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Dead axolotl?

Phoenixrose

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I dont know how to tell if my axolotl is dead. She seemed fine this morning she is only tiny. 5cm and is not moving at all even when touched but her mouth isn't open. I've put her in the fridge :(
 

Retrixy

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Sometimes they play dead but try and touch it a bit harder and if it doesn't move it is most likely dead. Their feet also become stiff when they're dead. If it's dead i'm sorry for your loss
 

AnimeDan

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Iv had this scare before. How old is your Axolotl and what are your water parameters? I once thought my Axolotl princess was dead but turns out she was just playing dead. Sit and watch her for several minutes and pay attention to the gills. Generally even if playing dead they will flick their gills every once in awhile. I hope your Axolotl is ok.
 

Phoenixrose

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My poor baby didn't make it, she was still so little but I think she was struggled since we got her, I just thought she was doing better so was so sad to loose her :(
 

EasternRomioi3

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Not to bring up bad feelings, but did you have a fully cycled tank and everything? If the water parameters were good, it may just have been, you know, something that was inevitable. I do not like talking about pet death, it is inauspicious.
 

Phoenixrose

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I was worried that my tank hadn't cycled properly but I even took the water into the shop to get tested and everything was good. The water was a bit soft so I have increased that and am keeping an eye on the tank with some white clouds just to be sure everything is ok. I had black sand as my substrate which i have been told is find for axolotls but someone on another page said you shouldn't have sand in with juveniles.... is this true?
 

EasternRomioi3

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Oh yeah, with a very small axolotl, sand is ill-advised but only for a specific reason. How do you feed your axolotl? Baby ones are usually hand fed, or directly fed. Like, I know people will take their baby out, put it in a tub, and feed it there, with zero sand, so the axolotl can suck up the worms, the pellets, whatever, without any fear of sand. Sand, even at its finest, is a threat because the little axolotl is so small, it might choke on the sand or get impacted. Once they're like 10 inches long, sand rarely causes an impaction.

Like those aquarium marbles, you know what I mean? Those might as well be marketed "Aquarium stones! Guaranteed to kill axolotls!" Cuz they just suck them up when they go to suck up food. I got my little girl a dish and sank it into her sand, and I feed her directly, she comes up to the surface, but if she misses, I use my turkey baster to suck the pellet up, sand and all, put it on the plate, and just suck up the pellet without the sand and try again. Some people feed theirs exclusively from a dish like that.

This is just personal experience, I am no expert. Also, and this is just me, my girl now has brown sand and it's really hard to see if she uses the bathroom, so idk if black sand would be any easier to see. I miss her white sand, made seeing things easier.

And hey, I'm real sorry about your axolotl. I hope this experience doesn't turn you away from them. They're precious creatures that we as a people have dwindled to a handful. It is an honor to try and raise one to make up for what our ancestors did to them. If you're thinking on trying again, keep the tank going, don't change the water for a bit, let the filter keep running, for like a month, then change the water, test it, etc, etc. I had a spare tank sitting around that I used as a dummy tank, that I pre-cycled some filters in. Don't be shy to ask for advice or whatever. If no one replies, you can always try to message me directly. I float around.
 
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