Question: Straining axie?

[Mewtwo]

I don't know what's going on. Lately I've been slowly switching my axies to pellets, and everything's going better than I had thought it would. My Goldie still don't eat them but the lecustic is doing so on her/his own now without any prompting.

As I played games tonight, and I looked at the tank just to see what they where up to and saw my Goldie straining really hard, as if he's trying to regurgitate something, but he hasn't really eaten anything in two days. I tried fasting him then urging pellets but gave in and gave him some bloodworms when he refused, and that was Sunday night. There's nothing in the tank that would be small enough to swallow, but big enough to block anything that I know of. Their substrate is sand, and before that it was completely bare bottom. There's nothing in the tank that could really break off, but nothing looks broken anyway, I'm at a loss and I'm really worried!

I have been struggling to keep the tank temp down as tempatures in ohio skyrocket. It stays now at a constant 77° F =( my parents refuse to let me get an aquarium chiller.

I have a sponge filter with a spray bar, and the tank is lightly aerated. It's a 20 gallon, with two 4-5 inch 'lotl's.


But another thing I've noticed, is this axie dosnt really seem to be...growing, very much. The tank mate that was once SMALLER than him is now pudgy and larger, while he is smaller by about half an inch and is always real skinny.

Testing the water with API liquid kit, the parameters are:
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
30 nitrate
pH 8.0


Substrate is sand, and they have hiding places and are fed daily with pellets.



I KNOW PELLETS ARE NOT IDEAL DIET. It's temporary. I leave for newyork end of July and I'm trying to get them used to eating from the auto feeder while we are gone. They'll be back on live worms when I get back.


Anybody know what could be happening? Why is he/she straining so hard? =(

 

[Mewtwo]

Oh, and the pellets I feed are Hikari sinking carnivore pellets. After just a minute or two in the water, they're very soft.

 

[SammyTheLotus]

I've suggested this to you on other threads, but have you considered a fan for the temperature issues? I bought mine at Walmart for ten dollars, it's just a desk fan with a clip. I have mesh screens on top of my tank and the fan helps to keep my temperatures between 17-19 degrees every day.
And as well, some Axies just don't like pellets. You might have to come up with a plan B unfortunately if your little guy doesn't take to them.. If he's not being fed, the chances of him nipping your other Axie rise, and you wouldn't want to come home to one of your Axies missing limbs or worse!
Can you maybe get a friend or someone to come over and feed them when you're gone? Is that an option at all?

 

[Mewtwo]

Trust me, I've spent weeks looking for someone who is willing to come in and feed them, and nobody is willing, I have VERY few friends to begin with, and the only one who will be home while I'm gone downright refuses to help me. We had a bit of a falling out a while back, and i guess she still hadn't gotten the stick out of her- I'm not going to finish that.

I've asked my parents and they refuse =\ to quote them,
"You already have your fans in your room! We're not buying another!"
Of corse, they mean my floor and ceiling fan. I always have my floor fan on and pointed at the tank, but...well....picture is included below =\


He is still straining every once and a while, and I'm seriously getting worried!!! He's becoming sluggish. He's usually up and down the tank, climbing everywhere and just generally being an energetic little bugger. Now he's....downright lifeless. Just sitting there. Has been for a few hours. It got to the point where I was afraid he was dead, so much so that I put my hand into the tank and wiggled my finger a few inches from his head, just to see if he would take notice, he did, but only enough to life his head, turn walk forward, then slump down again...




Is....is my axoltol dying?

 

[xxianxx]

Your keeping your axolotl at a potentially lethal temp and your wondering why it's not well ? You need to reduce the tank temp asap.

 

[Canecorsonewt]

Please close your blinds. Any sunlight in your room adds heat. If you have fans they definitely will help. Window ac new $100 cheaper off Craigslist. Or new axolotls every 3 months $?

