Floating axie

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sherrisixxx

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Sherri
HI, I hope somebody can help me. One of my axies has started floating. She swims, and gulps air from the airstone or from the top of the water, and starts floating. Is this dangerous? If I poke her a few times, she lets out some big air bubbles and comes down. Am a bit worried, as am not sure if she is just having fun, or is this a sign of an illness?
 
Hi Sherri,

How is the water quality - levels of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? What is the temperature? How old is the axolotl?

-Eva
 
That could be a quite normal behavior. Axolotls sometimes gulp for air to start floating. That’s a kind of relaxion.;)
If the water paratemeters are ok and your axie is looking fine and eats well, don’t worry about his/her behavior.:happy:

best wishes, Tina
 
Hi there,

don't know about yours, but I have an 8yr black axi that has always gulped air and floated on the surface on and off, even when the water quality is fine. She will then let out bubbles from her gills and sink like yours. I was feeding her the wrong diet that created gas which bloated her and made her float like an air matteres so have changed that but she still comesup to gulp air. Have you had this one very long and what are you feeding it?
 
Many thanks for your kind replies! It sounds like it might be ok...

Here are the answers to your questions:

The axie in question is just under 4 years old, and I have had her 3,5 years. She mainly eats axie pellets and also gets a treat once a week of bloodworms, shrimp or squid.
The water is fine. Ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 30, temperature 17C.

Thanks in advance if you can add anytging, or put my mind at rest.
 
Hi Sherri,

It's a question of frequency. If your axolotl only gulps air occasionally, you could call it playing. If she does it a lot, like she is trying to get air to breathe, then there is something wrong with her water.

-Eva
 
If the water quality and parameters are fine it could just be playing. Also, if the pellets you are feeding it are floating pellets, (versus sinking...ahem), it could just be waiting for a snack. I'm not saying feed it every time it starts floating around, (to avoid overfeeding), but that's what my young one does a few times a day for a stick of Reptomin. Now whenever I open the lid it comes up and starts floating around, hoping for a quick meal. Cheers-
 
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