Please, Please Help Me

Hi There,
I'm posting this generally after lots of searching the sick forums and anyone who posts anything like my problem generally gets little or no reply - so I'm doing this in total wild hope and faith. If you have any advice, any at all, please take a minute to share it. I'm at my wit's end..

I've 2 axos (1 leucistic juvie/young adult, one black adult) and 2 andersons. Both Andersons are super happy, so is leucistic axo. However I'm VERY concerned about my black axo, Elvie.

We got her just over 3 weeks ago, from a very very hot reptile shop in London. She was housed with two enormous wild-types and she was fed on frozen bloodworm and bit of meat and "whatever". In the shop, she was very static, barely moving, with white heat patches on her head. She seemed a little chubby but we knew she'd had a clutch of eggs in the shop so we assumed she had mummy tummy - silly thought really. Anyway, we thought she needed saving -We took her home immediately.

When we got her home, we set her up in a little quarantine tank about a foot and a half long, where she still just did nothing. She pretty much refused to eat - she would occaisionally snap at an earthworm but when it moved she would freak out, and spit it out immediately. I assumed she had just never had live food before, and was also just settling down, so I left her to it, trying her every day to no avail. Eventually, (and STUPIDLY) I put her into the much bigger tank with my leucistic in case the change in scenery might make her feel more at home. She sank straight down and barely moved - no change of behaviour. When my little leucistic started to investigate her and walk on her head (He's never been housed with another axo) she snapped for him and he freaked out, pinging around the tank like a loon. He nearly flipped himself right out. I thought the best thing to do was fridge the Black one immediately, and she'd been in there - not eating- for two weeks. She seemed fine in there, gills nice and back, and she's obviously slimming down.

5 days ago, I took her out, and put her into a freshly cycled tank. Nitrate and Ammonia Nil, Ph 8 (we live in a very hardwater area) with a bare bottom, gentle waterfall filter and a couple of plants and rocks, with a little pot to hide in.
Since then, she's a different animal. She won't stop moving, and even though her gills are back, she almost seems distressed. She swims and swims and swims, always at the top, always taking in lots of sips of air before taking off again. She has been swimming like a maniac for 5 days now. She's constantly swimming with her face to the glass, like she wants to be on the other side of it. She won't eat - except for 2 tiny pellets I finally got her to keep down.

Do I put her back in the fridge? Or is she still getting used to life outside the fridge and hot pet shop? Should I put her in a bigger tank? Is there anything else I can try and get her to eat? Is she hysterical - or am I?? Can she be stressed when her gills are back? Is she happy? Am I doing something wrong??

Please - any direction anyone can point me in would be most appreciated. Anything at all. If you only think it's nothing to worry about, say so. If you need more info, or pictures, or a video, ask. If you think I should be doing something else, please tell me.

Thank you, in advance.

x Charlie

I would leave her as she is for the time being. How do you test your water, do you use dip test sticks chemicals?
Could you post a picture of her current tank set up, plus a picture of her?

Thanks so much for your response - I use the little chemical drop testing kits. Just checked her again and the nitrate reading is just over nil so my first reaction is to obviously start to lower that asap - other than doing a water change, how can I do that quickly?

Managed to get her to stop moving for just a moment - pictures of her little temporary tank are below. Also a quick update - she just snapped at a pellet I dropped past her head and held it in her mouth for about a minute and then spat it back out. So now I know it's not just live foods she won't eat.

I'm so freaked out by her behaviour - I'm just hoping theres a way people can help me on here as I think moving her to take her to the vet will stress her even more - if she even is stressed. Has it happened to anyone elses axo - the constant manic swimming?

x

I wonder if she is not coping with the lack of cover above her? Try putting something dark over the top of the tank and see if she calms down.

Oh! She does have a lid - I just took it off to take the aerial view.