 

[SammyTheLotus]

Maybe try moving that fan up on the desk in your picture, it would have a greater chance of blowing across the water's surface that way.
Or perhaps you might need to reconsider being an Axolotl owner.. You can't provide them the proper temperature they need and you've said in previous posts that you're afraid of the nightcrawlers that are a staple in their diets.
I know they're adorable pets but when it becomes this difficult you really need to ask yourself if it's fair to the animal to be kept in poor conditions.
Like Canecoresonewt said, it's cheaper to buy a clip on fan at Walmart than it is to replace your axolotls.

 

[Mewtwo]

I was afraid of bloodworms too, and I got used to it. I was afraid of spiders, now I'm able to hold my cousins pet tarantula. People get over fears...


The blinds aren't open, they never are. I have a blackout curtain so I can sleep in on the weekends. that was my lamp and it was nighttime anyway. I turned the lamp on so I could take the pic

And, thanks for the desk idea! I never thought of that =)
I'm thinking of removing the lid, and light, but I don't know if they'll be able to jump out?

I talked to my biology teacher, who used to own an axie whom died of old age, and he said that if push comes to shove he can take one of them.

My grandmother adamently denies me having ever mentioned aquarium chillers, though I've talked to her about it at great lengths more then six times (I've lost count). At this point, I'll probably buy it anyway and deal with the repercussions later. My axies are more important than my phone or iPad, which is really all they can take away as punishment. I already don't leave the house often.

That said...
I spent a little bit looking online, and the cheapest chiller I've seen was $299.99? Are they all that expensive?....



Also, would really appreciate it if people would refrain from telling me that I'm not fit to be a pet owner. I'm trying best I can. After some called me a horrible, cruel person for having a beta bowl (he is now in a heated, filtered and planted 5g tank) I'm a little sensitive to such things. Fish and pet keeping in general is very therapeutic for me, and while I wont go into details, having something to depend on me and that I can feel close to is a very needed comfort in my life right now.

 

[Mewtwo]

I took my grandmothers fan from her bathroom And clipped it to my dresser, taking the tank lid and light off and turning the bedroom light off with the fan running on the water.. Hopefully it helps.

My grandmother threw a bit of a fit, and said I can't run the fan day and night, so I'll probably only be Able to have it on at night, and I'll use my big fan (stood on my chair or desk) during the day, until I can save up enough for a proper chiller.

 

[Mewtwo]

With the lid off, light off and fan on it its down to 75°f so far

 

[Donna001]

Having the fan pointing at the water will help to bring the temperature down. Axolotls can jump, so be careful about having the lid off. Do you have anything like a mesh screen or net, possibly in the garden, that you could cover the top of the tank with? Something that would let the air in but not let your axies jump out. Even just having the lid part off may be better.
Chillers can be very expensive, perhaps you could look on a second hand site for something a bit cheaper.

 

[Donna001]

Great to hear that the temperature is starting to come down. :happy:

 

[Donna001]

I know that this is quite a random thing to ask, but is there any way that your biology teacher could take your axolotls while you are away?

 

[Mewtwo]

I asked my bio teacher before I left, and he said he will be out of town until late agust, leaving on the 20th. School gets out on the 15th =\ by the time he gets back, my trip would have started and already been over.

We have chain fencing in the backyard and no real garden, so I don't have any real mesh... BUT

My grandmother is considering letting me drain the tank before I leave, and move the whole setup down a level. It stays pretty cool downstairs. We'd have to buy a stand, but it would probably be down there permanently, and with the straps on it(that finally got here today!) grubby little fingers and hands (*COUGH* siblings *COUGH*) wouldn't be able to reach inside.



Also,
I opened my night crawler container, did a little 'oh my god I'm going to have a fit' dance, cringed and winced, but cut up a decently sized worm to bite sized pieces and hauled it upstairs........
But they wouldn't eat it. They sucked it in, though, one chewed for maybe two minutes, spat it out and wouldn't touch it, the other didn't even chew that long, maybe ten seconds before it lost all interest.

They're the most stubborn little eaters I've ever met! And that's saying something, my sister hates new food lol!

So I'm thawing out some bloodworm cubes. I know, not the most IDEAL thing at the size they're at, but I'm on a time crunch cause I have to take my dog to the vet....she knocked out her tooth, SOMEHOW...

