Hi Laurie,
Im glad you came to caudata.org. If im not mistaken, i responded to your email from the yahoo axolotl site.
Now for the issue at hand. There are many reasons why your axolotl could be floating and swimming oddly. I would try to be as thorough and comprehensive to cover all bases. Stress and illness can definitely cause your axolotl to float and swim oddly. What you can firstly do is to minimise stress by ensuring the following:
Water quality - I remembered i spoke about it briefly in the email. Basically, i would say this is the number one cause of stress in axie. It is good to invest in a colourimetric solution type test kit to monitor your water chemistry regularly. Do not get dipsticks as they are highly inaccurate. You want to aim for 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and , 60 nitrate. pH ideally neutral. Even if the water looks crystal clear and you get high chemistry readings, you must still perform a 20% water change to get the levels down. Use a good dechlorinator solution to treat your water before water changes. Check to see if it neutralises chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals. Some good quality ones also help neutralise ammonia etc. You can keep ammonia levels down by also regularly removing uneaten food, visible axolotl wastes and keeping some live plants which would act as a buffer.
Water condition - Axolotls are cold resistant but heat intolerant. High water temperatures will stress it, predispose it to diseases and ultimately kill it. You want to aim for water temperatures between 16-20 degree celsius. Preferably without much fluctuation. There are chilling methods you can employ to bring the temperature down such as ice bricks or even investing in a marine chiller. Another aspect to watch out for is the presence of excessive water currents such as from a filter. Axolotls prefer still waters. You can try diffuse excessive water currents with a spray bar or direct the filter oulet nozzle towards a glass surface etc.
Environmental - Provide at least 2 hiding places per axolotl. These can be caves, pots, logs etc. They need to retreat to their sanctuary once in a while. Do not use gravel as substrate. Keep your tank bare bottomed or use clean freshwater aquarium sand, children sandpit sand or pool filter sand if you wish. Do not keep other species together with your axolotl. At the very best, you can keep some small feeder fish like guppies and minnows after quarantine, otherwise best to just house axies by themselves. If you have live plants, just 6 hours of aquarium lighting will suffice. There is some debate on use of lighting for axolotls. Many believe axolotls hate the light and will get stressed. In my opinion, if you provide hiding places where they can retreat into the dark, the light may be actually beneficial to some degree. I shan't go into detail here but i strongly believe they have a role in preventing metabolic bone disease.
Miscellaneous - Remember to place your tank in an area of the house away from direct sunlight, shaded and free of excessive human or animal traffic. Also when you clean your tank, you do not want to scrub every surface, nor use boiling water to clean off the slimey layer. You want these beneficial bacteria to colonise your tank to establish a cycled tank.
Nutrition - Offer variety of food. Axolotl pellets, earthworms, bloodworms, blackworms, occasional treats of fish, shrimp, beef heart etc.
Would it be possible if you provided some photos of your affected axie? Did you notice any other signs of illness? Check to see if your axolotl is inappetant, has forward facing gills, has curled tail tip, has discolouration or growths on its body, has shrivelled twisted gills or appears to be changing shape in some way. Often its easier to make a diagnosis after viewing the photos and getting a history of the patient. What do you feed your axolotl?
As an emergency measure, you can fridge your axolotl. Just place the axie in a receptable large enough to fully submerge the axie and allow its limbs and tail to stretch out comfortably. The water should cover the axie but not allow it to float. Use a lid to prevent it jumping out. You have to perform daily water changes with clean dechlorinated water kept in bottles in the fridge. Continue to offer food throughout.
Feel free to private message me if you have any questions. I would get back to your as soon as possible.
Regards
