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Question: Does anyone know what caused our axolotl to pass away? (Photos attached)

CallumPricey

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Our axolotl, who was around 6 months old, had been looking rather thin for over a week or so, but he had been fed regularly and had been eating. The day before he passed he spent most of his time sat at the bottom of the tank. This is not normal as he is usually swimming around and moving places within the tank. He also seemed to have his mouth open a lot more than normal. He eventually swam to the top of the water but then sank back down, landing on his side/back. We removed him from the tank and placed him in a large tub and tried to feed him and he ate half a cube of bloodworm's as he normally does. However he barley moved, only slightly moving his gills and legs every now and again.He would often flip on a side if he tried to swim. He also appeared to have red patches/rash on his back. The next morning he had passed away. A large red patch had now appeared underneath him that was not there before.
Please help as we have two other axolotls living in the same tank and want to prevent anything from happening to them. Thank you

R.I.P Reginald :(

WLr8u5i


Chfz5Yl


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auntiejude

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Those photos won't open, can you upload them here?

The first thing to check in any situation where an axie is sick is the water quality - what are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temp? 'Red patches' are often a sign of poor water quality.

You said he was in a tank with others, what age and size are the others, and how big is your tank? How long have you had them?
 

CallumPricey

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Pictures re uploaded
 

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CallumPricey

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Those photos won't open, can you upload them here?

The first thing to check in any situation where an axie is sick is the water quality - what are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temp? 'Red patches' are often a sign of poor water quality.

You said he was in a tank with others, what age and size are the others, and how big is your tank? How long have you had them?

temperature is between 18/19
one is around 7 months
and the other is around 3/4

Ive had 2 more than 4/5 months with out any problems, only change was i added some aquarium sand a month or so ago
 

Bellabelloo

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The poor little thing was extremely thin. The redness may just be from having died.

Here are a few questions.

(1) What are your readings for Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite ? If you do not have a test you could take a sample of your water to your local aquatic shop, they will be able to test it for you.

(2) What do you normally feed them and how often.

(3) Could we see a photo of their tank and the other axolotl too please?
 

Bellabelloo

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The poor little thing was extremely thin. The redness may just be from having died.

Here are a few questions.

(1) What are your readings for Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite ? If you do not have a test you could take a sample of your water to your local aquatic shop, they will be able to test it for you.

(2) What do you normally feed them and how often.

(3) Could we see a photo of their tank and the other axolotl too please?
 

HayleyK

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That axolotl looks terrible! :(

I've seen your pictures on Instagram before and he was never this skinny. It looks like he was losing weight for more than a week... Half a cube of bloodworms are not enough for a 6 month axolotl and if you're chucking them in the tank he's most likely not getting enough if there's other tank mates. Earthworms are the best staple food and suggest you switch for your remaining axolotl(s).

Like auntiejude said, red patches can be caused by water quality. I noticed you didn't upload your nitrite or nitrate readings. Do you test for these?

Mouth open is usually an indicator of something being stuck in their mouth, swollen-ness or MBD. Is there anything in the tank he could have eaten?
 

Boomsloth

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like hayley said, half a cube is no where near enough for an axolotl that age. My axolotls were eating close to a cube and a half each before I switched them to earthworms. I also always make sure that each one was eating by hand feeding the ones that do not have swollen bellies after a meal.
 

Skudo09

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I'm so sorry for your loss. :(

It would be good to see a photo of the other axolotl.

As everyone here has suggested, get your water tested for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If you don't have a kit, I would suggest purchasing one as these are so important to ensure your water quality is good and it is good to test regularly to make sure that there are no dangerous chemical levels in the water. Liquid test kits are the most reliable. I use API freshwater master kit.

Earthworms are a much more appropriate staple diet given their age and are much less messy than bloodworm :) I agree with Hayley to switch your remaining axolotl to earthworms.
 

CallumPricey

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I fed them a cube each of blood worms every two days and they ate fine, i also don't have a test kit yet i didn't knowi needed one i just got all the listed needed equipment also i read online not to give them earth worms until they where at least a year old i dont know where to get them

Anyways as asked here are the tank pictures and my wild type
 

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Boomsloth

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From what I can kind of see your other two are looking slimy as well. You should be feeding them enough food that they choose to stop eating. My largest axolotl who is around that length could easily put away 2-3 bloodworm cubes daily. Switch to cut up earthworms but you really need to be feeding them more.
 

EmbryH

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i read online not to give them earth worms until they where at least a year old i dont know where to get them

No no no no, you can give them earthworms when they're big enough to eat it. You can cut the worm into 1" bites as well. I start mine on earthworms as soon as they can cram a bite down their mouths. A 5" axolotl can definitely eat one. One cube of bloodworms every two days would be enough to barely keep a growing axolotl alive. Frankly I'm shocked that they weren't attacking each other to get more food... that's some serious underfeeding, though I understand you were given incorrect information.

You can buy earthworms from bait shops, and you could probably buy some online and start your own little worm farm.

I would immediately start feeding your guys as much as they want in a 15 minute sitting. They need more food more often. Also if they're eating bloodworms off the bottom of the tank, they need to have a feeding jar, or else they're going to be eating a lot of sand when they feed, which is dangerous.

Also yes, you need a water testing kit asap. Don't bother with the test strips, they're inaccurate. But you need a kit to test the ammonia, nitrite, ect levels in your water. You could have a crazy bad ammonia problem and not even know it until your axolotl's skin starts to blister. Get a kit.
 

