Illness/Sickness: Juvenile wont eat!

[Mewtwo]

I'm starting to panick a little bit.

I have 2 juvenile 'lotls whom I've posted here about once before, this issue started about a week ago and I'm beginning to panick.

I have a Lucy and a gold axie. The Lucy eats everything and is healthy as he/she could be!


But the gold... For a few days now, he has refused to eat. I've even tried putting him in a seperate bucket (filled with the same tank water he was in)!to feed so he isn't badgered or stressed during feeding time. He has gotten progressively thinner and it's starting to get a little scary. :errr:

He will eat maybe three bloodworms (small ones) and WILL go for more,for a few minutes, but will then spit everything back out and turn away from it. Their tank is bare bottom and I've had them for about two or three months. The tank is fully cycled, 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and 20 nitrate.

The other lotl isn't doing this at all.

EDIT: I think something in the title is misspelled, sorry for any and all errors! Autocorrect hates me..

 

[Petersgirl]

Re: Juvalnile wont eat!

Dear Mewtwo,

I'm sorry your Goldie isn't well.

Okay, to kick off with, an axolotl can survive around eight weeks without food provided that they are well-fed, so don't worry too much. Your parameters look good. Just a few questions:

1) What is your temperature like? Axolotls eat less at lower temps and initially eat a lot more at higher temps. Ideal temps are 16 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius/62-64 Farenheit. Less ideal but liveable temps are 19 - 23 degrees Celsius/66 -74 Farenheit as long as they're constant.

2) Are you also certain the Gold is a boy? I've had problems with hunger striking with my females, and my theory is that they're reabsorbing eggs. These can last for up to a month but usually end by themselves.

3) Have you seen any other signs of illness, like lethargy, colour changes, spots or changes in behaviour?

If none of these apply, it's likely a hunger strike. Trying new foods can help with this - I tried waxworms, mussel meat and cockles (all from a local fish shop) and they did help my girl to try a few new foods. Blackworm is also supposed to be very good.

Either way, if the problem isn't any of those listed above, the key is patience. As long as he isn't losing weight or looks distressed this might just be an average hunger strike.

 

[Bette]

Re: Juvalnile wont eat!

I'm starting to panick a little bit.

I have 2 juvenile 'lotls whom I've posted here about once before, this issue started about a week ago and I'm beginning to panick.

I have a Lucy and a gold axie. The Lucy eats everything and is healthy as he/she could be!


But the gold... For a few days now, he has refused to eat. I've even tried putting him in a seperate bucket (filled with the same tank water he was in)!to feed so he isn't badgered or stressed during feeding time. He has gotten progressively thinner and it's starting to get a little scary. :errr:

He will eat maybe three bloodworms (small ones) and WILL go for more,for a few minutes, but will then spit everything back out and turn away from it. Their tank is bare bottom and I've had them for about two or three months. The tank is fully cycled, 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and 20 nitrate.

The other lotl isn't doing this at all.

EDIT: I think something in the title is misspelled, sorry for any and all errors! Autocorrect hates me..

I highly recommend obtaining some live black worms. They get the pickiest juveniles to eat. Eastern Aquatics sells/ships, or you might be able to find them at your local fish/pet shop.

 

[Mewtwo]

Re: Juvalnile wont eat!

My temp stays between 60-65° F

I'm not sure the gender of either, I just say he because I assume they're both males ? I don't know how to sex them, Atleast not at their size. The gold in question is about four inches including his tail, I finally measured him though it may not be exact. He hasn't grown since I got him but the Lucy is nearing his length already!

The breeder said they're only a few months old, so I'd guess maybe their five or six months of age? I'm not really sure. The rank is a filtered and aerated 20g, I read on here (I think it was here anyway) and plenty other places that the minimum per axie is 10g as adults, and the breeder said my 20 would be OK for two. I have seen only a little aggression,and it was when i wasn't able to feed them for a day or two (I had been sick and couldn't get more bloodworms, but had run out) and I haven't seen it since.

He used to eat really well so this is a new development =( he (I'm just assuming it's a boy) LOOKS okay otherwise, though maybe a little lighter in color than he used to be.

I'll be completely honest...I'm a little afraid of worms, thus why I haven't upgraded to anything live... ?

 

[Mewtwo]

Re: Juvalnile wont eat!

