First time axolotl mum - help

Leviathan88

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Welcome to the world baby Leviathan. We picked this little one up last weekend and it’s our first axolotl and I’ve done nothing but worry about it like a first time mother! Just after some general hints and tips in caring for the little guy/gal. We were told he’s 3month old but he’s SO SO small. Currently feeding him bloodworms (about a quarter of a block twice a day) and sometimes he eats them all and other times he doesn’t. Doing daily spot cleans to remove all poop and uneaten food. Follows all instructions on cycling etc. Doing everything I’ve read I should be doing but still worrying about him getting sick, or being unhappy or bored etc. He does come to the front a couple times a day and does a little swim routine but other than that he’s not very active. Just slow walks around the back of his tank.
 

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Welcome to the world baby Leviathan. We picked this little one up last weekend and it’s our first axolotl and I’ve done nothing but worry about it like a first time mother! Just after some general hints and tips in caring for the little guy/gal. We were told he’s 3month old but he’s SO SO small. Currently feeding him bloodworms (about a quarter of a block twice a day) and sometimes he eats them all and other times he doesn’t. Doing daily spot cleans to remove all poop and uneaten food. Follows all instructions on cycling etc. Doing everything I’ve read I should be doing but still worrying about him getting sick, or being unhappy or bored etc. He does come to the front a couple times a day and does a little swim routine but other than that he’s not very active. Just slow walks around the back of his tank.

I’m sorry but I do not know much about keeping axolotls, especially small ones like that little guy! But Leviathan is adorable! And that tank looks incredibly deluxe! Maybe make sure that he doesn’t eat too much sand? And as far as I know, axolotls usually aren’t the most active of animals. Do you have a sponge filter in the tank? If you don’t use a normal filter, sponge filters can be a pretty big help in maintaining water quality and keeping the water oxygenated. Hopefully someone more experienced than me can answer you, but I just had reply because of how adorable Leviathan is!!
 
Thank you! I’m very biased but I agree he/she is adorable! I can’t stop staring into the tank �� I did go for the sponge filter and so far it’s doing a good job. The sand thing does worry me slightly, it’s fine sand but I didn’t anticipate him/her being so small when I chose it!
 
Welcome to the world baby Leviathan. We picked this little one up last weekend and it’s our first axolotl and I’ve done nothing but worry about it like a first time mother! Just after some general hints and tips in caring for the little guy/gal. We were told he’s 3month old but he’s SO SO small. Currently feeding him bloodworms (about a quarter of a block twice a day) and sometimes he eats them all and other times he doesn’t. Doing daily spot cleans to remove all poop and uneaten food. Follows all instructions on cycling etc. Doing everything I’ve read I should be doing but still worrying about him getting sick, or being unhappy or bored etc. He does come to the front a couple times a day and does a little swim routine but other than that he’s not very active. Just slow walks around the back of his tank.

I’m sorry but I do not know much about keeping axolotls, especially small ones like that little guy! But Leviathan is adorable! And that tank looks incredibly deluxe! Maybe make sure that he doesn’t eat too much sand? And as far as I know, axolotls usually aren’t the most active of animals. Do you have a sponge filter in the tank? If you don’t use a normal filter, sponge filters can be a pretty big help in maintaining water quality and keeping the water oxygenated. Hopefully someone more experienced than me can answer you, but I just had reply because of how adorable Leviathan is!!
 
Nice name :).

As long you are keeping the water quality up to pair you should not have any issues. I personally would keep it bare bottom until gets like 5-7cm but that is just me, reason behind is sand might cause poo-poo impactions while they are this small. But after they put some size passing it will be much easier :)

Try mixing the food a bit, small axie pellets JBL ones did wonders for mine cut up in small peaces, try earth worms/red wiggles chopped in small pieces of course, and black worms.
While blood worms are food they are not the most rich one and introducing more foods will get better variety.

Keep doing what you are doing , feed , remove whats left , do frequent water changes use something like Seachem Prime for water and you should be good :)
 
Congrats on the new baby!

Did you buy or adopt this little cutie? If you bought it this small, I might question the seller. Reputable sellers don't usually sell axies until they are at least 3-4" or larger. Either way, though, axies are not super active animals and you probably don't have a reason for concern. One other note about the age/size. Size is not necessarily a reliable indicator of age. Axolotls all grow at different rates, and overall growth is largely dependent upon diet. It is possible that your axie is three months old, but it is either just a slow grower or was not given enough/ideal food for speedier growth. In either case, its growth will probably pick up if you begin giving it more varied foods with high nutritional value (earthworms, pellets, etc.).

I agree with bare bottom for smaller axies. When mine are this small, I usually keep them in bare bottom 10 gal tanks or the small plastic totes (shoebox size). If you go the small tote route, make sure to do regular water changes and clean/scrub the plastic regularly with baking soda and a sponge to remove bacteria build-up (bad for little lotl feet). The smaller tote would allow you to monitor exactly how much he is eating and would allow you to change water after feeding to prevent a mess in the main tank (from leftover food). The other option (if you don't want to remove him from the main tank or bother removing the sand from the main tank) is to add a feeding dish. I use a small glass or terra cotta dish with low sides. You can use a turkey baster to put the food into the dish for him. Eating from the dish will reduce chances of stirring up and ingesting sand while feeding. This is generally a good practice for aquarium hygiene as well because it makes it easier to clean up uneaten food.

