Bloated and fading

Hey guys,

My daughter's axolotyl used to be orange with bright red gill feathers, he/she is now a sickly yellow/cream and the gills are a very soft pink and no longer look feathery, rather just fleshy nubs. When my daughter first got him/her about 6 months ago all seemed well, then he/she developed a huge belly, golf ball sized and faded as previously mentioned.

As I have no idea about these wonderful little creatures (being used to tropical fish) I'm a bit worried that he/she is not well and would like very much to "make it better", I'm nott sure if he/she is in pain or discomfort but, how do you tell??

Any advice would be much appreciated.

sharen

Hi Sharen,
The first thing to be asked is do you know what your water parameters are? What type of substrate are you using and what's your water temp? Is your little one eating at all? If so what have you been feeding him/her with?
Could it be possible that something may have been ingested that shouldn't have been? i.e pebbles or rocks from your current or previous tanks?
Sorry for all the questions but it might help the more experienced ones on the forum to help you understand what might be going on.

Hey,

thanks for responding.


the rocks in the tank are qiute large chunks of white quartz, too big to swallow I would think. He ate some beef heart last night, but didn't seem all that enthusiastic about it. The water is cold, (should invest in a thermometer) and it's pretty close to a neutral ph. I added a bit of water conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramine, amonia and detoxes nitrite and nitrate and provides a slime coat.

Not sure what their poop is meant to look like but I can't see anything in the tank that looks like poop.

A picture of your setup and of the Axolotl would help immensely. Beef heart is not a proper diet for an Axolotl, and an improper diet can lead to an ill animal. You should be feeding earthworms as the bulk of the diet to provide your Axolotl with the best possible nutrition. If you only THINK that the stones are too big to swallow, you might be wrong. There are amazing stories of the sizes of stones Axies have sucked right up. When you say you added a bit of water conditioner...does that mean you just put some into the tank or did you properly measure it and use it in a bucket of water that you used for a water change?

OK, beef heart was what the aquarium staff recomended for feed as "it is a complete food", but will switch to earthworms and see if there is any improvement. Also going to change the rocks for more rounded river stones, as the quartz looks to have sharp edges. Should I do a complete water change when I change the rocks or just a 1/2 change? The tank is too small, not the 60cm recomended, but that also will be changing in the near future. As for the water conditioner, instructions were followed to the letter, he/she does seem to be a little more active this morning (fingers crossed that, thats a good sign). Photos are coming.

Thanks for all the help so far

photos of the unfortunately named Fester

Fester definitely looks rough.

First, he needs to get off that gravel now. I'm sure he's eaten some of it, which has lead to the pretty severe bloating. If he can't pass it on his own, he'll most definitely need surgery to remove it.

Second, that setup looks way too small, and he's probably suffering ammonia poisoning. How often do you change the water? How much do you change at a time?

Yes that substrate is definetely small enough for him to swallow. It needs to be gone ASAP, even if you have a bare tank then. And the ammonia would build up quite fast in a tank that size too

I'd also be worried that if that gravel has sharp edges and he has swallowed some (which it appears he has) that it could cause damage internally while he is trying to pass it

I was also told to feed beef heart but it's not good as a staple diet

Quartz is gone replaced by large river rocks. Complete water change and treatment with the conditioner. He is now wandering around the tank and swimming a bit. Pet shop said to force feed him peas, how on earth do you do this?? The tank is way too small and wrong shape, but will have to do until I can afford to re-house him. His belly is soft and I cant feel anything hard in there, but not game to push too hard.

loki0309 said:

Quartz is gone replaced by large river rocks. Complete water change and treatment with the conditioner. He is now wandering around the tank and swimming a bit. Pet shop said to force feed him peas, how on earth do you do this?? The tank is way too small and wrong shape, but will have to do until I can afford to re-house him. His belly is soft and I cant feel anything hard in there, but not game to push too hard.

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Please don't feed Fester peas! Axies can't process vegetation. Nice juicy and wriggly earthworms from a safe source (ie: no pesticides etc) are the best thing for him now. With the exception of his belly I think his legs and neck actually look on the skinny side.

My fear is that Fester has swallowed one or more of those quartz blocks - I honestly don't think he'd be able to pass that on his own. Perhaps you should be seeking veterinary advice as a matter of urgency.

In the meantime, those rocks are better than the quartz, well done for replacing them, I suspect for the time being though, you might be better to remove them. Fester isnt well and those rocks look awkward to clamber over. He may thank you for a thin layer of sand or a bare bottom for the time being. Also, he has no hides, axies like to hide themselves away sometimes, thats something worth considering when he is better.

You really, really need to replace that tank. In the UK we have a site called Freecycle, do you have that there? Might be worth trawling these kind of sites and posting messages asking if anyone wants rid of a tank, explain the urgency, someone kind, or someone who wants rid of a tank they don't use might help you.

Do you have a water testing kit? Finding out the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels would help us suggest ways you can help Fester, and while he is in that tiny tank you'll need to keep a very very close eye on the parameters so that you can change water out regularly. I'm afraid you've probably removed any good bacteria the system had built up, so this is more important now than ever.

