Axie isn't pooping... pretty sure it's not bloat.

[dkeat]

Hey everyone, so I just got my axie on Sunday and I haven't noticed any poop in his tank yet. My tank is only partially covered with large river rock substrate. I don't think it's bloat because he eats brine shrimp every day and seems to be acting normal. He's only a little guy, I'm not too sure how old. (Only about 3 inches long.) One thing I've noticed is that he tends to swim towards the top of the tank every once in a while instead of just sitting at the bottom of the tank. Is this normal?

 

[Krispen]

Hi dkeat-
-Can you attach pics of your substrate/rocks? If they are large he might have pooped but it's under them-

-what are your water parameters? How old is your tank? If you have ammonia and/or nitrates and nitrates then waste is probably happening if tank is new.

-yes- some axies (especially little ones I find) enjoy coming to the surface more often. Just watch he/she if they float uncontrolled to top or are swimming sideways. It can be a sign of constipation or ingested air.

Good luck!!!

 

[dkeat]

Hi dkeat-
-Can you attach pics of your substrate/rocks? If they are large he might have pooped but it's under them-

-what are your water parameters? How old is your tank? If you have ammonia and/or nitrates and nitrates then waste is probably happening if tank is new.

-yes- some axies (especially little ones I find) enjoy coming to the surface more often. Just watch he/she if they float uncontrolled to top or are swimming sideways. It can be a sign of constipation or ingested air.

Good luck!!!

Here's my tank. It is band new, but I had the filter go with quick start bacteria for at least 2 days before putting him in there. The water test came back normal as well before putting him in there. I stacked smaller river rocks along the sides of his hide to prevent him from getting stuck in the small holes on both sides of the hide. I just did a 20% water change and took all of the rocks out to rinse them off. I didn't see any poop, just some left over brine shrimp. One more thing, the HOB filter I have been using seems to create a small current. I don't see him uncontrollably being pushed around but at times I notice him sort of slowly drifting. Someone recommended me not using a filter at all since he is so small. Any information on this would be much appreciated!

 

[dkeat]

New update... I have him in a small travel tank I use for doing water changes. His belly is pretty dark so is this all of his poop? Also, I noticed his back end starts to float up while his front end stays on the bottom... could it be trapped gas in his body. I also saw brine shrimp that he must have puked up because I didn't put any food in there. He ate it back up.

I'm starting to get worried someone please let me know if there's something I should be doing to keep him healthy.

 

[Krispen]

A floating bum usually means constipation- I would keep watching him for a couple more days. As long as he doesn't seem in distress, he should be ok. My lotls have done this too. If he floats worse or seems in distress make sure he has a hide that he can stay under so his feet can touch the bottom. Some people fridge their lotls if they haven't gone in a while, but I would do more research before you do.

 

[Krispen]

He's really cute, BTW!!!

 

[dkeat]

He's really cute, BTW!!!

Thanks! I think I'm just gonna put him back into his regular tank so he has a hide to go into. I'm hoping this is nothing serious. Thanks for the help!

 

[Krispen]

Keep us updated!

 

[auntiejude]

The dark you can see inside is his liver, heart, kidneys etc - normal for albinos (and leucistics) because they are so pale.

Pooping is often intermittent - once every 3 or 4 days is not unusual.

 

[layna]

Axies dont poop every day, so i wouldnt worry and like the others have said if his back end is floating he is constipated, it will come out eventually.

I would switch to live daphnia and live bloodworm to feed him if hes 3" as brineshrimp wont be nutritious for him at that size.

 

[Kaysie]

An axolotl that size is too big to be eating brine shrimp. The reason it's not pooping is because it's not getting enough food. Give it a couple weeks on earthworms chunks and you should see plenty of poop.