I agree with suggestions above about varying food and cleaning/water changes. The tank looks nice with plenty of hides. My only other suggestion would be to make sure your water temperature stays in the proper range year-round. I didn't see any mention of a chiller or anything in your post. Axies should have water temps 60-65 F (~16-18 C). Depending on your climate and the location of the tank in the house, you may need to invest in a chiller. Most common axie illnesses come from poor nutrition or poor water quality/temps. They can easily develop bacterial or fungal infections if the water is too warm.

Good luck with your new baby! Leucistics are my favorite!
 
So with it being this small at 3 months, if it is three months old, then you might want to question if it is a dwarf axie, the dwarf axies come from bad breeding. Dwarf axies grow slower and don't grow to full size/ aren't proportional at full size.
 
Thank you for your comments!

We bought him off a local breeder. We visiting he house and had no real cause for concern, but as I’m new to this I guess I couldn’t really tell a good breeder from a bad!
I have started crushing pellets up and mixing these into the worms (onto a small plate so he’s not eating too much sand) and he loves it! He’s eating much more regular now and even appears more active! Starting to spend more time at the front of the tank and swimming a little more. The weathers quite warm here at the moment but the water is staying a a steady 18, it’s something we’re keeping an eye on and have frozen water bottles at the ready incase it goes any higher. I’m slowly learning not to worry too much :)
 
Sounds like a great plan with the food!

The frozen water bottles are good in an emergency situation, but rapid temp fluctuations can be even more stressful than just a-smidge-too-warm water at a steady temp. The chillers can be expensive, but it depends on your tank size.

I’m a firm believer of automating herp habitats to make sure they stay consistent and appropriate. So I definitely do this with my lotl tanks!

Many people probably keep their axolotls without chillers, but this runs a risk of fungal and bacterial infections if your house gets warmer in the summer.

Just some food for thought. Perhaps worth looking into.

So glad he/she is eating better! Should hopefully pick up growth rates quickly then. In my experience, once you transition juvies to chopped earthworms, they start growing like crazy! Baby babies grow fast on brine shrimp, but the in-between stage for small juvies can be tough bc they get too big for baby brine shrimp to work well, but frozen bloodworms are not as nutritious as the shrimp or earthworms.

Glad he is swimming around more. My main axis tank is like a mesmerizing lava lamp as they swim around. I sit and stare at them... so relaxing!
 
I’ll get on to the chiller thing! We don’t get majorly hot weather over here but don’t want him getting stressed! Any recommendations for chillers? It’s a 55l tank at the moment but will be looking to get a bigger one when he’s bigger.

Thanks again :)
 
If you don't want to get a chiller an aquarium fan will drop it about 3 degrees or so, and you can get them really cheap on ebay. My one is still going strong 5 years later! The only downsides is it creates a little bit of a current, and evaporates the water faster.
Having no lid, or a mesh lid, will also keep the temps cool :)
Leviathan is super super cute btw!
 
Also, I was looking into getting some shrimp or something to help keep the tank clean. Any advice on this? What type is the best? Am I best leaving them out until Leviathan is bigger?
 
Thank you! He is cute ain’t he?! Going to invest in the fans after doing some research! Don’t think we’ll get weather hot enough to require a chiller. Plus he’s positioned out the way of sunlight
 
Axolotls are not very active animals, so activity level is not a very good indicator of health. A healthy axolotl has fluffy or feathery-looking gills and a smooth, even tail. When stressed by current or high temperatures, the gills tend to turn forward, the tip of the tail may bend and the axolotl will likely refuse food or be unable to chew it/keep it in. In poor water conditions, the gills tend to deteriorate, the tail tends to erode, and the skin may get irritated red patches or cottony white patches. Those are the things you want to look for.

Regarding food, it's normal for your axolotl to go off his food for some time after a binge. He needs time to digest all of those bloodworms! Adult axolotls do well on a diet of one nightcrawler every other day. You'll know your axolotl has had enough to eat when his belly gets roughly as large as its head. At this age, eating once a day is fine. As they get older, they get fussier and that's usually a sign that you can start spacing meals out a little more.

As others have mentioned, if your axie is still this small after 3 months, he must be the runt of the litter. It doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong with him genetically -- maybe his siblings were just better at catching the food, or maybe he's had to devote energy to regrowing limbs at some point. Without competition, he may start to grow really fast. Give it a month or so, and if he hasn't grown much, we can start to look at possible causes.

Finally, keeping him on sand is not a great idea at this size -- he'll definitely be swallowing some of it, so you want to make sure it doesn't cause a blockage. Removing the sand from your aquarium would be a nightmare, so I would recommend keeping the little guy in a plastic tub for a couple weeks, just to give him a chance to get bigger before moving him back to the tank again. You can use one of the "omni" clear plastic totes from the dollar store and float it in the aquarium if you like.
 
Hope your little one is doing well! Is Leviathan starting to grow for you? Hayleyyy is correct about the fan dropping it about 3 degrees. I tried this route early on with my axolotls, but the fluctuations just made me nervous. Living in Texas, our temps can swing quite a bit from day to night, and summer is just a bear on A/C. Even with the A/C in the house and the fans on the tank, it would creep up into the high 70s in the summer and that really worried me... so I went ahead and opted for the chiller so that I wouldn't have to be worrying about it constantly. I've tried 3 different chillers and the best one I have found so far is the Active Aqua Chiller. I ordered mine from Amazon. There are several sizes available for different size tanks.
 
He’s doing great! He’s still eating well and we’ve even starting chopping up tiny bits of earthworms for him and he loves that! He’s grown roughly about 0.5cm since I posted this originally. Is that about average? Or should he be growing a little quicker?
 
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