Loss of appetite, gill irritation and more...

--Tank parameters--
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5-10 ppm (been cycled since before I got him)
pH: 7.0
Temp: 18-19 deg C
20 gallon - 30 inch planted aquarium with sand substrate
One 5 inch axolotl - Charr

I've had Charr for 2 months now and he(or she, not sure yet) has always been very active with a great appetite. He'd eat a whole medium/large red wiggler earthworm every evening with the occasional bloodworm cube or wax worm treat(once or twice a week). He would even meet me at the waterline for his worm. Up until 4 or 5 days ago anyway.

He has been very shy and reclusive as of late. He barely moves from his hide with his gills often curled forward. When I try to feed him, he acts almost scared. As soon as the worm touches his lip he backs away in a hurry and moves to a different hide.

He also has been flapping his gills a lot more that usual. For a several seconds he will flap his gills very rapidly then onto only once every 10-30 seconds. I've caught him trying to scratch his gills with his back legs. It seems like something is irritating him.

Charr also vomited(I'm assuming, couldn't tell what it was) sometime last night and pooped today. This evening it looked like he was gagging or retching, but nothing came of it.

I am at a loss at what to do. I change 20% of the water once a week and test parameters with a liquid test kit before and after each water change. They have been stable the entire time I've had him. What I have been doing is keeping his tank cool and dark, but that doesn't seem to be helping. He has lost weight, but he's not terribly skinny yet.

All advice and input is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Abby

What type of substrate do you have? Everything seems good and nothing is jumping out at me that would concern me.

Olivia97 said:

What type of substrate do you have? Everything seems good and nothing is jumping out at me that would concern me.

Click to expand...

Sand.

Hmm, sorry hun I'm out of ideas. Hopefully someone with more experience will help x

Woke this morning to find 3-4 more poops and in one of the deposits I found a pebble 6 mm in diameter. I've never had gravel, but I know the pet store I purchased him from did

Could have been causing some of his problems? He seems to be moving around a little better, probably relieved to have passed such a big thing.

Charr still looks like he's trying to retch or heave something up. Sorry to be too descriptive, but it's kind of like the motions a cat makes just before they vomit, minus the hacking sound. Would it be beneficial to fridge him to help pass anymore possible gravel bits?

I am leaving for work in 15 minutes, so the fridging will have to wait until later this evening if it's recommended.

Thanks!

It sounds like you're feeding an awful lot. A worm a day is quite a bit of food. It could be that you're just feeding it too much.

I have read the wrong information then

Once he starts eating again, how often and how much should I feed him?

Thank you!

Soooooo... To fridge or not to fridge? That is my question.

Photos are from 2 days ago and tonight. I've decided to fridge him and see if anything comes of it. Hoping it will help move things along.

red wrigglers are significantly smaller and he doesn't look overly fat either.

I think he actually looks a little on the slim side. If he was mine I would try to offer food daily for a bit.

If there was one bit of gravel it's definitely possible that there could be more. How long have you had him? It's strange that he was eating fine and then stopped if it's gravel from before you got him. But I suppose the gravel could have shifted position inside him only recently.


edit: just noticed you said you've had him for two months. I am no expert but if he were mine I think I would fridge him in case there is more gravel, especially since your water parameters are all good.

Thank you all for the feedback. It has put my mind at ease. I'm trying not to be overly paranoid over the situation.

No poo or gravel passed this morning. I will attempt to feed again this evening before his water change.

How long would you recommend keeping him in the fridge?

Keep him in there at least a couple of days. If he's eating in the fridge, a week.

Charr is still acting afraid of food and hasn't eaten.

Upon transferring into his clean container and water, he started to poo so things are still working down there.

I have one more question as well. Before when I thought he was retching, he was actually holding a large air bubble in his mouth. Is that normal behavior? I've never seen him do it before.

It can kind of depend on the air bubble it can be from not eating, or it could just be a bubble left over when he might have gulped some air at the surface. Sounds like the gravel might have been a problem too! You're doing everything you can though, I hope he makes a speedy recovery!

I tried a waxworm today and Charr didn't freak out like before with earthworms, but he still hasn't eaten.

When axolotls get skinny, does their entire midsection thin down or just their hind end? *see photo* Charr is quite skinny near his back legs, but has a little bulk left in the front.

She's losing weight really quickly! I think there could be something going on internal

That isn't normal looking. You may want to consult a vet for x-rays and consider force feeding at this point.

So it's been over two weeks since Charr has eaten. He's still slowly deteriorating, but hasn't lost a lot of weight since the last picture I posted.

I tried force feeding several times, but I did nothing but stress him out terribly. Not sure if I did it correctly, but he always ended up spitting the food out or vomiting it up. It was difficult to attempt by myself.

I've also had no luck with vets in the area. Closest one that would be able to help is a 3 hour drive and road conditions are quite horrible right now.

I am at a complete loss on what to do. I know it's gravel impacted his gut. I felt a hard pebble while handling him trying to force feed Do I continue to wait and hope it passes? How long can axies go without food?

Much appreciated,
Abby