Hi

my axie has what seems like small white lumps internally around its belly and has grown very round ,he/she lives with 3 other unsexed axies...feed bloodworm every other day.and daphnia once a week .and they have been on pea sized gravel since they were tiny,,its swims and moves easily just looks round but is very restless..any idea ??/

The most likely cause is ingested gravel. Pea sized gravel is not a suitable substrate for axolotls for this very reason. Anything small enough to end up in your axie's mouth eventually will.

You'll need to put your little one in the fridge. This will help him/her pass the gravel/ease the impaction. It is also very likely that the others have ingested gravel as well. If any of them are showing signs of ill health, they too should be fridged. Hopefully the experts will chime in soon if further action is necessary.

If you've never fridged your axie before, the Caudata Culture pages have a good artcle on fridging procedure so be sure and check that out.

You definitely need to remove the gravel. Sand, bare bottom, or large stones are all good options for substrate.

Good luck with your little fellow and be sure to keep us posted :happy:

ty for the reply amy..i will replace the substrate in the morning ..at the moment he/she seems to be rubbing over the plants and the white spots look like they move when it does,,any one know how how large axis can get if pregnant?as that seems to be another possibility..fridging looks like the next action to take..much to the displeasure of my wife.. reptile food in the freezer now live axis in the fridge..

I agree with Aimee about the gravel, the bumps do look a similar size to it.
What length is she? Daphnia is best for axolotl when they are tiny, earth worms are the best food source for them once they reach an inch or so.
At this time of year you may be able to avoid the fridge, If you have somewhere outside (out of direct light and secure from curious beasties) it might be a better option.

Thank you again for your reply..changed to sand this morning and axis has passed 5 small stones already and is still eating well so i will leave the fridging till later. Axis is about 6 inches (150cm) .in length and apart from being lumpy is in fine condition....many many thanks to those that replied your advice was wonderful,its so good to be able to simply log in and have a world of advise at my fingertips..

Hiya. An axie of that size can be eatin worms by now. I managed to find quite a few bitesized worms in my garden, i was too scared to chop a big worm up. I am now a brave girl and managed to cut one up a few weeks ago. I've still only done it that once. But if i find a big juicy one i'll be less bothered about giving it the chop!

Quick update,,axis has just passed another 6 stones so fingers crossed all will bw well and she will pass them all xx

I had the same problem with my axie (eaten gravel), but never though it could because they were pea-sized, have now removed gravel and it is now on a bare-based tank with some large pebbles.

It goes to show that you really should READ UP, on your prospective pet(s) before getting them, as I went into the aqua store to buy fish food, seen them in a tank with similar sized gravel, was told that was suitable so used that in my tank.

the moral of the story - you can't trust people from pet stores, you need to do your homework, or get advice from sites like this, been invaluable since i joined