Sick??

[jay]

Hi All,

One of our axies Willow, is very skinny and ill looking. She eats often enough but doesn't put on any weight. Just last night she got through 4 massive earthworms. She also eats axolotl pellets, bloodworms, brine shrimp and bottom feeder pellets. Does anyone know what could be causing her to stay so small??

 

[kelizabethk]

Unlike most fish, axolotls will eat until they are full, so maybe just keep feeding her until she stops? Has she always been like this, maybe it's just the way her body is shaped? Or, have you noticed any of the others getting fatter? Maybe Willow is vomiting up the food and the others are eating it?

I have no other ideas, sorry!

 

[jay]

She stopped eating after the 4 worms. She started losing weight a few months ago, and we thought she was going to die. She kept eating and struggling on though. Here is a photo of her taken tonight. We isolate her to feed her every 2 days, and there is always food in the tank, which she eats when she is hungry. Everybody else is getting bigger except her. Any ideas?

(Message edited by jay_&_jayde on February 01, 2007)

 

[heihei]

Is it possible to isolate her completely and keep her separate and feed/look after her; or will there be a problem with keeping her tank cool.

It's good that she ate the four worms last night.

Have you tested your tankwater and what is your usual tank temperature?

 

[jay]

We dont have a seperate tank to isolate her completely, we put her in a bucket when isolated feedng. Tank sits at about 21-22 which is a bit high, but its so hot here lately, the only way we can get it down is buying ice and putting it in the tank, which is getting expensive. It drops the tank to 18 and the temp stays there for a few days. Just to add, we refer to Willow as her, but we are not sure of her gender because she is still only 8-9 months old.

 

[ravenous]

just a thought.... can axolotls get worms?

 

[heihei]

try not to use ice this causes fluctuating temperatures which can stress your axies and is especially not good if it's straight tap water ice. You should freeze some bottles of dechlorinated water, 3/4 or 2/3 full b4 freezing as it expands when frozen. Then place one or two bottles in, depending on size of tank and you'll need to rotate them, ie before the bottles completely melt place in another bottle or two. Other alternative is to use a fan, pedestal fan if you can get one, and angle it at the water surface, this brings it down a degree or two. You can also use those frozen ice pack bricks (plastic things), but when using them in your tank place them in a ziplock/sealable plastic bag and float them.

By using dechlorinated water in frozen bottles and sealing the icebricks in plastic bags will prevent any leakage accidents which could harm your axies.

 

[jay]

We set up the fan every day before leaving for work, and we use bottles when we can, but we cant put any in during the day (when its the hottest) as neither of us are at home. In response to dan's question, not too sure if axolotls can get worms. Willow seems happy, she swims and plays with the other axolotls, she is just so tiny. In the picture i posted before she is next to Loki, who is her best friend in the tank. They have been together for 4 months or so. When we got Willow, she was bigger than Loki, there are some photo's in the Axie Gallery of when we first got her, showing their sizes.
Link is : http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/793/74156.html?1165227071

 

[kelizabethk]

Aww they are very cute

I was thinking the same thing about worms actually. I would be suprised if only she had them though, so I doubt that's what it is.

I really have no idea. As long as she is acting fine then I guess she is healthy. Just make sure you keep feeding her, maybe even try everyday, to make sure she is not going hungry. Sorry I can't be much more help.

 

[jay]

We isolated her all day yesterday, and she ate some earthwoms and maybe some bloodworms too. after about 12 hours she looked so sad she was away from her friends, so we put her back in the tank. I read on http://www.ambystoma.org/AGSC/ that axolotls can be anorexic. This site really tells you alot about axolotls anyway. Could this be the case?

 

[jay]

Today we bought a small tank, holds about 10 litres, and put Willow in there. We are going to isolate her until she puts on weight I think. Can anyone think what could be causing this skinniness in Willow?

 

[heihei]

My sister's axies had something like anorexia, they were only a few months old, lost complete colour in gills and eventually stopped eating, they looked greyish white from memory and she was pretty upset and thought she'd lose them. She separated Brodie and Fifi - putting them in the fridge for few weeks then brought them out and kept them isolated till they eventually fed (think it was 5/6 weeks for Brodie; 6/7 weeks for Fifi). That was about a year ago; and they are fully grown - 32cm -and extremely healthy.

Don't think hers got as skinny as yours though. I know yours is a light wildtype but are their gills any different in colour? oh yeah, hers are leucistics/white with dark eyes so it was noticeable the colour change.

I hope the isolation improves her condition though

 

[jay]

Just put in a few worms for her to eat overnight, hopefully they will be gone in the morning. Her gills are very small, but still the same colour. I really hope this works, as she looks so sad without her friends, and they seem upset that they cant find her in the tank.

 

[jay]

What is the process of putting an axie in the fridge? How long between checking on her, feeding etc?

 

[row]

I have been putting my axie in large tupperware containers with 5 litres of water (or just enough to cover them - I keep two in the fridge so that the water is the same temp. when it comes time to change. Do a fridge test first by putting a glass in the fridge with your thermometer in it. Check after 15-30 mins...apparently anything over 5 degrees is ok but they won't eat unless it is over 12.
It seems to have worked a treat on mine through the hot weather, the only problem I had was when I put them back in the tank...temp spiking through the night caused undue stress.
I try some food every night, but mine don't eat in the fridge at 8 degrees. Someone said they could go for a number of weeks without eating, and last time mine didn't eat for over two weeks.
I just wish I hadn't put them back in the tank just yet.
The fridge is valuable for those axis with fungi (white cotton wool looking stuff) as it minimises stress from high temps and high water current. I found it much less stressful on the axis (and me) than salt baths.

 

[heihei]

You have to change the water completely each day, which is why you need the extra container or bottle if you don't hve the room.

Also, you need to put a lid on them in case they jump out of container, and also wrap it in a teatowel so there aren't any temperature fluctuations or flashes from the door light from normal fridge usage.

My sister's fridges her at 5-6 degrees, mines a little higher; but as long as it's not 4 degrees C. Either way they may not eat 8 degrees and lower, but you can offer food before you do a waterchange.

 

[jay]

She is in the fridge at 8 degree's. She is in the small tank that we bought today for her. We are kind of lucky because we have a spare fridge that we run in our laundry, so there is plenty of space to put her in there. I have read so many posts about people not being able to put their axies in the fridge because there is no room, or their parents won't let them and the likes. We will check on her first thing in the morning then, and water change and feed her tomorrow afternoon...

 

[row]

You are lucky to have a spare fridge! If you can, maybe raise the temp a little, more like 12 degrees as then they are more likely to feed (especially if they have to stay for extended visits!).

 

[jay]

The tank is at 10 degrees, she is swimming around a bit, it looks like she has eaten some of the worms from last night. I am doing a water change soon, then back into the fridge she goes.

 

[row]

As long as she is eating that it is a good sign. The last time mine went in they wouldn't eat at all, so when they came out into the tank they were quite weak and I was very worried about them. She sounds alot happier in the little tank than mine is in the tupperware!