A sick axlotl. That gulps for air alot

[Hrafn]

I got my first axolotl a couple of weeks ago. I had done alot of reasearch on axolotls and felt that i was more than ready to keep one.
When i got him i noticed that he had very small gills and almost no filliment. His leg was also very small almost like it was just starting to grow back. I thougt that mabey he had just been picked on at the breeders.

After a couple of days of having him i found him floating. And he didnt come down for almost 2 days. And since then he has spent most of his time floating only coming down occasionally. His gills have olso grown a bit and the filliment is almost compleatly back. But his foot is still very small. He dosnt seem streesed his tail is straight and gills are not curled forward. He is preatty active.

He eats repashy grup pie mostly but i also give him some earthworms. He poops regularly but not like a normal axolotl but rather massive poops. He did eat some snails somehow and got a little constipated i think. But i haven't seen snails or anything wierd in his poop for a long time.

He gulps air alot and that definitely why he is floating but he seems to be stuck or rathed not trying to go down. He might try once or twice a day But he still seems to stay floating for multiple hours


Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate any and all help.

 

[corner]

What are your water parameters? And would you know about how old your axie is?

 

[Hrafn]

My parameters are good 0ppm ammonia nitrate and nitrite. The tank technicly isn't cycled but i have lots of live plants. I test every other day and there has never been any ammonia in the tank. Temp is 15-19 celsius. He was around 6 inches when i got him and i have had him for 5 weeks. He is probably around 7 months old.

 

[corner]

I mean if it has never have any ammonia or nitrite, it sounds like its pretty cycled to me! He very well may just be doing what axolotls do best, and that’s just to sit there and not move, in almost any imageable position. The only other thing I can think of is the oxygen levels being low in the water, which can be caused by using too much prime in the water

 

[JM29]

Gulping air and floating can be a sign of stress.
Possible sources of stress, other than temperature or water parameters, are :
- something creating vibrations in the water : a pump, a filter, something outside the tank,
- the tank is not in a quiet place and the axolotl is often disturbed by people,
- there is neither hide no plants in the tank

 

[Hrafn]

I mean if it has never have any ammonia or nitrite, it sounds like its pretty cycled to me! He very well may just be doing what axolotls do best, and that’s just to sit there and not move, in almost any imageable position. The only other thing I can think of is the oxygen levels being low in the water, which can be caused by using too much prime in the water

It could be low oxygen. I have a small air pump connected to a air stone. I also use the recomended amount of prime but that could be to much seeing as there is no chlorine in the tap water where I live. I read somewhere that it could be poor water qualitiy. I just did a big water change,rinsed the filter media and put in a extra sponge filter. Thank you for your help