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Considering Fridging

Neysa

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Hi,
I have an axolotl, about 8 months old. My axolotl recently stopped eating, it's been about a week. She had pale gills for a few days about a week ago and then went back to normal coloration.

However since then it looks like she's constipated, she has been floating and shows all the signs. Her gills are curled and occasionally her tail will be. It may be gas as she will float then hide away and be ok. I am guilty of over feeding. I didn't realized they couldn't eat as much and would give her 2 -4 pallets daily to every other day. The only thing I'm wondering about is this strange thing in her back.

I don't know if it is fungus or part of the constipation. I will include a photo. That appeared only two or so days ago.

I am wondering if I am jumping to the fridging too quickly or if it will be right for her.

Just in case I have prepared a container of water with room temp bottled water and am measuring the inside of the fridge.
 

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GulfCoastAxolotls

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Hi,
I have an axolotl, about 8 months old. My axolotl recently stopped eating, it's been about a week. She had pale gills for a few days about a week ago and then went back to normal coloration.

However since then it looks like she's constipated, she has been floating and shows all the signs. Her gills are curled and occasionally her tail will be. It may be gas as she will float then hide away and be ok. I am guilty of over feeding. I didn't realized they couldn't eat as much and would give her 2 -4 pallets daily to every other day. The only thing I'm wondering about is this strange thing in her back.

I don't know if it is fungus or part of the constipation. I will include a photo. That appeared only two or so days ago.

I am wondering if I am jumping to the fridging too quickly or if it will be right for her.

Just in case I have prepared a container of water with room temp bottled water and am measuring the inside of the fridge.
Hold off on fridging for now. Sometimes that does more harm than good. I am more interested in what your water parameters are; ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH. Size tank? temperature?
 

Neysa

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Hold off on fridging for now. Sometimes that does more harm than good. I am more interested in what your water parameters are; ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH. Size tank? temperature?
The tank is 40 gallon, ph is 6.6 or so I just measured it. Temp is 65-67 degrees, though last week it was closer to 69. I don't have an ammonia measuring kit as of yet, but it arrives tomorrow and will post.
 

GulfCoastAxolotls

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The tank is 40 gallon, ph is 6.6 or so I just measured it. Temp is 65-67 degrees, though last week it was closer to 69. I don't have an ammonia measuring kit as of yet, but it arrives tomorrow and will post.
water chemistry is extremely important. you should be testing you tank weekly for all of the above mentioned parameters. I suspect you may have an issue there. Appetite and gill/tail curl are usually water quality related. How often have you been doing partial water changes? and how much have you been changing out? For now, I would tub her in fresh cold water (changing the water 100% daily or even twice daily) and see if she improves. That will give you time to test you tank and ensure your chemical levels are safe. Can you post other photos of her and your setup? thatll help me rule out other stressors
 

Neysa

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I change her tank out weekly at 25% and monthly I do a 40% change. She is the only creature in the tank.
 

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GulfCoastAxolotls

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I change her tank out weekly at 25% and monthly I do a 40% change. She is the only creature in the tank.
ok, so a 40 gallon tank and from that picture I would guess its filled to maybe 25 gallons. I would definitely remove her for now and put her in a quarantine tub until you can test your water. Let me know what the parameters are after you do and I can help you from there. Another option would be to remove her and do a 50% change daily for 3 days since that'll help lower any harmful chemical anyway. Like I said, while she is tubbed just make sure you are doing 100% change daily on the tub. I suggest investing in the API Freshwater Master Test Kit.
 

Neysa

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ok, so a 40 gallon tank and from that picture I would guess its filled to maybe 25 gallons. I would definitely remove her for now and put her in a quarantine tub until you can test your water. Let me know what the parameters are after you do and I can help you from there. Another option would be to remove her and do a 50% change daily for 3 days since that'll help lower any harmful chemical anyway. Like I said, while she is tubbed just make sure you are doing 100% change daily on the tub. I suggest investing in the API Freshwater Master Test Kit.
I've tubbed her for now, I'm going out to get something a bit bigger so she can feel more comfortable and will do tank changes as I go
 

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Neysa

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Did an amonia test
ok, so a 40 gallon tank and from that picture I would guess its filled to maybe 25 gallons. I would definitely remove her for now and put her in a quarantine tub until you can test your water. Let me know what the parameters are after you do and I can help you from there. Another option would be to remove her and do a 50% change daily for 3 days since that'll help lower any harmful chemical anyway. Like I said, while she is tubbed just make sure you are doing 100% change daily on the tub. I suggest investing in the API Freshwater Master Test Kit.
Did an amonia test (strips came in early) it is between 0 and .5 (closer to the .5 end) I'll do another change and test it out but it doesn't seem to be in a terrible state so I may transition Lil back there sooner rather than later.
 

