Eyeless Axolotl Care Advice?

ArtEvren · Jul 9, 2018

So my girlfriend and I are taking care of a friend's axolotl, Mudkip, for the summer. She's a beautiful wildtype, about a year old, with no eyes. She hasn't eaten for about a week now since the heat wave, and she startles real bad whenever I switch out her ice bottles. She's also got her tail curled all the time, so she's definitely stressed.

Any advice on how to reduce her stress? I know part of it is because she doesn't know what's happening, but still, anything I can do?

I've also got my own baby axie, his name is Ejderha (Edgy for short) and he's at most 3 months old. He's super interactive and perfect.

Hayleyy · Jul 9, 2018

No eyes? Can you post a pic! I'm super interested to see!
The stress is probably from the temps if you're struggling to keep it down. If you have a fan pop it over the tank. It evaporates and cools the water better than ice bottles do. I use ice bottles as an emergency measure as the fluctuating temps is stressful.
Keep the lights out in the room she is in if possible (will also help keep the temp down) or pop a light blanket on top to reduce light.
If there is a lid on the tank remove it (unless it is a mesh lid- that is fine), this will help cool it. If you do make sure the water level is a few inches below the top so the axie doesn't accidentally jump out.
Can you post the water parameters in case that is contributing?

ArtEvren · Jul 10, 2018

I've been using the ice bottles to keep the temp down. I have a chiller but I'm using it for my other axie's tank right now. I'm trying to get the tanks set up so that the water circulates through both so they can both be cooled. She also hasn't eaten for more than a week now and won't even try to nip at the worms when I offer them to her.

I don't currently have the parameters but I will check them later today and post them when I have them.

ArtEvren · Jul 21, 2018

This is super late but I tested Mudkip's parameters and her ammonia was at 0.25ppm and the nitrates were up at 20 or so. The nitrites are at 0 and the pH is normal.

Kip ate half a worm since my last post and then another day chewed on another half for a bit before spitting it out. I got her to eat two carnivore sinking pellets but other than that she hasn't eaten. My girlfriend and I are considering fridging her, would that be a good plan?

Hayleyy · Jul 21, 2018

You don't really need to fridge unless she is floating/bloated/constipated. If you can keep the water under 19 degrees she should recover. Have you been able to rig up both tanks to the chiller?
Check the tank for poop/old food as that will make the ammonia rise. Do some water changes to bring the levels down.

ArtEvren · Jul 22, 2018

We think Kip might have a fungus so we don't want to expose baby Edgy to that, so for now only Edgy is on the chiller. Kip ate half a worm yesterday! Honestly she might have missed my girlfriend, because she doesn't eat when I feed her, only when my girlfriend does

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Eyeless Axolotl Care Advice?

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