Oh my god I think I'm gonna cry! I came into my bedroom and I found my little sister trying to lift the Goldie out of the tank! She DROPPED HIM!!!! I scooped him up and put him back in and he was just floating there and I started crying and freaking out and then he swam down and started swimming again but his belly looks a little weird and I don't know if it was like that before and oh my god I feel horrible!!! He's just sitting there and i don't know what to do!

 

[Mewtwo]

Re: Juvalnile wont eat!

More pics of him..

He is moving and stuff but his side things are all jacked up! Um..um...external gills or whatever! The FLUFFY THINGS! ?

 

[Mewtwo]

Re: Juvalnile wont eat!

He ate...he ate when I offered food is that a good sign? Could he still be okay?! It was like a four foot drop!!!

I'm crying so hard right now, did my sister just kill my axie?!

 

[Mewtwo]

Re: Juvalnile wont eat!

Top-down view...

 

[Donna001]

Please don't panic. Wait and see what happens. There is a strong possibility that your axie was stunned by being handled and dropped. Keep a very close eye on it for any signs of problems, but it is good that he has eaten.
Give him a bit of time to settle down after his shock.
:happy:

 

[Donna001]

I would also say that both of your axolotls are too young to have matured. It would be worth reading through the articles on the sites in the links to get and idea of their biology, when they mature and how to sex them, especially as you have 2 sharing a tank and you don't want to have to worry about breeding as they mature.
Axolotls - Biology
Caudata Culture Articles - Sexing
Spend a bit of time reading as much as you can, which may help you with the feeding etc.
It may also be worth having a sensible chat with your sister about axolotls being amphibians and what that means. Please don't shout at her or scare her, even though you are upset. We wouldn't want to put off the next generation of axolotl keepers when these little fellas are such fascinating, adorable wierdos. Show her the information on the sites linked, get her interested, but get her to understand that they also need to be respected and cared for. If absolutely necessary you may have to find a way to stop your sister accessing the axolotls, whether that is with a lock added to the lid or something similar.
Please keep us updated on the progress of your gold axolotl and let us know if there are any problems with him (yes, most people say "him" or "her" when they don't know the sex, because "it" seems so impersonal).
Best of luck. :happy:

 

[Mewtwo]

He was still moving about today, and acts okay I suppose..
I'm still really anxious because I read one thread here that says they dropped their axie and it looked fine but two months later died a painful death from unnoticed internal injuries. I'm really scared that my Goldie is gonna die and I havet even gotten to name him yet or anything =(

My sister got grounded for a week and my parents promised that I can have a lock installed on my door if my axie does die, to protect the other one. This isn't the first time she's done something like this.
At first I was nice about it, explaining why she can't just drop cubes of bloodworms into the tank. I explained why she can't just stick her hand in the water and why she can't bang on the glass.
Then I was a little more stern when she dumped three guppies in, which I fished out and put in their proper tank
Then I was just annoyed when she decided to pour half the bottle of conditioner into the tank at once, and yelled a little
Then This! Ill admit it.. When I realized he was alive and not dead, and I was able to take a breath.. I turned around and slapped her. Ain't proud of it but I did it.

 

[Donna001]

Great to hear that your Goldie is moving around today.
The thread I remember about another axolotl being dropped indicated that some of the internal organs had sort of come out at the back end. The pictures of your little one look fine. Continue to keep an eye on him, which I'm sure you will, and let us know as soon as you notice anything that worries you.

As for the incident itself, I know it's none of my business to get involved in family issues, but perhaps protecting the tank before the death of an axolotl might be the way forward, especially as there have been more than one incident. I can understand why your parents may be reluctant to let you have a lock on your door, so perhaps we can consider ways of protecting your actual tank and inhabitants from possible damage.

If you could post some pics of the tank and give a description of the lid, etc. we could probably think of a few things that will help and just involve some minor rearrangements. :happy:

 

[Mewtwo]

The tank is a 20g (can't recall exact measurements, but I've posted them SOMEWHERE here before..) but it may be 25g, I'm not completely sure. Inside are two large seashells, a fake cave and a plastic treasure chest, both of which are hallow and the axies always love going in and out of. I has a bar bubbler which they play in, too. There are 9 fake plants scattered about the tank, and it has a filter.

The lid encompasses the whole too aside from a long strip in the back that is open to let the filter hand there and the bubble tubing and such. It has a glass panel where the light sits (the light is on a timer, coming on at 8am and going off at 9pm. ....yes, I have issues with alge but I like being able to see my babies >~< the tank is incredibly dark without the light) and directly Infront of the light is the part that lifts up to allow food to be dropped in. I don't know if the attached pic will be of any help- im at school at the moment ? my phone is a tad too small to see the pic clearly from the camera roll.

