Slight concern.

[NeekaLovesYou]

Hi all,

As of yesterday I fridged a 5 year old girl I rehomed as for the past week she has started floating. I wasn't concerned at first as it seems to be her rear end giving her trouble so my initial thought was constipation. I thought it would pass, as it always has whenever one of my axolotls have had constipation, it hasn't. Her previous owner kept her on gravel which she seemed to pass thankfully and I removed it from the tank accordingly to avoid anyone else picking it up - could some gravel still be giving her trouble? (My second thought, hence why I fridged her). She has failed to pass anything, as of yet. She eats very well but has gained little weight since I have had her and needs to, in my opinion. She has always had quite wrinkly, pitted skin and is a very dark wild type but I've also noticed her skin has started lightening on her underneath and a grey patch (almost like a light wild type coloring) has become apparent on her head. It doesn't look slimey or like fungus. It just looks as though her skin's lightening? My water qualities fine, temperatures are very low this time of year and her 2 tankmates are very healthy. Although she isn't what I'd call a grand old age for an axolotl, could her age be affecting her skin?

 

[Olivia97]

She may have swallowed a really big piece of gravel which she can't pass (or it takes ages) I know someone had their axolotl on sand for like 3 months and then it decided to bring up the stone. So maybe that's the problem. I actually have never found fridging to help constipation to be honest I don't think they pass that much

 

[NeekaLovesYou]

I rarely use fridging for anything, I feel even treating fungus is easily and quickly done without the need of putting them in the fridge but this had me stumped. I fridged another rehome with impaction some months ago and it had (what I'd call) a positive effect. He passed two tea spoons worth of fine gravel in 24 hours. She hasn't passed anything so I'll probably take her out tomorrow morning and get her warmed up, maybe wait it out to see how she's doing. She seems perfectly happy bar the floating but I hate to see her uncomfortable. Here's hoping if there is something in there she can get it out, sooner rather than later.

 

[Olivia97]

When i got my two I new for a fact they had been kept on gravel so I fridged them but it didn't make a difference, as soon as they were warmed up a bit they passed heaps of black gravel, to this day they still poop it out occasionally. How big was the gravel she was kept on? What worries me is that with feeding etc, she's still not pooping anything

 

[NeekaLovesYou]

I'm worried for the exact same reason. She was kept on what I'd say was regular aquarium gravel. Stones approximately ranging from several millimeters to a centimeter in size. I could have cried when the person gave it to me. She was in a bare bottom quarantine tank for 4 and a half weeks and was passing large quantities of gravel regularly. I placed her in my adult tank maybe a month and a half ago? She settled in well and I thought the gravel passing had stopped soon after she joined the others. There's nothing small enough to consume in my tanks other than when they get fed. Then the floating began. She isn't always at the surface of the water but it's very obvious it's her rear end giving her the trouble.

 

[NeekaLovesYou]

The mystery unravels slightly! I took her out to warm up earlier after being in the fridge for 24 hours. I went in to check on her and decided to put her in the quarantine tank, so she was a little more comfortable (water temps exactly the same in quarantine and fridge tanks). The floating had stopped! I do 20% weekly water changes and use air stones in all my tanks, including quarantine so didn't feel lack of oxygen in the water was an issue. She was in the tank for 10 minutes or so and was fine, then went up for a gulp of air, as axolotls do...the floating starts again! Could I have possibly found my answer? The next question is why is she doing it?!

 

[Kaysie]

Even though you're using an air stone, they still sometimes use their lungs. Gulps of air could be causing the floating. Watch her and see if she 'burps' and sinks.

 

[NeekaLovesYou]

I know, but I didn't feel she was reaching the surface particularly often. I noticed this morning she hadn't been burping then I thought to myself "have I ever seen her burp? " I don't recall so. Could this be the main culprit?

 

[esn]

I think Kaysie has covered the gulping for air portion, which is usually the cause of temporary floating in my own axolotls.

There is also, I've noticed, the habit of older juveniles to hang out floating. All of my axolotls went through a stage as subadults (happening over different periods of time, as I have axolotls of various ages) who all had an odd habit of floating for long periods of time. This was usually after a gulp of air, and then they'd stay up for a good thirty minutes or so before they began to sink.

I think you might be over-conscious of floating now because you just treated it. It is a habit for them to float sometimes, it isn't always a problem.

 

[NeekaLovesYou]

I know it's not uncommon for them to do so and I wouldn't be worried had it not come on so suddenly. She will stay at the top of the water pretty much all day. She tries to reach the bottom yet her rear end doesn't let her. Thanks for the tip.

 

[wandering]

I think Kaysie has covered the gulping for air portion, which is usually the cause of temporary floating in my own axolotls.

There is also, I've noticed, the habit of older juveniles to hang out floating. All of my axolotls went through a stage as subadults (happening over different periods of time, as I have axolotls of various ages) who all had an odd habit of floating for long periods of time. This was usually after a gulp of air, and then they'd stay up for a good thirty minutes or so before they began to sink.

I think you might be over-conscious of floating now because you just treated it. It is a habit for them to float sometimes, it isn't always a problem.

My juveniles are spending a lot of time floating and there are bubbles at the top of the water. They are 6 to 8 cm long. They will skitter away to the bottom if disturbed and are floating slightly head up so I get the feeling they are after oxygen, or maybe just practicing breathing? Or they might be expecting food. They look healthy with pink gills and are eating well. Your comment is reassuring.

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