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Just adopted an Axolotl that wasn't properly cared for. Need Help!

lilninja42

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Hello
I recently adopted an Axolotl due to the original owners not wanting her anymore. I am very new to owning any type of fish so its been a bit of a learning curve trying to figure this all out. I have a lot of questions if anyone would be able to help.

They had her for at least a few years, but I'm unsure on how old she is. I've only had her for about a week. The original owners hadn't cleaned or changed the water in a while so the original water was quite dirty. I've since changed and retested the water.

The current water parameters:
PH: 7.4
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5.0

She is about 12" long, and currently in a 20 gallon long tank.

-First problem is that my water temperature is around 69-70 degrees. The tank sits in a dark room with no windows in the basement. I purchased a couple tank fans which are coming in, so hopefully that can drop the water temperature enough as I cant afford a chiller.
-Her gills aren't as full, with one on her right being really small, which does worry me due to the bad water conditions she was previously in.
-I was told she was fed one earthworm a day, but I feel like she might be too skinny as her body is definitely not as wide as her head. She has no problems eating though.
-She tends to come up for gulps of air every so often. I'm not sure if there isn't enough oxygen in the water. I added a sponge filter to help oxygenate the water.
-I'm not sure if her tail is curled or not, or if its just in the way she's sitting but overall I'm concerned about her stress level.

Again I did just get her, so it could be stress from the new environment. Maybe its just I have to wait and she'll gradually get healthier since she wasn't properly taken care of previously, but I'm just a little paranoid.

I bought a 55 gallon tank and I'm planning to move her to that to give her more room to swim. If I reuse all the water in the original tank, and move over the filters and decorations, and then fill the rest with de-chloritized water, will I need to cycle the tank again, or should it be fine?

From looking at the pictures and my descriptions, does something seem wrong with her, and if so does anyone have any suggestions.
Thanks.

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Oare

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I'm not the best specialist out there, but I would say water temperature isn't your biggest problem. That translates to around 21C, which is well within the range axolotls can withstand for long periods of time. It is not perfect (ideal temperatures are 10-20C), but it won't cause any issue, and adding those fans will definitely bring temperatures down to the ideal range especially in a smaller tank. Just make sure to change water regularly as higher temperatures = higher metabolism so more waste produced. Also, be careful the changes be gradual and not brutal as this is far more stressful than a temperature slightly over ideal.
Gills should heal as well. They are on the small side and look somewhat damaged which might explain why she gasps for air so much - but isn't likely the only reason. Going for air is not problematic in and of itself, since axolotls have functional lungs and can even live solely on outside air, but you have to know they breathe in 3 main ways. The first and main one is, like all amphibians, through their skin. The second one is through their gills. And the third one is through their lungs. Gasping for air means they feel the need to rely on their last resort - which although sufficient, indicates you could provide a better environment. Consider adding an air pump.

Now onto your real problem: she is far too thin. Definitely underfed. The good news is she has appetite, and the other good news is that she now is in the hands of someone who cares. So she has all she needs to bounce back!
 

lilninja42

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Oct 14, 2021
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I'm not the best specialist out there, but I would say water temperature isn't your biggest problem. That translates to around 21C, which is well within the range axolotls can withstand for long periods of time. It is not perfect (ideal temperatures are 10-20C), but it won't cause any issue, and adding those fans will definitely bring temperatures down to the ideal range especially in a smaller tank. Just make sure to change water regularly as higher temperatures = higher metabolism so more waste produced. Also, be careful the changes be gradual and not brutal as this is far more stressful than a temperature slightly over ideal.
Gills should heal as well. They are on the small side and look somewhat damaged which might explain why she gasps for air so much - but isn't likely the only reason. Going for air is not problematic in and of itself, since axolotls have functional lungs and can even live solely on outside air, but you have to know they breathe in 3 main ways. The first and main one is, like all amphibians, through their skin. The second one is through their gills. And the third one is through their lungs. Gasping for air means they feel the need to rely on their last resort - which although sufficient, indicates you could provide a better environment. Consider adding an air pump.

Now onto your real problem: she is far too thin. Definitely underfed. The good news is she has appetite, and the other good news is that she now is in the hands of someone who cares. So she has all she needs to bounce back!
Oh okay, thank you for the info!
Would you have any recommendations for how often and how much I should be feeding her?
 
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