And it's fine for you to poke around lol. We're not exactly private with our lives, no real reason to be. I don't want pity and I don't want people to act friendly just cause they feel bad for me. If they think I need to be babied just cause I've seen some sh*t that most teens my age wouldn't dream of, they can just take their pity elsewhere. It mean I need to be treated as an inferior =) . I kind of like being open with my family life cause it makes for less secrets and less hurt. Some people get a little offended if I mention some of the things that have happened (and thence claim im lying) so I try to avoid the more serious topics.'

The reason why they (I live with my grandparents, my sister does too, my brother is with mom) probably want to wait is because my mother made some.. Questionable choices behind closed doors, and may be hesitant to trust me.

Before the axies the tank held a single fancy goldfish, who was older than Me! He died at the ripe old age of nineteen and the tank was put into my care. So I decided to get one axie, but the breeder said if I want two, I should get them both small as to not spend a bunch on a older one later (so that any little guys I would get wouldn't get picked on by the first) and since its 10g per axie is be fine with two in my tank. I knew I wanted a Lucy, with fluffy gills, so he offered the Goldie, though seeing how cute they are almost makes me wish I had gotten the brown spotted lucy he had, but I'm happy with my little guys!

 

[Donna001]

Parents, understandably, don't want locks on doors for those reasons, and all parents assume that sort of thing is going to happen. That's why I think that protecting the tank may be the best way forward.

My first concerns are always going to be with the health and wellbeing of the axolotls, but it's not nice to know that someone is upset either, especially if it is avoidable.

Yep, I can see the picture clearly, and I think we can find a few ways to protect the tank and inhabitants, I just need a bit of time to have a look at a few options then I'll get back to you with some ideas.

:happy:

 

[AmberLouiseT]

It sucks to hear about the incidents that have happened due to your sister, I'm sorry you have to go through that! Must be SO frustrating for you. I'm glad to hear your axie is alright after the accident, and after all the other stuff he's been through!
It would be so great if they designed a lock for the tank that was like.. a fridge lock but made to accommodate an aquarium. Though.. a fridge lock MIGHT work, if you use glue? I don't know. But you can get fridge locks with keys!

Something like this? But one with a key might be your best option.

BabyDan Multi Lock - Safetots.co.uk

 

[Donna001]

I'm going to suggest luggage strap locks.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Topoint%C2%AE-Suitcase-Approved-Security-Identification/dp/B01878O8SQ/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1461697779&sr=8-16&keywords=plastic+strap+lock
This is based on a similar idea as the one AmberLouise has suggested, but should be long enough to go under your tank and lock on top. You may have to have a search on a few sites like Amazon and similar to get something, but I'd suggest getting 2, slide one under each end of your tank (this may take some effort and may need you to remove quite a lot of water from your tank to achieve), and make sure they cover the hinged feeding strip so even the dechlorinator can't be poured in.
Admittedly this also assumes that your sister wont be able to access the hole at the back where your filter is, but you can always put something over that, and strap it down with the lockable luggage strap at that end of the tank.
If the straps are thick and you are worried about putting uneven stress on the bottom of your tank, you may need to put a layer of polystyrene under your tank to account for this.
It may not look attractive, but it may save your tank and inhabitants, and you can always unlock the straps when you are there.
I think that could work. :happy:

 

[Mewtwo]

Thanks so much for all the help guys. I'll be looking into the luggage straps ASAP.

I'm starting to notice discoloration on the Goldie's tail, it's turning red in some places which really worries me....and his butt is floating

Any idea why the color change and butt float??

He ate again today, and when I reached in to move the treasure chest forward a bit (they like going behind it and I accidently shifted it during a water change early yesterday) he swam up and grabbed hold of my hand so Atleast I know he's not scared of people =)

 

[Mewtwo]

Tried to get a good pic of the red parts..

 

[Mewtwo]

His other side..

 

[AmberLouiseT]

The redness could just be damaged tissue from being dropped, similar to how we get bruises from banging into things. The floating butt could be constipation... Has he been pooping normally since the fall? It could also be a gas bubble causing the floating.
I'd say keep a very close eye on him, watch for any changes in the redness any any sign of his 'butt floating' issue changing.
I'm sure someone with more experience of these things will be along soon to give some advice but for the meantime, I'm here if you need to talk.
I really hope your Goldie makes a full recovery. Please keep us updated.