Urgent help please

My axie mr bigglesworth has very small gills and a small tail fin, could he be morphing? also he has weird little egg looking things on his side, any ideas? thanks

Firstly, you need to move him out of that tank NOW. Those rocks are a MAJOR impaction risk- and considering how skinny he looks, I'd be worried that he'd swallowed one. Put him in the fridge for the next few days (in the top of this subforum is a guide on how to fridge him safely) and see if he manages to pass anything- and don't feel bad about it- the person who told you those rocks were all right for an axolotl setup is to blame (Sorry if the reaction is a bit extreme- there have just been so many cases of rocks like those causing major problems for an axolotl and I/we really want to save you the trouble and heartache if at all possible).

Next thing, could you post some more pics? Although his tail fin appears relatively normal, that lump on his side is strange. We also need a look at his gills. Also, can you post your:
Tank size?
Temp?
pH?
Ammonia?
Nitrite?
Nitrate?
What you've been feeding him since you got him?
When he last ate?

Tank is a 32 Litre, ill include pics dont know the specs
Temp is 19 degrees
pH is 6.8
im not sure the next 3,
He has eaten the fish since ive had him (on reccomendation)
He last ate about a week ago (which is why im worried)
The rocks are really heavy i would be surprised if he could move them to be honest but ill get that sorted asap, what is the best to put down?
thanks for your help

heres some photos one is the first time we got him (about july) and then about a week ago sorry about the quality

Don't worry about quality
As I said, Pet shops are filled with idiots who have no regard for their axies- feeder fish are NOT a good solo diet, and if you're feeding them (As part of a widely varied and well balanced diet), I'd be leaving them in that tank for quarantine/breeding and moving Mr. B into a larger tank- floor space is the really important thing for an axie, not so much for fish.
As to substrate- play sand is really good (i've had it down for a number of tank revamps), and is $9 a bag from your local Bunnings.
I'd guess he is impacted- The rocks may be heavy, but that means nothing to an axie- if you do a forum search on impaction, there's a copy of an x-ray taken of an axie who swallowed a rock which was literally a third of their body in size, and as wide as the head in width- surgery was required to get it out... a spell in the fridge will definitely give him time to recover and pass any stones he may have swallowed (Also if he's picked up something from the feeders, the cold will give him a chance to kick his immune system in to high gear to overcome it).
Keep us up to date!

Hi there, I've gone out got him an airrock, some bloodworms which i have currently moved him into a smaller container to handfeed, pellets and brine shrimp. hopefully he will stack on some weight and become a little less lethargic, as for the rocks, that will have to be tomorrows project, do you think i should still put him in the fridge now? even after eating? thanks

Heya, just sent through an email, but best to keep these threads as complete as possible.
Don't put him back into the tank- the risk with those rocks is too great, so put him straight into the fridge as there's no point in giving him food he can't digest Also, give the container water a change before he goes in so the bloodworms don't go off
Be warned with the brine shrimp- they're often too small for full size axies to eat and the go foul very quickly- I tried a few times with mine and every time they puked them up, then gave me dirty looks for a week after.
Keep us in the loop!

Olivia97 said:

do you think i should still put him in the fridge now? even after eating? thanks

Click to expand...

I wouldn't put him in the fridge now that you've fed him because it will do more harm than good. From my understanding, food doesn't digest properly when they're in the fridge because their system slows right down and therefore the food may rot inside them.

The problem's going to be though, Jess, (going from Olivia's pics) if the stone/s he's swallowed are blocking his bowel, then the food's still going to rot (and rot faster!) and cause even more problems. The fridging has a much greater chance of getting the food out of his gut (and hopefully the rock as well!) before those problems arise and/or become worse...

If he swallowed one of those pebbles, wouldn't it make him appear rounder or at least cause his stomach area to look a little bit swollen/out of shape? Especially because he's so skinny..

Going by the massive differences in sizes in the rocks, not necessarily. A piece of gravel half a cm has killed axies before. Also look at the discolouration of his stomach down towards the centre- that's not normal (Going on my own and other goldies I've seen). Also, look at how low his stomach's riding compared to his legs...

I agree, definitely move the axolotl out of the tank, and try keeping him in the tub for a while.

When you have the axolotl in the tub, can you take some further photos of the axolotl from above (birds eye view)?

Very lightly and gently probe the lumps with your finger, do they feel hard (like rock) when you touch them?