I'm afraid you have a lot of changes to make, it might take you some time and investment, but hopefully you can nurse Fester back to happy and healthy

I agree with what Mewsie has said, I'm really worried that he has swallowed some of that quartz I imagine it would be quite painful and don't see how he could pass it .

Keep an eye out for cheap, or even free tanks. You'd be surprised how cheap people go when they don't want their tank anymore.

I really would advise trying to find a vet who deals with axolotls near you. I'm just really worried if he has swallowed that quartz

Where about's in Australia are you?

Perhaps keep your eyes out for council cleanups? There are usually a few around, and often in good shape, also trash and treasure markets are really good. Then I believe scrubbing it out with vinegar and rinsing thoroughly will make it safe for Fester. As for hides, PVC pipes, terracotta pots, driftwood logs (My lot like to squeeze into it despite the fact there are another four hides around...) and large mugs all have potential.
Fingers crossed Fester will get through it safely!
Also, to the more experience members, would a spell in the fridge be a good idea to help Fester pass his stone?

I'm with every one else on this and fear Fester has ingested one if not possible two of the stones in the previous tank, I worry that Fester will damage himself trying to pass these himself even with a spell in the fridge.
Here's a helpful link that you may be able to use to find an axie friendly vet in your area Herp Vets in Australia, the vets listed on this may not specialise in axies but will probably know of ones in your area.
How much water are you changing and how often? You need to keep on top of this. What sort of filtration are you running?
Sorry for all the questions but it will help in the long term.

I got my 2.5 ft tank on eBay for $20 and there were others going cheap! It had no lid but that cost me $10.50 so got the whole thing pretty cheap!
Also I wonder about the fridging because does it slow down their metabolism which would stop the stones from passing?

Thelmab9 said:

I got my 2.5 ft tank on eBay for $20 and there were others going cheap! It had no lid but that cost me $10.50 so got the whole thing pretty cheap!
Also I wonder about the fridging because does it slow down their metabolism which would stop the stones from passing?

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From what I gather about fridging, because the metabolism slows down, the body removes waste ASAP, ready to slow down (so there are no food stuffs rotting away inside the body)

I think Craig's List is the USA version of Freecycle? There must be something similar is Aus. Or, trawl local papers, ads in shops, eBay e.t.c.But that tank is more of a nano tank for cherry shrimp e.t.c. + no better than a goldfish bowl. Although a LOT of pet shops give the wrong advice, to be a good axie lover, you need to sort the multitude of problems ASAP (congratulations on removing the quartz quickly). I agree that a thin layer of sand, or bare bottom tank would be more beneficial to your axie - a LOT of food will get trapped under those pebbles, making for poor water quality (which will already be an issue in such a confined space)
A lot of people keep snakes in RUBs (Really Useful Boxes), which is a brand name, but they can be very large - I'd recommend getting 1 of those for a cheap temporary home, while you search for a suitable tank.
And, a vet visit is definately needed in my opinion. That's a really sad looking axie + if the only possible cause of obstruction is a chunk of quartz, the sooner it gets removed, the better, else the poor axie isn't going to eat + may sustain more + more internal injuries.

Just want to give you some encouragement too. Caring for axies isn't all doom + gloom, once we work out what the bad advice is + replace it with correct practices.

Wishing you + your little axie all the best, with fingers crossed

Oh that poor little thing, I agree with everyone else... looks like he has swallowed something he shouldn't have. Start looking for a vet is my advice.

Also defiantly needs a bigger tank, mine is in a 50cm one right now and its looking like time to move up again.

Ok, have changed the rocks for fine white sand, left a couple of rocks in because he likes to rest his head on them.

Conflicting advice on the feeding of peas, are they meant to be the prunes of the axolotl world?? The other thing I'm hearing is that the belly could be the result of a bacterial infection of the gut?? I know this happens in tropical fish and often presents with the bloated golf ball belly.

The water is checked daily for ph ect. and approx 25% is being changed every second day, all checks and adjustments are made to try and keep the water stable. The old filter was an under gravel type, but it really stirred up the water and was noisy, so it's been switched for a much quieter over the edge filter that aerates the water without the turbulance.

I'm hoping it's a good sign that he's way more mobile and is swimming a bit. previously he just sat in the corner looking sad. I have found a vet who will look at him, so time to whip out the credit card.

Again thanks for all the help.

I'm glad you have found a vet that will look at him, and that sand is much better for him. I'd still look into finding something he can hide in though.

Let us know how he goes! I hope he ends up alright. Too bad you are in QLD, I have my old tank I'd have let you have cheap for him lol

You know what... Despite looking very poorly at the moment, I think your little guy is actually incredibly lucky - you have listened to what everyone has said + sorted as many problems as possible, very, very quickly! You are obviously an amazing axolotl owner + I think you should be very proud of yourself. Just a bigger home needed now (apart from de-bloating). Just a tip not mentioned on this thread - length of the tank is far more important than height!
Glad you found a vet who will give the little guy a once-over + hopefully, it's something very easily solved. Thinking of you both :happy:

I would definitely add some hiding places in there. Axies like to hide sometimes and sometimes need to hide when they want to escape the light...