*for the picture.

my axolotl freaked out a few days after she got taken out of the fride, and she caled down in about a week, it took a while. It must have been a shock again after comming out of the cool dark fridge. Maybe she is just having an ajusting period? wrestless behavior could mean she is is in the mood. I would say leave her for a few more days, and keep her cool and clean. Good luck

Rachel - Thank you very much - you've definitely given me a bit of hope there. I'll give her a few more days to calm down before I start to worry about that again. Have you got any ideas about the eating thing? It's not that she won't eat - more that she won't swallow. Once I've got her eating I'll put her in with a male just in case she is in the mood -my poor frustrated lil girl!!

fridging slows down their metabolism and they rarley accept food whilst in the fridge or a few days afterwards because they do not need food due to the cold and they are not hungry. i think the whole ordeal is a little shocking for them

Thanks again - but she was like that about eating before we fridged her. It's like, she would snap for something, but the minute it wriggled then she would freak. All my others eat so well and love a minnow or a worm or even river shrimp when I can get it - Perhaps she's a vegetarian?!?

haha, well, mine eat the java moss by accident sometimes

i have 2 axolotls which are freaked out by big worms! its the same behaviour as you discribed, they snap but as soon as it moves they spit it out and swim away. If i haven't fed them for a few days, they will manage it, but they struggle. I find smaller worms better for these ones, or you could try chopping them up. I wouldn't worry about her not eating if she is an ok weight, but if she is dropping without eating i find you can luer them with other sorts of food. I have found Beef heart to be particularly attractive for a picky axolotl, i kow its not recomended food, but if its only a one off accasion i think it is better than feeding nothing at all. It also has the advantage ov being very energy dense, so one bit they might eat can sustain them for a while if they are not in the eating mood. It must smell really good because most axolotls, even sick ones i've had will go for it even after they have refused worms.

If she is still snapping at the food, i think it means she wants to eat, and heart also has the advantage of not being scary and wiggly! Just remember its a sometimes food only, but can come in handy for situations like this. Its better than nothing! Also axolotl pellets might be worth a try. Mine dont really like them but i have heard others go mental for them! they also seem like a less thretening food choice, and they offer a wholesome complete diet like the worms.

I need to make a comment regarding the cycling - -

Ammonia and Nitrite should be 0....Nitrate should not read 0 if your tank in cycled unless you are doing multiple 100% water changes a day. Nitrate is usually between 10-30. Anything over 80 indicates it is time for a water change.

How did you cycle the tank?

I have to agree with what others have said about a potential 'adjustment' period. I recently had to move my tank because I moved to a different apartment in the same building. For about a week after my normally incredibly docile albino was pacing at the glass back and forth and I was a bit worried about her. She was, however, eating fine and eventually settled down.
I also had one in the fridge during the move for a fungus-like problem, when I returned him to his tank he was very active for a few days afterwards as well. He actually attacked one of his tankmates quite randomly (luckily very little damage!) which was very, very out of character.

As for beef heart - I've experienced the exact opposite to Rachel and my axies won't even go near it now. The pet shops I got them from fed them on mealworms and beef heart but now that they've had the taste of earthworms they turn their nose up at it!
But it's definitely not a bad idea to try a few different foods, I think a lot of the time there will be something you'll find which will do the trick and they'll go for it and from there it's hopefully all up hill

My axie takes chopped worm bits just fine despite being scared of the thrashing menace that is a whole earthworm, so that'd be worth a try. Hope she settles down soon.

Thank you all so much.
She's taken a couple of pellets and kept them down - I'm calmer because of what you guys have said about her adjusting, and I'll try worms again another time.

Thanks again - really appreciate you guys reaching out to help and support.

Have a great Christmas!!

Charlie

Update!!!

I've been trying the chopped earthworms, Jinian - and she's eating!! Only a couple of bits... But I know she's going to be ok. Thank you.

Dan Christoper + Rachel .. I'm going to give beef heart a go now too. Thank you both for the advice too.

x

Glad to hear it!