Floater

[Astrid0102]

Hi guys,

One of my axolotls is having trouble keeping his bum on the ground for the past couple of days. I read that its constipation or trapped wind but is there anytging I can do to help him? He seems fine though otherwise.
Knows straight away when I put food in his bowl And races straight over to eat it. Should I stop feeding him till hes better?
When he floats on a plant at the top he does this weird thing also, with his leg..it kind of sticks out of water and looks broken but then when he swims its fine.
Attached are some photos of him in various planking positions around the tank

 

[Neotenic_Jaymes]

I'd separate the individual and put it in a temporary shallow setup. This will help in reducing it from constantly fighting to submerge and make it use less energy. It can get stressed from constantly struggling. I'd also keep it cool or maybe fridge it.

 

[Astrid0102]

He gets bloated but then the next day he'll be fine. Then the same thing will happen again..I don't want to keep taking him out of the tank every other day because it'll stress him even more?? But he is constantly fighting to get to the bottom of the tank until he eventually settles at resting at the top on some plants

 

[Astrid0102]

Is this a spermaphore? Could this be why he's floating? He's only 5 months old Max though.

 

[Neotenic_Jaymes]

Is this a spermaphore? Could this be why he's floating? He's only 5 months old Max though.

That's not a spermatophore.

 

[Boomsloth]

What's the tank temp?

 

[HitmanSougo13]

Sometimes for a young axie, it does not yet have the balance in their body, there is an organ that helps them balance in water like how fish do. Either lower the water, reduce the air flow or put the axie in a smaller tub until it grows more. Just pay attention to it pooping

 

[UglytheAxolotl]

My axolotl did that for a while. Then I lowered the temp than he stopped floating, what temperature is it at now?

 

[Astrid0102]

The temp is at 19c
I've kept it pretty constant since I got them as I kept a fan over their tank all summer.
When I siphoned the tank I found a couple more of the s'phores looking things.

I'm worried I've maybe been over feeding them and they've matured to quickly - This one especially..he's 6/7 inches and I've only had him 2.5 months. They were 2" when I first got them.
I've seen people selling them saying 5months old 3-4"

 

[Boomsloth]

There's no such thing as over feeding juvenile axolotls. Any food they eat gets converted to it's body size. They eat until they feel full. The sphore things almost sound like food that has rotted in the tank and formed bacteria or fungus over it. Try lowering the temp down below 18c. Sometimes they just float though.

 

[Astrid0102]

OK great thanks guys.

Maybe he does have this water unbalence thing. He does kind of wriggly side turns even when he's not floating. The water on my tank is pretty high..about 15"..but the filter is one of those ones that water falls like a waterfall soi raised the water to lower water current and because of the noise (tank is in my room)

 

[auntiejude]

there is an organ that helps them balance in water like how fish do

Axolotls don't have swim bladders - by virtue of the fact that they are amphibians and not fish.
Axies floating is usually caused by gas or air in their digestive system, and passes when they poop.