I would suggest keeping the tub in a cool and dark place for a few days, and see if the axolotl is able (and wiling) to eat while in this still and stress free environment (I can see some possible problems in the tank which may be causing a loss of appetite. I'll address further down the post). Check the following morning to see if he has kept the food down, or regurgitated it. While the axolotl is in a tub, it will be much easier to monitor what goes in (food) and what comes out (wastes), than in the tank environment where the evidence is lost to the substrate and filter.

Give him a few days in the tub, and if he still doesn't eat, or is regurgitating everything, you can try fridging to see if he is impacted.

If those lumps do feel hard as rock though, I would fridge him straight away.

Fridging will help the axolotl pass any stones he may have swallowed, it does however also slow the metabolism right down, so you will find that he will not eat much (if at all) whilst being fridged. On a good note, the weight loss is also slowed right down as well though which buys you some time.

While the axolotl is enjoying his holiday in the tub, this gives you time to identify and correct any problems in the tank environment which may be contributing to his inappetance.

Common problems:

- Water quality issues. I know you said you are not testing the water, but, are you doing sufficient partial water changes? How much water do you remove and replace, and how frequently do you do this?

Small water volume can make it hard to keep the water parameters in check. You need to be quite diligent in removing all wastes and excess food (axolotls will also on occasion regurgitate their food) and this can be difficult when you have large rocks as the substrate. A lot of muck can accumulate and get trapped in nooks and crannies under the rocks and this can wreak havoc with water quality.

As Caitie has already pointed out, the rocks also present a great danger of impaction. Axolotls are more than capable of swallowing very large rocks indeed. Have a look through these threads:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-beginner-newt-salamander-axolotl-help-topics/f48-axolotls-ambystoma-mexicanum/f58-sick-axolotl/68478-large-rock-belly.html

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-beginner-newt-salamander-axolotl-help-topics/f48-axolotls-ambystoma-mexicanum/f58-sick-axolotl/73204-axolotl-surgery.html (have a look at posts 16# - 18#).

- Too much light. That tank light looks to have very high intensity. Axolotls don't care at all for light, as they have no eyelids to shut it out if it's bothering them. Which brings me to hides...

If you are keeping a light on in an axolotl tank, you will need some dark places (hides) for the axolotl to retreat to if the light is aggravating them.

- Water currents. Is there any water flow being issued from the filter? Axolotls find water movement to be quite stressful, they prefer still water. Water currents can stress them enough to put them off their food.

Sorry it's such a lot to take in, should i be changing the tank all together? also whilst in the tub should he be in the fridge? The colour on his body was there when we got him and they had the same size rocks could he have swallowed them before we got him? I had him in a smaller container last night, i hand fed him some bloodworms and wrapped him in a towel, fridge now? For how long too.

IN the tank we have an intank filter, its on the lowest setting and facing the side of the tank, we also have an airstone and that's on. the tank is fairly light, i haven't put any hidey spots mainly because i was concerned about the area he has, the bottom is fairly small. i think ill be getting a new tank. Expensive fish! Pet stores should be banned, providing me with false info. I was told a fishbowl is fine and he will eat live fish. This is why my poor axxxie is near death. Thanks for all your help, will keep updating.

Sorry for bombarding you, it is a lot to take in.

Fill the tub as much as practicable with fresh dechlorinated water (the more water volume the better). He will need his water changed fully once a day with fresh water. The best time to do the water change is just before you go to bed. Check on the axolotl the following morning and remove any wastes. If the container is on the small side, you may need to do two daily water changes (morning and night).

I would leave off the fridging for now to ascertain if he will eat whilst in a stress free environment. Fridging slows the metabolism which is no good if you are trying to encourage appetite,

The tank is a tad too small, yes. The more floor space the tank has, the more hides you can put in. The more water volume you have, the more stable the water parameters will be. If I may, I would recommend getting at least a three foot tank if you can. That way if you decide to get another axolotl (they are addictive ) you will have sufficient space for both. If you are just keeping the one, a tank with at least two foot floor space is recommended.

Did he eat the bloodworms?

Yes, he ate the bloodworms i had to dangle them infront of his face for a while with some tweezers. I didn't feel any rocks but hes in the container, just a square tupperware container its fairly big. I'll try to find another tank. Thanks

heres a birds eye view of him. should he be put in the fridge?

When an animal is that thin, I'd be worried about suppressing appetite. If it's eating, I would continue to trying to feed, and watch for poo.

He hasnt poo'd yet! How often should he be pooping?

It depends on how much/how often food is going in. Twice a week or so seems about average.