ChevronandDill
New member
I have a 4yr old male axolotl who is sick. He shares a 90 gallon tank divided with plexiglass (so they share the same water though), with a female in the other side (I got tired of the fights and the babies!). Sand substrate and two filters. I have had them for 3 years, and nothing about their set-up has changed in approx. 2yrs. The female is fine, eating and acting normal and looking healthy.
My male stopped eating about 2 weeks ago. Just no interest. I mostly just leave them to do their own thing, but noticed the pellets were there (they have always been on axolotl pellets since they were raised by my friend.) and being ignored. I then noticed his stomach looked big (I had thought he was just fat). However since then I have paid more attention and had not seen him poop, wasn’t eating, and big dark belly. He was not floating, and still walking around, although less active and hiding more. After just over a week of not eating I decided maybe he was constipated so put him in the fridge. It is at 6 degrees, water change every day, and he has been in there for 4 days. The first day he did do a poop, that looked dark and harder than normal. He has not pooped since. Has no interest in food but I know that is normal in the fridge. He is in the Tupperware (with holes) with his nose poking up out of the water all the time. His tail is red, and he has developed small red veins since being in the fridge. His belly still looks large and dark.
Should I keep him in the fridge longer, or take him out, reacclimatise him and put him back in the tank? I am concerned that after two weeks of not eating, if that first poop was what was stuck, then maybe keeping him in the fridge longer will starve him/do more damage. However as his belly still looks big and dark maybe he should stay longer. I would welcome advice. Maybe it isn’t constipation at all?
Thanks!!
My male stopped eating about 2 weeks ago. Just no interest. I mostly just leave them to do their own thing, but noticed the pellets were there (they have always been on axolotl pellets since they were raised by my friend.) and being ignored. I then noticed his stomach looked big (I had thought he was just fat). However since then I have paid more attention and had not seen him poop, wasn’t eating, and big dark belly. He was not floating, and still walking around, although less active and hiding more. After just over a week of not eating I decided maybe he was constipated so put him in the fridge. It is at 6 degrees, water change every day, and he has been in there for 4 days. The first day he did do a poop, that looked dark and harder than normal. He has not pooped since. Has no interest in food but I know that is normal in the fridge. He is in the Tupperware (with holes) with his nose poking up out of the water all the time. His tail is red, and he has developed small red veins since being in the fridge. His belly still looks large and dark.
Should I keep him in the fridge longer, or take him out, reacclimatise him and put him back in the tank? I am concerned that after two weeks of not eating, if that first poop was what was stuck, then maybe keeping him in the fridge longer will starve him/do more damage. However as his belly still looks big and dark maybe he should stay longer. I would welcome advice. Maybe it isn’t constipation at all?
Thanks!!