Question: Axolotl not eating, is he sick?

Hello!

I just recently bought my second axolotl (Randy) less than a week ago. He looked very thin when I bought him. I have been feeding him regularly, but he just doesn't want to receive the food. I have tried using a feeding dish, cutting the worms (he's still so little!), hand feeding him, etc. I never had this problem with my last lotl. He does not seemed stressed; he is out and about in the tank, although a little lethargic. The tank seems to be on par with axolotl standards (temp, filtration, ph levels, plenty of hides). I don't know what could be causing him not to eat? Would it be a good idea to put him in a separate container while he eats so I can regulate how many worms he does eat? Or would that possibly stress him out?
Help, help, help!

Hello

So, how long ago did you get him? He could just be getting used to his setup/new home.
I would try offering different kinds of foods, anything he eats will help. Try bloodworms, pellets, and other worms maybe.

Do you know where your Ammonia and Nitrite and Nitrate are at? This could potentially be a problem. Is your tank cycled? Is he in with the other axie?

Posting a picture of him would be great so that we can see how thin he is, or else its hard to say if you should start doing "101" feeding.
But if you REALLY feel like he needs it, than go ahead. And while he's in there try all sorts of foods, and find out what he likes best and feed him that.
If you do do the "101" feeding with him in a tub by himself, make sure you do water changes!

Hope this helps and I hope he eats! -Seth

I got him less than a week ago. He is in a 10g tank all by himself. I just did another pH test and it is about at 7.4...Hmmm.

I also have used a conditioner in the tank before I put him in to his new home.This said it would help balance the water quality and Randy's well-being. Is there something else I could do?

I have tried frozen blood worms, black worms, and pellets...Maybe he would prefer something else?

Here is a picture of him and his tank

But as Seth asked, is your tank cycled? Do you test for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate? This could be the problem.

I have a testing kit for Ammonia, Nitrates, Nitrites, and pH. Everything seems to be fine. I got him to eat quite a few black worms in a separate container from his tank so he sees my hand means food and not as a threat. He did very well! Probably just scared and needing to get used to not being crammed in a cruddy tank at the place I got him from....so sad...But he has a determined mamma! Thank you guys for the help.

Glad to hear he's finally eating something! It seems like your water is fine, so I bet he's just warming up to his new habitat.

One of the axolotls I got (I like to think rescued) from a pet store had been kept in a small bowl with barely two inches of water. He was so thin and his gills hardly had any "filaments" at all. It took him about two weeks in a big, clean tank before he ate regularly. I think sometimes they just need time to recover from a poor environment!

Good luck!

bdenzer said:

Glad to hear he's finally eating something! It seems like your water is fine, so I bet he's just warming up to his new habitat.

One of the axolotls I got (I like to think rescued) from a pet store had been kept in a small bowl with barely two inches of water. He was so thin and his gills hardly had any "filaments" at all. It took him about two weeks in a big, clean tank before he ate regularly. I think sometimes they just need time to recover from a poor environment!

Good luck!

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Yes! That was the problem. He is only my second axolotl (I had to be a responsible parent and relocate my first baby because I was moving across the country ) and my first one warmed up right away! So I wasn't too sure what was happening. He is still a little lazy guy, but he eats like a pig and swims right up to the front of the tank when we come to see how he is doing. Such a relief!