Is my axolotl obese or starving?

[bibzybean]

Hello,

I don't have a picture but I will try to get one if I can.

My axolotl, Bryce, is a few years old and has never had any health issues before. We think he is actually a female based on overall shape/characteristics. The problem is, Bryce has always been pretty fat for an axolotl, so we don't feed him too much - for the past few months/year he has only been having one adult pellet every two days, in the hopes of getting him to a healthier weight. However despite this diet his body is definitely wider than his head, I know female axolotls tend to be rounder but Bryce is pretty fat even for a female. He doesn't have any problem swimming and doesn't float or anything like that. He doesn't poop a lot but when he does (maybe once a week, or once every two weeks) it is pretty normal-looking (it has changed colour from dark brown to pale yellow since switching to pellets, but overall size and shape is regular?). I feel bad feeding him so little, as I don't want to starve him, but I also don't want him to be obese and live a bad quality of life because of it. Is there something wrong with him? Should I feed him more?

Thank you

 

[wolfen]

without pictures showing different perspectives of his/her? body it is hard to give any advice.
what are your water parameters ie.. temperature, ph, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, kh, gh.
what are the pellets are fed?

 

[bibzybean]

without pictures showing different perspectives of his/her? body it is hard to give any advice.
what are your water parameters ie.. temperature, ph, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, kh, gh.
what are the pellets are fed?

Hello, I apologise for the incredibly late reply. I have attached a photo to help visualise the size more. I have not checked the water parameters in a while - historically they have always been alright, although I am looking to get a new water testing kit. I have also attached a photo of the brand of pellets that we feed him. Since that post I now feed him one pellet a day, and I think he has stayed roughly the same size. (By the way his tank is fully covered with sand at the bottom, but he likes that spot and has scattered the sand away in the attached photo).

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Bryce has always looked like that? That looks like bloat - at least the first picture does. You would need fluids drained.

 

[bibzybean]

Bryce has always looked like that? That looks like bloat - at least the first picture does. You would need fluids drained.

He has looked like that for years! Oh no, should I take him to a vet? He seems to act pretty normal otherwise!

 

[Autistic Catholic]

He has looked like that for years! Oh no, should I take him to a vet? He seems to act pretty normal otherwise!

Yeah. A vet can properly diagnose and can also tell you what to do...

 

[wolfen]

please change to a different pellet, the pellets which you have shown in the photo contain calcium iodate (which is a source of iodine, can cause premature morphing) as well as containing copper (bad for axolotls health wise), although shouldn't have to please check ingredients before giving.
the first photo does look like edema (fluid build up), until you are able to see a vet use 100% holtfreters + 0.2g/l magnesium sulphate (or at least 3.5g/l non-iodised salt until other ingredients can be procured) to try to draw some of the fluid out.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

please change to a different pellet, the pellets which you have shown in the photo contain calcium iodate (which is a source of iodine, can cause premature morphing) as well as containing copper (bad for axolotls health wise), although shouldn't have to please check ingredients before giving.
the first photo does look like edema (fluid build up), until you are able to see a vet use 100% holtfreters + 0.2g/l magnesium sulphate (or at least 3.5g/l non-iodised salt until other ingredients can be procured) to try to draw some of the fluid out.

Someone should write a note to NT Labs and let them know that their food is dangerous to the axolotls they're marketed to...

 

[bibzybean]

please change to a different pellet, the pellets which you have shown in the photo contain calcium iodate (which is a source of iodine, can cause premature morphing) as well as containing copper (bad for axolotls health wise), although shouldn't have to please check ingredients before giving.
the first photo does look like edema (fluid build up), until you are able to see a vet use 100% holtfreters + 0.2g/l magnesium sulphate (or at least 3.5g/l non-iodised salt until other ingredients can be procured) to try to draw some of the fluid out.

Wow okay, thanks for letting me know! I can't believe they can sell dangerous food like that! I will look into the other stuff too.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Wow okay, thanks for letting me know! I can't believe they can sell dangerous food like that! I will look into the other stuff too.

Economics. Simple as. The company is clearly ignorant about the dietary needs of axolotls but they market a food for axolotls that's going to be fine for a any ordinary fish, only an axolotl is an amphibian and they don't pay attention to the needs of amphibian physiology and biology, but it's making them money so...