Help with a stressed axolotl!

[Akrilliks]

Hello all!

I'm new to the forum and a new axolotl owner. While I've tried to learn as much about taking care of axolotls as I can, nothing prepared me for this. Long story short, instead of my axolotl arriving in the mail the next business day, UPS accidentally sent them most of the way back to the shipper, realized their mistake, and sent them back. Overall, they went from Kentucky to here, in Seattle, back to Kentucky and then back here in Seattle finally, and spent over 72 hours in their box. I was almost certain they would be dead on arrival, but they survived!

He/she looks very skinny to me and maybe stressed out? No surprise, I would be too! I just want to make sure I'm doing the best care possible for them to make sure they recovers from that ordeal. In the last three days they have eaten twice a day (blood worms) and had some of their first earthworm today. I check water quality each day and had cycled my tank before they got here. The temp is sitting at about 20 C (though I'm trying to lower to 18). Any recommendations for care would be appreciated! Sorry this is such a long post.

His/her name is Trooper and I've tried to attach some photos I took.

 

[Donna001]

Hi there and welcome to the forum. :happy:

That is quite some travelling that your little one has done, and Trooper seems like a very appropriate name considering what it has been through and survived.

Juveniles do look slimmer than adults, and yours (with my lack of experience) looks quite healthy. The gills aren't curved forward and I can't really see any evidence of a curled tail tip, which would indicate stress. In the pictures Trooper looks active and alert (and adorable), and you say has eaten bloodworms twice a day for the past three days, and also eaten the first piece of earthworm. That's amazing.You are doing a great job, in my opinion.

As for the temperature, It would be great if the temperature was a little cooler, but be aware that fluctuations in temperature can also be stressful. Constant cooling, perhaps with an aquarium fan in conjunction with a mesh lid on the tank to help evaporation can comfortably drop the temperature a degree of two. Frozen water bottles can also be used.

I hope that this helps. :happy:

 

[Akrilliks]

Hi there and welcome to the forum. :happy:

That is quite some travelling that your little one has done, and Trooper seems like a very appropriate name considering what it has been through and survived.

Juveniles do look slimmer than adults, and yours (with my lack of experience) looks quite healthy. The gills aren't curved forward and I can't really see any evidence of a curled tail tip, which would indicate stress. In the pictures Trooper looks active and alert (and adorable), and you say has eaten bloodworms twice a day for the past three days, and also eaten the first piece of earthworm. That's amazing.You are doing a great job, in my opinion.

As for the temperature, It would be great if the temperature was a little cooler, but be aware that fluctuations in temperature can also be stressful. Constant cooling, perhaps with an aquarium fan in conjunction with a mesh lid on the tank to help evaporation can comfortably drop the temperature a degree of two. Frozen water bottles can also be used.

I hope that this helps. :happy:

Thank you very much for the response! I'll plan on setting up a mesh lid and fan as soon as possible. I am relieved to hear he looks okay despite his long journey, I was very worried about the impact that it would have on such a little axolotl, especially considering I am a first time owner. You helped so much thank you again

 

[Caesar]

Hello all!

I'm new to the forum and a new axolotl owner. While I've tried to learn as much about taking care of axolotls as I can, nothing prepared me for this. Long story short, instead of my axolotl arriving in the mail the next business day, UPS accidentally sent them most of the way back to the shipper, realized their mistake, and sent them back. Overall, they went from Kentucky to here, in Seattle, back to Kentucky and then back here in Seattle finally, and spent over 72 hours in their box. I was almost certain they would be dead on arrival, but they survived!

He/she looks very skinny to me and maybe stressed out? No surprise, I would be too! I just want to make sure I'm doing the best care possible for them to make sure they recovers from that ordeal. In the last three days they have eaten twice a day (blood worms) and had some of their first earthworm today. I check water quality each day and had cycled my tank before they got here. The temp is sitting at about 20 C (though I'm trying to lower to 18). Any recommendations for care would be appreciated! Sorry this is such a long post.

His/her name is Trooper and I've tried to attach some photos I took.

She's so cute and little! Definitely a Trooper. Maybe reduce the water flow a ton and give her places to hide to reduce stress? If she is eating twice a day that is great and (I believe) she only looks so skinny because she is a juvenile. That is what my axolotl looked like when he was younger..