Bloated / Swollen Axie - Help!

[kim]

Hi everyone,

Hoping you can help me i'm relatively new the the Axie world i have had 2 now for about 6 months, I feed them every second day, and now suddenly one of them is refusing food and it looks somewhat swallen all over,(nearly twice the size of the other one) it's still getting around the tank ok, but i'm concerned it may be sick.

I checked the Ph and Nitrate levels and they are fine. Can anyone help me??

 

[kapo]

When was the last time he ate? Are your axies on gravel?

 

[kim]

He ate nearly a week ago. Yes they are on gravel - do you think he swallowed the gravel? They told me at the pet shop i could have gravel as long as i hand fed them - which i do frozen blood worms and ox heart and they eat it in one gulp.

 

[sharn]

very possible he swallowed gravel, unsure if this would bloat them, maybe if gasses of some sort built up inside (wait for 2nd opinion on that one). axies can snap at gravel for no reason, and especially with messy bloodworms a few probably fall out which they go hunting for, theyre really not that smart when it comes to distinguishing gravel from food hahaha.

id suggest putting him in the fridge, do a search around this part of the forum, or go to the top and use the search function. if i come across any links ill post them here

 

[kim]

thanks for the advice.
should i take the gravel out?? what should i put on the bottom of the tank?
if he did swallow the gravel will it kill him? what does putting him in the fridge do?

 

[kim]

ok i've been reading around your great fourum and it seems maybe i should be using sand instead of gravel. can i use beach sand? Will do that this weekend. Not sure about putting him (if it is a he) in the fridge my boyfriend will have a fit! i hope he is going to be ok.

 

[edward]

Check out http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/bloatEDK.shtml first and compare the pictures. There are multiple different causes of bloat, and water quality is one of them. Your nitrate levels may be fine but the ammonia and nitrite may be off or if you have not been conducting routine water changes then the levels of salts in the water may be disrupting the axolotl's ability to osmoregulate.

Ed

 

[kim]

Thanks Ed, I have checked out the article and the pics and it doesn't look as severe as any of these, it's not abdominal swelling as his whole head and legs have swollen, he is still in proportion just swollen all over really. I will check the ammonia tonight, should i isolate him from the other one anyway, should i put him in the fridge in a container, do i put a lid on it?

 

[sharn]

you can isolate him if you wish, probably easier. dont have to put him in the fridge if you dont want to, it can just de-stress them. you dont need a lid but we do advise it, just incase he decides to jump ship!

 

[emily]

When i put my axie in the fridge for the first time he spat out or poo'ed out a hell of alot of gravel. Maybe by putting him in the fridge your axie might do the same thing. (just an idea)
Good luck
Em

 

[kim]

Thanks guys you are all so very helpfull, I put him in the fridge last night (much to my boyfriends disgust!) and this morning he had passed a big peice of gravel, i was so relieved. I have left him in there in hope it will keep him somewhat calm and that his swelling will go down. fingers crossed. I offered him some food but he still is not too interested.