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Illness/Sickness: Floating tail on young axolotl.

kumamon

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Dec 14, 2016
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Hi,

Yesterday I picked up my newest axolotl. He is a baby, though I can't say for sure how old he is (maybe 5 months...?), I had cycled the tank for about a week. All water levels were perfect, ammonia 0 ppm, nitrite 0 ppm, nitrate 0 ppm, and Ph was on the lower end of the scale 6.6.

After releasing him into his new tank he began swimming and walking around and exploring like my other boy did when I first got him. This morning I noticed that his tail is floating, his back legs can touch the ground but only just, his upper body is sitting on the ground.

I only got him yesterday and have attempted to feed him - but he didn't eat which did not surprise me as he is more than likely stressed from the move. His gills seem to be relaxed and his tail is not curled to the side as axolotls do when stressed.

He is swimming around his tank a lot. His tail floating is worrying me a little as this issue wasn't there yesterday and my other axolotl has never done this.

How would I fix this? Does it have something to do with the Ph, because this is probably the only incorrect level in the tank?

I tried to very gently push his tail down, which did not work at all. Could he be stressed and I should not touch him and just let him get used to everything? Or is there something very wrong???

Extra information - I keep him in a temporary 15 gallon tank (I plan to move him into a much bigger tank when he is older). He is on a fine sand substrate. The filter is on the lowest flow possible and does not seem to have a strong current. He has one plastic fish hide and two fake plants used previously in my older boys tank. I plan to feed him pellets and I believe that the store I bought him from were feeding him the same pellets (though I can't be sure)

Just want my new baby to be healthy and happy.

- Thank you. Chloe (I can post pictures if needed)
 

Klub708

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May 13, 2017
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He is probably constipated. With my axolotl, if he goes to long without pooping he will float butt first. Just give it a few days and if he still doesnt go then fridge him.
 
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