My axolotl hasn't eaten in 3 weeks!! Help

Hi guys, I have a male axolotl named Nacho, I've had him for less then 6 months and bought him from some dodgy guy at the markets.

He is in a 4ft tank and has been very well and healthy till recently. 3 weeks ago i did a partial water change and took all the decorations, pots and large rocks out to clean. And put 2 Golden Mystery Snails in with him and a algae block.

Before this he would eat a good 4 or 5 mealworms every night. Now he just refuses them shakes his head and hasn't eaten at all in at least 3 weeks. and would always swim and dance when he saw me.

He is very lethargic and skinny at the moment and is just staying curled in the corner and

Are the snails the cause of this? and should i take them out?
Any suggestions on what to do ?
Please very desperate to make him happy and healthy again.

Thanks Amy

Hello Amy! I will do my best to try and help you out My first suggestion is to switch Nacho's food right away. Mealworms are not a good food choice because they are hard for axolotls to digest and their shells can cause impaction. I would recommend earth worms or frozen bloodworms. Is your axie's tail curled or his gills forward turned? If so he most likely stressed. To help with stress, keep the water cool and the tank in a shaded area. You can rotate frozen water bottles to keep the water cold if you don't have a chiller, or you could also put a desktop fan over the surface of the water. I would recommend taking out the snails and testing your water parameters. If possible, I would also recommend taking him to the vet. Could you post a picture of Nacho? It would help a lot. I can give you instructions on how to post pictures if you need them.

I would suspect that the ingredients of your algae block are not good for the axolotl or the snails. Does your algae block have copper in it?

I agree with first two respondents. It can get warm in Queensland so make sure you keep the axolotl cool. A stressed axolotl is prone to getting infections, especially mycobacterial. I have seen impactions caused by inappropriate substrate (too small, easily ingested) or diet (mealworms can be bad like Isabella states). If you gently palpate the coelom/belly can you feel any hard masses in the stomach or intestines? Your best bet is to find an exotic animal veterinarian near you.

The best resource is the "Find a Vet" resource here: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

When axolotls get really sick sometimes you need to tube feed them with a gruel diet or give medications to help relieve obstructions. Some obstructions are bad enough that it requires surgery. Most issues I see are directly related to deficiencies in the diet or husbandry.

Thanks for rescuing this axolotl from a dodgy guy and reaching out to experts to help improve the care you are providing. I'd make the husbandry and diet changes Isabella recommends and if the axolotl still won't eat take it to a vet for an exam and possible assist feeding. It's difficult to diagnose anything over the internet, nothing can substitute for an actual physical exam. Good luck!