Very small axie

[louise]

Hello all,
I am new to this site and would like a bit of advice on floating- I`m really sorry I know this subject is always being listed and I have read some of the past threads. I have a very young axie (less than 2 inches long) which was given to me by a friend who breeds them (he is away on holiday for 2 weeks).
Initially my axie was sharing a 3 foot tank with two young sharp ribbed newts- separated by a tank divider. There is a good external filter and spray bar on this tank, and as I`ve kept fish before I know to check the water quality- all was ok, pH was at 7.8 which I know is a little high for axies. Anyhow we had a bit of warm weather a week ago and he started floating, so I transfered him into his own plastic box with an air stone- changing the water every day. He sunk after a couple of days, I kept him in the box anyway in case it was some illness he could pass on to my newts, and then over the weekend he started floating again and is still floating, even though I was putting in frozen bottles of water to keep the temperature down (as it was 19C). He is still eating (living blood worm/daphnia/white worm/ brine shrimp). After reading the threads I have gathered that the best thing to do is put hime in the fridge (above 5C), with lid and teatowel around the box.

My main concern was that as my axie is so young will he be able to take the cold and will it stress him out even more?
Thank you

 

[kapo]

We put a 3inch axie in the fridge, with no probs. The cold will slow their metabolism down.

Lower the water in the container so it is above its top fin and feet are resting on the bottom; so they don't float. This will also help him to destress and allow whatever might be wrong with him a chance to heal (or just cool down from fluctuating temperatures).

He may not eat while in the fridge, and will most probably throw up whatever food is in its gut as well as poo within first few days.