GulfCoastAxolotls

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Did an amonia test

Did an amonia test (strips came in early) it is between 0 and .5 (closer to the .5 end) I'll do another change and test it out but it doesn't seem to be in a terrible state so I may transition Lil back there sooner rather than later.
Unfortunately, test strips are widely inaccurate. That's why I never recommend anything but liquid test kits like the one I mentioned above. You should also be testing your nitrites and nitrates, as both of those can cause issues too.
 

Neysa

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@Neysa

Any updates? Is your axolotl doing better?
All signs are better, no more floating and that strange thing was just waste that she did indeed pass. I moved her back to her tank as tubbing made her crazy anxious and she's been great. Only issue is she hasn't eaten yet, she has made a few attempts to bite at the pellets I drop but always a few seconds late. I'm considering getting feeder guppies as when I try to feed her this seems to also make her anxious (her tail curls), then if I leave her alone she's normal again. Though to be fair she's only been in tank for 2 days so I'm also guessing it may take a bit of time for her to feel herself again, but I am keeping an eye on her.

And I did a massive gradual water change in the tank and confirmed the condition of it was perfect before I put her back in, so I'm doubtful her lack of appetite is due to the water.
 

EasternRomioi3

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That baffles me, I can never understand why some of these axolotls decide not to eat. Mine is a machine, she'll eat anything, aggressively too. When you say she curls her tail, you mean the FULL curve, right? Not the little bend at the tip of the tail? When you feed her, you feed her IN her tank, correct? I introduced a new food to my axolotl like 2 weeks ago and I took her into her tub, and there was only like an inch of water above her head, so when I dropped the new food in, it didn't have long to go before she sucked it in. That might help in your situation.

What time of day do you usually feed her? I wonder if her day-night schedule is messed up.
 

Neysa

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That baffles me, I can never understand why some of these axolotls decide not to eat. Mine is a machine, she'll eat anything, aggressively too. When you say she curls her tail, you mean the FULL curve, right? Not the little bend at the tip of the tail? When you feed her, you feed her IN her tank, correct? I introduced a new food to my axolotl like 2 weeks ago and I took her into her tub, and there was only like an inch of water above her head, so when I dropped the new food in, it didn't have long to go before she sucked it in. That might help in your situation.

What time of day do you usually feed her? I wonder if her day-night schedule is messed up.
Oh I may try that, though I'll wait until she seems more herself first. There was a sudden weather spike where I am and it caused her tank to warm a bit and her condition went back a bit. I've since cooled the tank and she seems on the mend again (moving, gills happy, tail straight).

I usually go on her schedule for feeding as she is good at asking for food (it's why I realized she was sick.)

I am still debating fridging, but we'll see if she gets better with monitoring.
 

GulfCoastAxolotls

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Oh I may try that, though I'll wait until she seems more herself first. There was a sudden weather spike where I am and it caused her tank to warm a bit and her condition went back a bit. I've since cooled the tank and she seems on the mend again (moving, gills happy, tail straight).

I usually go on her schedule for feeding as she is good at asking for food (it's why I realized she was sick.)

I am still debating fridging, but we'll see if she gets better with monitoring.
fridging is still not the answer here. it very rarely is the answer. The ONLY time you should be friding, and the purpose of it, is to slow the progression of disease. If they have a severe infection, it can slow the infection to allow you more time to find appropriate treatment. By lowering their body temperature you are slowing their metabolic processes. This is not going to get her to eat, in fact it will do the opposite. If she isn't eating, it may just be from stress. Axolotls can go quite a while (up to 3 weeks for a healthy axolotl) without food, so don't panic. If she is not eating her pellets, try another source of food. Earthworms are the most nutritionally balanced food source.
 
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