Axolotl stopped eating - no visible problem?

A

anne-marie

Guest
My 7 year old male axy has not eaten for around three weeks. I can not see any visible fungus or wounds, although he is speckled and this makes it hard to see if he has any fungal patches - but I don't think so. His gills have shrunk a little. I have tried him on the salt water baths which he hated so he didn't have them long. I have had methylene blue in his water for the past three days. pH, nitrates and ammonia all fine.
Today I noticed that there was like some greenish diahorrea type matter in the tank? Any Ideas?
 
What are you feeding him? Could his food have gotten contaminated or something?
 
Katy, thanks for responding. He usually has beef liver, frozen bloodworm but had live black worms around a month ago. It has just gotten really cold here in the last few weeks so thought it might be temperature but my other axolotl is fine. They are usually kept in the same tank so have the same conditions and food.
 
All 6 of mine stopped eating for about 2 weeks. I put it down to water temp. It has been warm here and it climbed to 24 C and held there.

I was starting to get v concerned because they were all such good feeders. Yesterday I changed my tank set up comletely and installed a corner filter instead undergravel. Water has a bit more motion and they seem to be happy enough.

Today they ate again.... and plenty too.

Not suggesting you do a major clean up but perhaps if you did a 50% water change. The change in environment might cause a reaction.

Good luck
 
Mikki, I don't think its water temp because my girl is fine. Water changes get done roughly weekly anyhow. I'm thinking its maybe bacterial??
Thanks anyway for the concern.
 
If your water gets too high, it helps heaps to float a frozen bottle of water in the tank. If it's consistently high, I'd try and keep one in the tank until it goes down, but I often use this as a 'treat' cuz my Juju loves it!
 
Katy, it's actually pretty cold here now so hot water temp isn't an issue.

Now its four weeks and counting. He is fairly active though but just not eating.
sick.gif
 
You mention he had live blackworms about a month ago - this was about when he stopped eating? Maybe that had something to do with it... Sorry, I'm not being much help, just trying to look as possibilities. Do you have a herpetological vet nearby you could ask?
 
Katy, at least you are taking an interest.
I have thought about the live food thing. The bottom line is I don't know
sad.gif
. Aquarium shops don't seem to know a helluva lot about axolotls though, and that suprised me. Theres not much out there in the way of help.
 
Well, I don't have anything to add but I was wondering how she was doing?

And I am not surprised the aquarium shops didn't know much about it.

Your best bet to get in touch with a vet. Try to find one that specializes in amphibs.

As with any live food (well most)the possibility of spoilage or parasite is a possibility. Live blackworms may not have been the only thing he ate.

Sharon
 
My sick one is a male but I do have a female he used to house with until I put him into quarantine. The female is ok. My guy still hasn't eaten, is sluggish, does not appear to be wasting away though (yet). I guess I'll just keep checking him out and changing the water and hope for the best.

Will try to find an axy vet but don't hold much hope.
 
<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Anne-Marie Walton (Waltona) wrote on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 13:52 :</font>

"Will try to find an axy vet but don't hold much hope."<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>

I know the feeling. I've seen people flame other post'ers for not having a qualified vet on hand but its that or just do with out.

Ugh, even my ferrets are (in general) diagnosed by me, treatments researched by me, and then that info transferred to the vet who then gets the necessary meds etc.

You have my sympathies and best wishes!

Sharon
 
I know exactly what you mean. I feel really fortunate to have discovered that a good freind of mine is a Vet Assistant under a vet that specializes in reptiles and amphibia. Before that, I was completely in the same boat as you for most all of my exotics.
 
Good News! He ate a few strips of beef liver last night and is swimming around all happy today. So if anyone asks you how long an axolotl can go without eating anything, at this stage its over 4 weeks.
Is there a Guinness World Record for this sort of thing?

lick.gif
 
Anne-Marie, someone I know had an axy that didn't eat for 2 months!
 
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