Floating baby axolotl

I’m a first time axolotl parent and currently have a little 2 inch baby! I’ve been feeding him brine shrimp (and occasionally blood worms if he’ll eat it... so picky) but I have noticed hes been floating a lot. I’ve read in other threads that it could be due to a lack of feeding and air bubbles but I feed him once a day until he’s full and refuses anymore (which usually takes 15-20 minutes of feeding to get to). Even after he eats until he is full and his tummy is swollen he still floats. He floats up usually butt up, so I’ve been keeping the water level low but obviously I only want to do this short term. He is currently being tubbed while his tank cycles, and all other water parameters are looking good (7.6 pH, 62 degrees F, and obviously ammonia, nitrate, nitrite at 0 as I do a 100% water change everyday) so it rules that out. I can tell he wants to go to the bottom but just immediately floats back up!

The same thing happens to us!

from what i’ve heard, axolotls have both lungs and gills. especially in smaller axies, sometimes they gulp air and it gets stuck in their lungs. said air may stay for up to a year, though hopefully less than that. if they’re floating, im willing to bet that’s what’s happening. nothing you can really do about it - but hopefully it helps to know it’s normal

axolotl nerd said:

from what i’ve heard, axolotls have both lungs and gills. especially in smaller axies, sometimes they gulp air and it gets stuck in their lungs. said air may stay for up to a year, though hopefully less than that. if they’re floating, im willing to bet that’s what’s happening. nothing you can really do about it - but hopefully it helps to know it’s normal

Click to expand...

You were absolutely right! Since posting this, my axie is now about six inches long and growing more everyday! I did eventually get him to sink more after feeding him more often, but one day as I was watching him happily sitting at the bottom of the tub, he gulped a big breath of air and then immediately started to float again!! I was so shocked but also relieved to see they were just swallowing air. After awhile, they grew out of it and are now completely sunk at the bottom of his tank My advice to anyone reading this looking for advice: Wait it out! As long as they are pooping often, and you are feeding them often (literally constantly haha), they will be just fine! If you keep the water levels lower it will help to reduce stress, but eventually they'll grow out of it!

yay!