Axolotl floating head down, not eating for about a month

[DRRMJ]

I hope someone may be able to advise on this. My axolotl is about 5 years old and generally pretty docile. Recently though he hasn’t been eating his pellets at all (he sometimes grabs one then spits it out a few seconds later). I don’t know when he last ate but probably a month ago, and his gills are starting to look a bit mangy now presumably from bad nutrition. He won’t eat bloodworms either, although he’s never had them before.

He also seems to be floating with his tail up and head down, as if he can’t make his tail sink so I wonder if he has some gas trapped there (see picture).

The water parameters are all good, no ammonia, no nitrites, good ph, low nitrates. The substrate is all sand and he’s never had a problem before and other than moss there’s nothing for him to eat.

One theory I’ve come up with is that one of his moss balls disintegrated and he ate a chunk that he can’t digest. Another is that he is actually a she and this is something to do with reproduction. Also the handful of pellets I’ve found strewn in the tank seem to gather a big whitish cloud of mould very fast, within a few days, which seems weird. I’ve tried a different brand, no change.

Anyway for now he is in the fridge in the hope that he passes something but it’s been so long since he ate that I’m not optimistic. How long should I try this for and how do I know if it’s doing much to him? It’s been a day.

Thank you for any guidance here!

 

[wolfen]

there does seem to be a good chance she is female but it won't be the cause for floating although being gravid would reduce appetite.
tub her in shallow water until she stops floating, ensure any pellets given are soft or soaked before hand if hard, make sure that the sand is regularly turned over to prevent any gas or debris to build up, ensure that the water has good oxygenation to reduce chances of surface gulping, gently squeeze moss balls occasionally to help prevent rotting.