She won't eat. Trying to rule out the root causes.

[Kc0olm]

My axolotl is around 3 years old. I thought she was femaie, but then she grew testicles - but I still refer to her as she, in deference to her gender.

The last she wanted to take food (earthworms - she has only ever accepted earthworms) was April 28! That's too long - or is it? Here are some possible causes:

1) I had some type of tank grass which floats on top of the water. She loved to snuggle into it! But it had been dying and disintegrating for awhile, and so I decided to clean it out - and replace it with duckweed. The duckweed is going to take a long time to have the same coverage. So I wonder if she is traumatized by the loss of her grass? I added some big leaves and she has plenty of "caves" to hide in.

2) I have a Seachem stick-on ammonia card. For the past 9 months, it has had a perfect reading for ammonia. I also test the water with the Seachem Mater Test Kit, and it also has always read perfect. But today, I was at a loss of why she was not eating, so I tested it again and - oops! the ammonia shows a light green - between 0.25 and 0.5! Really a surprise! Now I wonder if the surface grass had an effect on the ammonia - maybe the dying grass increased the ammonia, or, maybe the living grass kept the ammonia down? Or maybe the India Almond leaves spike the ammonia?

Anyway, I did a 1/3 tank water change today. I also ordered the Seachem in-tank Ammonia Alert - the old one may have expired. And I am getting some Seachem AmGuard - which is supposed to be used for emergencies. If I don't find the cause of the ammonia spike, it's not going to solve things.

I can't think of any other possible causes for her not eating. To high ammonia is a problem regardless, of course.

 

[Kc0olm]

My axolotl is around 3 years old. I thought she was femaie, but then she grew testicles - but I still refer to her as she, in deference to her gender.

The last she wanted to take food (earthworms - she has only ever accepted earthworms) was April 28! That's too long - or is it? Here are some possible causes:

1) I had some type of tank grass which floats on top of the water. She loved to snuggle into it! But it had been dying and disintegrating for awhile, and so I decided to clean it out - and replace it with duckweed. The duckweed is going to take a long time to have the same coverage. So I wonder if she is traumatized by the loss of her grass? I added some big leaves and she has plenty of "caves" to hide in.

2) I have a Seachem stick-on ammonia card. For the past 9 months, it has had a perfect reading for ammonia. I also test the water with the Seachem Mater Test Kit, and it also has always read perfect. But today, I was at a loss of why she was not eating, so I tested it again and - oops! the ammonia shows a light green - between 0.25 and 0.5! Really a surprise! Now I wonder if the surface grass had an effect on the ammonia - maybe the dying grass increased the ammonia, or, maybe the living grass kept the ammonia down? Or maybe the India Almond leaves spike the ammonia?

Anyway, I did a 1/3 tank water change today. I also ordered the Seachem in-tank Ammonia Alert - the old one may have expired. And I am getting some Seachem AmGuard - which is supposed to be used for emergencies. If I don't find the cause of the ammonia spike, it's not going to solve things.

I can't think of any other possible causes for her not eating. To high ammonia is a problem regardless, of course.

Just a note: I just got her to eat a small (piece of ) worm. She's always had to work at getting the bigger worms down, but this is not normal. First I gave her a small worm - and she took it ! But then just when I thought she had swallowed it, it seemed to escape her mouth. When I offered it to her again, she was not interested. Then I tried just half that worm. She worked pretty hard, but she kept it down! I am so thankful. but I don't understand what is going on.

 

[wolfen]

what are your full water parameters ie.. temperature, ph, ammonia (other than given), nitrites, nitrates, kh, gh.
any decomposing matter will produce ammonia whether it be plants or leaves.
live plants will absorb nitrogen compounds so removing them will cause an increase.
axolotls will eat a variety of food which can be tried if the regular food is refused or regurgitated.

 

[Kc0olm]

what are your full water parameters ie.. temperature, ph, ammonia (other than given), nitrites, nitrates, kh, gh.
any decomposing matter will produce ammonia whether it be plants or leaves.
live plants will absorb nitrogen compounds so removing them will cause an increase.
axolotls will eat a variety of food which can be tried if the regular food is refused or regurgitated.

Thank you! I have tried different foods for her, but she has refused them all. I have put live ghost shrimp into her tank. They live to a ripe old age! Frozen blood worms just rot on the bottom. I might try just another kind of worm (night crawler).

Removing the surface grass might have allowed an increase in nitrates - I don't have the exact numbers with me now, but there was a mild increase. But that would not affect the ammonia - except that I suppose stirring up the water can sometimes release matter that was trapped, and not picked up by sample testing.

I will do a vacuum of the tank this weekend. Today I will introduce the Seachem AmGuard, and I have been dosoing daily with Seachem Stability.

Just wondering if the ammonia might have affected her trachea (if she has one). Or, going without food for some time may weaken her ability to process it.

Mostly I think it's the change in environment - removing the surface grass. I think she might be depressed. I have ordered a lot more duckweed, so I will return the surface cover soon.

 

[wolfen]

plants will consume ammonia as well as the other nitrogen compounds ie.. nitrites, nitrates.
the biological filtration will hold a bacteria colony (the bacteria colony expands and decreases with the amount of food provided ie.. ammonia/nitrites) that is large enough to cope with the present amount of ammonia/nitrites but if the ammonia suddenly increases for example due to plant removal the colony isn't large enough to cope straight away and spikes occur.
be aware although seachem amguard detox's ammonia it will still register if present, wait 24hrs after water change before testing (although it is mean't to last 72hrs before degrading), may be 4 days before accurate reading.

 

[Kc0olm]

plants will consume ammonia as well as the other nitrogen compounds ie.. nitrites, nitrates.
the biological filtration will hold a bacteria colony (the bacteria colony expands and decreases with the amount of food provided ie.. ammonia/nitrites) that is large enough to cope with the present amount of ammonia/nitrites but if the ammonia suddenly increases for example due to plant removal the colony isn't large enough to cope straight away and spikes occur.
be aware although seachem amguard detox's ammonia it will still register if present, wait 24hrs after water change before testing (although it is mean't to last 72hrs before degrading), may be 4 days before accurate reading.

Thank you again! I have a new Seachem in-tank ammonia and pH indicator. they still read that the ammonia is ok. But when I test with API Master Freshwater Test, it shows the ammonia is even higher than before I added the Seachem AmGuard.
So I have ordered a new API Master Test kit - maybe it's too old.

I also took out the Indian Almond leaves. I've now read that they can spike the ammonia, although I think this is only if they die and rot - which some have, but months ago. I will vacuum the substrate this weekend.

So, the parameter readings are inconsistent; unclear if the Seachem is even working.

 

[wolfen]

different water tests tend to have different tolerances for sensitivity, what might not register with the seachem test is enough to register with the api test although because the information regarding seachem ammonia alert states that it registers free-ammonia as low as 0.05mg/l (ppm) it can be assumed that it measures NH3 (free-ammonia) only, where as API tests TAN (total ammonia nitrogen) which is NH4 and NH3 (ammonium and free-ammonia), hence why it is registering with the API test but not with seachem.
almond/catappa leaves are dry dead leaves that release beneficial tanins as they decompose.