CallumPricey

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We got them a bowl not long ago so they don't eat them off the sand in the tank and before that we but them in a container so they wouldn't eat to much sand, the guy who runs the store we got them from doesnt take great of them, they where being kept in tiny tank with pebbles at the bottom :( he told us to feed them just once a week but after looking on-line we where told every other day which sounded better so that's what we have been doing. We also leave them in them to feed for a good half an hour but they have always seemed to stop after about 5-10 minutes,no matter how many cubes we put in, they never seem to eat enough and we dont know what to do to make them eat :( we will diffinately look into getting a kit, thank you
 

Boomsloth

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We got them a bowl not long ago so they don't eat them off the sand in the tank and before that we but them in a container so they wouldn't eat to much sand, the guy who runs the store we got them from doesnt take great of them, they where being kept in tiny tank with pebbles at the bottom :( he told us to feed them just once a week but after looking on-line we where told every other day which sounded better so that's what we have been doing. We also leave them in them to feed for a good half an hour but they have always seemed to stop after about 5-10 minutes,no matter how many cubes we put in, they never seem to eat enough and we dont know what to do to make them eat :( we will diffinately look into getting a kit, thank you

Growing axolotls (and almost everything else) need a steady food source to maintain their development. When I first got mine I would feed them sometimes twice a day if I noticed them looking around for food. As they get older they will slow down and eat every few days depending on the age and temperature. Its an honest mistake and that guy who runs the store probably never kept an axolotl alive long enough to realize how to properly care for them. I notice some of mine will eat a few bites and sit there waiting to digest for a while before proceeding to the rest. The others eat non stop until they are balloons. I would recommend trying to wiggle some food in front of them with tongs maybe twice a day just until they get some weight on.
 

HayleyK

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I have two 5-6" axolotls and I feed them up to twice a day, until they don't feel like eating. A good indication of healthy weight is their body being as wide as their head. If they look a little under - feed more.
 

Skudo09

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Bloodworm just is not nutritionally enough for axolotls of that age even if they are eating it. It just doesn't contain anywhere near enough to sustain an axolotl of that age. You can feed it more than what you already are and it still won't be enough, particularly given how skinny they already are. Earthworms are far more nutritional and also have the benefit of being far less messy.

You obviously care for them and it is great you are seeking advice on them. I must stress that it is now so important that you follow the great advice given by the members on this thread. Without action now, these axolotls, I fear will only deteriorate in condition and if nothing is done now to remedy this situation, they will surely die. It really is just horrible that you were given such poor advice. This is not your fault and can happen to the best of us. However you have come to the right place where you can now get great information and advice :)


Two actions you need to take:

1. Place them on a more nutrionally suited diet - earthworms - and feed much more often. As Hayley mentioned, a good indication of a healthy weight for an axolotl is their belly being as wide as their head.
2. Get a water chemical testing kit - get ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH (liquid test kit is recommended). Conduct a test and it would be good to post the results here so we can see the full picture and determine if any other steps need to be taken.

Please keep us updated as we would love to know what progress they are making and can help you along the way.
 

leandrah

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Here is an example of what my Axies eat (They eat once a day), Mine are roughly the same size as yours. They each eat 2 earthworms, a very large cricket and a meal worm. This is in one sitting.

I agree with what everyone has said here, and I think that you drastically need to increase their food, and you need to feed them something that is higher in nutrition. I would follow this link if i was you, it will help you get your others back on track with their weight.

Caudata Culture Articles - Food Items for Captive Caudates

I would also feed them twice a day, they might not eat a lot in the beginning because the increase in food will be a bit of a shock, but you will definitely see an improvement in their weight within a week if you are feeding them enough

Good luck!
 

kjnorman

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I'm sorry you lost your poor little guy. How awful to be given bad advice from the person selling them - who really should know better!

I notice you are in the UK. If it is warm enough (and dry enough - I have seen the pictures of the flooding over there!) that you can dig in the garden (as long as it is chemical-free), you can dig earthworms from the ground to feed.

Some axolotls don't like live earthworms (my male gets picky about them), so you may have to blanch the worms by pouring a bit of boiling water over them and dunking them in cold water immediately so they don't cook. This kills the worm (don't worry, worms don't have the right nervous system for feeling pain and they die instantly anyway) and some axies prefer them this way.

Two other things that helped my male perk up when he was not eating well were to add additional hiding spots, and I added a bubbler with an airstone to the tank for a week or so until he was back to being himself.

If they won't eat more in a feeding, try feeding them more often, as suggested by others.
 

CJ1981

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CallumPricey;409494i read online not to give them earth worms until they where at least a year old i dont know where to get them[/QUOTE said:
You can get earth worms from fishing tackle and bait shops or there are several online retailers such as yorkshire worms. See below for links.

www.wormsdirectuk.co.uk/

www.yorkshire-worms.co.uk

www.willyworms.co.uk

Below is a link to a list of bait shops in the Hull area, I hope one is near you
Angling and fishing shops in Hull. Find reviews of Hull Angling and fishing shops | The Independent

You are looking for things like Dendrobenea or Lob worms. I order from Yorkshire worms, they do several different sizes of dendro's which can save the slightly gross task of having to chop up larger worms.
 
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