Why is he floating?

[emily]

Last night i came home from work. I heard a splash. went to see what was going on, Sammy was sitting almost on top of the filter with his head poking slightly out the water. It looked cute and i didnt think much of it as i know they sometimes like to breathe air.

Well this morning i got up and he was floating on the surface, i wasnt sure what on earth for. I poked him (yes I'm mean) and he swam down to the bottom again. I went out for a few hours came home and he was floating again. I poked him again but he didnt move, eventually i got him to go to the bottom again. He stayed on the bottom for most of the day until just now when he's up near the filter again right in its stream (while hanging on to the filter so he's not blown away).

I was just wondering what could make him want to float. I swear i have the laziest axie that never swims around the tank. He did a little exercise today with the swimming (crashing into the glass-obviously due to lack of experience

)

I checked the water. Temp 21*C, Nitrate between 10 and 20, Nitrite 0, Ammonia 0, pH 7.6.

I read other posts saying that they sometimes float when they need to poo, but it doesnt look like that in this case. He does however spit up some air bubbles when he's on the floor. He's been eating normally. When he is floating he's not tipping to one side, and he's always holding onto something in order to float eg, filter, plants etc.

Am I just being paranoid??
Cheers

 

[joan]

It was probably floating because it'd taken a big gulp of air. Mine do this all the time. After they spit it out, they sink again. The constipation float is just the back end.

 

[emily]

ok, thats what i thought too. I was just worried cos i have had him for over a year and he has never really done that before. He's still doing it today, but i think he'll be ok, its not like he's tipping to one side or anything. Thanks for your help

 

[mary]

Hi there, I would like to say that my new baby axie has only ever sunk a few times in his wee life. He lives at the top all the time- tipping frequently and folding one wee leg over like he has had a stroke( often at night) very occasionally he actually sinks and i think horray he is normal but it never lasts. he is a dear wee man and loves eating.I have lots of high structures for him now so he can place his legs on things! I have mainly given up worrying about it now. His sister doesn't float and never has! wierd.

 

[emil]

My axolotl began floating and looking a little strange (he looked like he was losing his balance, and was holding his limbs close to his sides, never using them to support himself) The vet told me to feed him earthworms, and guess what? Within minutes he floated to the bottom and started looking more active. He is now standing on his legs and walking around again. I think he may have had trouble digesting axolotl pellets as he often floated to the surface after feeding and this got worse and worse till he was floating all of the time. I had to buy earthworms from a garden supplier as the ones in our garden were too big for him.

 

[kapo]

Emil, if they are too big you can cut them in pieces. Also, can be cut lengthways but I've never done this.

 

[emil]

Thanks Kapo.
In fact it has been such a hot, dry summer here in Melbourne taht you just about have to dig out a swimming pool sized hole before you find one worm. We're actually setting up a worm farm from the box of worms I bought so hopefully I won't need to go shopping again!