Axie just passed away out of the blue :C

Hey guys. I'm new to this website, and I need to ask a question, and maybe get some answers.

So I had a wild type Axie named Basil. He was the peppiest, happiest little guy in the entire world. Whenever I came into the room he would swim right up to the front of the tank and say hi, flailing his little arms around. I bought him last may, and he was so small he was see through. Definitely less than half an inch. He died yesterday, and I have no idea why.

The previous few days he had been himself, all happy and energetic. Yesterday, I went to give him a cricket, and he didnt take it. I hadn't fed him yet, and he always takes food from me, he's always hungry. So I took him out of the tank (he was still small, so he was in a 5 gal. I was planning on moving him to a 10 gal very soon) and put him in a smaller container. He looked rather bloated, especially in his face and lower jaw. He also was gasping for air while in the smaller container, and a clear slime was starting to come out of his mouth. His jaw underneath and part of his chest looked pinkish-red as well. I dont know what happened to make him like that. About a half an hour later he died, I realized it because he stopping moving. I have no idea what caused his death. I will admit I dont usually check the ammonia, the nitrate any of those levels, I know I should. I also have two albino african clawed frogs and they're doing just fine. Basil was in a 5 gal with a filter, hiding log, a golden apple snail, black aquarium sand. I fed him a staple diet of newt and salamander pellets, with earthworms, bloodworms live a frozen occasionally, crickets occasionally.

I miss my basil baby and I was hoping if anyone has had any similar experiences. He was less than a year old and had no previous health issues. The water in his tank might have been a little bit warmer than 70 - 75 degrees F, but theres not much I could have done. The college I go to loves to blast the heat when it starts getting even a tiny bit cold.

I bought him from a breeder at a herpetological convention. Has anyone ever heard of something like this?


And I dont have any pictures, I buried him last night under my favorite tree on campus after he passed.

I agree. I think this guy probably succumbed to poor water quality.

I changed the water about every two weeks. I know he was in a 5 gal, which was too small, but it was the only extra tank I had, unfortunately

With me now, I have 5 goldfish, two ACFs, two snails, a betta fish and a bearded dragon.
At home, every one has a tank big enough for them. But at college, I cant fit all the tanks in my dorm. I know its irresponsible, but i can't leave them at home either, cause i live over an hour away and i cant be going home all the time. And i dont want to give them away or get rid of them. The rest of my animals are in great health.

I'm going to test my water from now on and do water changes much more frequently. Thank you so much guys.

And the snail is now in my ACF tank. I have another one in my goldfish tank.
I'm not sure how fine the aquarium sand is, all i know is that its black aquarium sand bought from petco.

Also, one more thing, My frogs have been shedding very frequently. Nothing else seems to be wrong with them. I've been changing their water frequently, about once a week now, I bought them a new filter, right now they're in a 10 gal, although at home they're in a 20 gal long. I've been feeding them reptomin turtle stick things. I've switched it up and now i'm giving them freeze dried shrimp and crickets. They're very active, no blemishes or marks on them, I have a male and female (juicy lucy and goober). I put dechlorinator in the water when I do a water change. Does anyone have any ideas to that as well? I really appreciate it guys. And I take the shed out of the water as soon as I see it too, I dont let it sit in the tank.

I keep my axolotls in about 5 gallons of water, and I do 100% water changes 2x a week.

Freeze-dried food is nutritionally void. Feed your ACF's earthworm chunks too.