he also hasn't eaten since the 27th, only snapped at a worm.

do you think reaching sexual maturity could have anything to do with it? i have noticed their toes are looking alot darker than they were last week!

i know i'm just clutching at straws

Have you tested your tap water to get a baseline reading of water parameters? What kind of dechlorinator are you using?

Small, frequent water changes are best, rather than big ones. If you're testing your water parameters, change only as much as you need to get the water back into acceptable levels. If you need to change 10%, there's no point in changing 50%. Make sense?

tap water is completely normal, nothing unusual going on there! i've only used dipsticks in the past for parameters and i've never had a problem. mainly because thats all i could afford. i'm going out now and i'm hoping the nearby pet shop has some water testing kits. i heard the master test kit was good? this poor student is gonna have to spend some savings haa. i'll update you as soon as i know the readings.

is there anything else that could be causing this conplete change of behaviour if ammonia isn't the cause?

Can I just add in here that in your original post you were worried that they hadn't eaten for 4 days (between 29th and 2nd Jan) but that is not a great length of time for an amphibian to be without food. Even now on 4th Jan they've not eaten for 6 days, but if you think about it by moving them around after you were worried about them in the new tank you have been continually changing their environment, reducing the probability of them settling in and starting to eat well.

As described, don't perform massive water changes, 10% daily (or even every other day since you're not feeding and therefore not adding as much ammonia) is sufficient to cycle a tank. You need to give the bacteria some 'food' and a chance to flourish.

I vote for leaving them be in the new tank to settle in, provide lots of hidey holes and peace and quiet (except for the water changes), and if they still haven't eaten after another week then you need to investigate other causes of their being off their food.

Thanks for the adivce everyone! i went out and spent £30 i didn't really have and got myself i muchhhhhhh better water test kit. as i said. no ammonia, ph and nitrate were fine! nitrite was high at 0.8. i read that it should be 0.3 or below. if higher do a 20% water change. i followed the instructions and re-tested so now its at around 0.2. i hope to have finally found the problem causing my poor axies to go off their food!

i'll keep a watchful eye on them and test again tomorrow. i'l update you if anything changes. thanks again for all your help! i don't where i would be without caudata!

hi everyone. i have been finding high levels of nitrite and nitrate in my tank which have been bought down by 20-30% water changes. they are hiding slightly less now but still not eating. i have just been up to offer some feshly bought worms with still no luck.

however i found a dreaded stone! in the 4 months i have had them, i have always had thrm on sand. i'm pretty sure the lovely lady i had them off had kept them barebottom aswell, although i will check.

is it really possible that one tiny stone (i will take a picture shortly to show you how small it really is!) has taken 4 months to come back out? i suppose it cou
d have come from my aquarium sand, but.. surely i would have seen it by now? especially while rinsinit off efore putting it in their tank

the stone i found in my tank

It's entirely possible that's been logged in the gut for the last 4 months. This is exactly why we tell people not to keep them on gravel!

I hope this is the start of your guys getting better.

this evening i've seen some improvement. both have eaten a little bit and are more active around their tank. fingers crossed!