 

[SammyTheLotus]

I was afraid of bloodworms too, and I got used to it. I was afraid of spiders, now I'm able to hold my cousins pet tarantula. People get over fears...





The blinds aren't open, they never are. I have a blackout curtain so I can sleep in on the weekends. that was my lamp and it was nighttime anyway. I turned the lamp on so I could take the pic



And, thanks for the desk idea! I never thought of that =)

I'm thinking of removing the lid, and light, but I don't know if they'll be able to jump out?



I talked to my biology teacher, who used to own an axie whom died of old age, and he said that if push comes to shove he can take one of them.



My grandmother adamently denies me having ever mentioned aquarium chillers, though I've talked to her about it at great lengths more then six times (I've lost count). At this point, I'll probably buy it anyway and deal with the repercussions later. My axies are more important than my phone or iPad, which is really all they can take away as punishment. I already don't leave the house often.



That said...

I spent a little bit looking online, and the cheapest chiller I've seen was $299.99? Are they all that expensive?....







Also, would really appreciate it if people would refrain from telling me that I'm not fit to be a pet owner. I'm trying best I can. After some called me a horrible, cruel person for having a beta bowl (he is now in a heated, filtered and planted 5g tank) I'm a little sensitive to such things. Fish and pet keeping in general is very therapeutic for me, and while I wont go into details, having something to depend on me and that I can feel close to is a very needed comfort in my life right now.

It's not about you not being a suitable pet owner. It's about if these animals are in suitable care. If you're not in the proper financial position to care for them, the animals are the ones that usually suffer.
Fish keeping is very therapeutic for lots of people but ask yourself if it's worth it for your axolotls to suffer because they make YOU feel better?
If you feel like they're going to suffer in your care because you can't afford to keep their tank cooled, I think it would be selfish to keep them anyway.
Hopefully the fan works out for you, don't remove the top unless you can replace it with a mesh lid as they will jump out. One of mine jumped out a few months ago and I almost lost her.

 

[Donna001]

Getting the tank downstairs will help with the temperature.
Well done for cutting up the worm.
Best of luck with your dog at the vet.

 

[Mewtwo]

If everybody gave up as soon as they encountered a problem, I reckon there would be a LOT less captive axoltols. And I don't think they can afford to thin out the population anymore, being endangered in the wild.

The fan is working wonders, temp down to 74° F now.

I don't feel my axies are suffering in my care. Have I hit a few road bumps? Sure. But if everybody (as beginners, because yes, EVERYONE has been a beginner at some point) gave in and lost confidence right away, I think a lot of animals, not just axies, would either no longer exist or be very close to extinction. =)

That's not to say I don't care for my pets, or that I don't intend to change anything. Obviously I do. I've spent a lot of money to adapt the tank and change things as i encounter issues. I got a bar bubbler instead of air stone, as I previously (before axies) had, I now have this sponge filter and such, I have sand instead of the gravel that was in the tank before the axies, Ect. I'm willing to go to whatever lengths needed. Since I'll be clothes shopping today, (just got home from that vet visit with the dog) I'll have my parents stop by Walmart or something and get a mesh covering or something similar, and I'll also be buying at least one of those aquarium fans, that I've seen online, because my grandma is paranoid that the fan being used now will fall in the tank and somebody will get Electrocuted.

 

[Donna001]

Those aquarium fans are quite cheap and will be ideal with a mesh cover on the tank. Your axolotls will be safe and more comfortable.
We all make adjustments to our tanks as we go along, I'm currently putting real plants in my tanks, and changing the decor. I've had to buy two of the tank fans (3 axolotls in each tank) and I live in the UK. Who'd have thought we'd have warm weather at this time of the year.

 

[Mewtwo]

Well, it's not pretty, but it's doing its job! I'm not sure how low to expect it to drop, the temp is at 73°F right now, and It feels like Antarctica in my bedroom lol!

I know it'll get better when we move it downstairs =)

 

[xxianxx]

73 f is still outside the acceptable temp range. If you can't provide your axolotl a suitable environment you should rehome it.