Illness/Sickness: Floating at an angle and swimming on its side...help?

[leftycurse]

I have had two baby axies for two weeks (one wild, one Lucy). Tuesday morning when I checked on them, the Lucy was floating at the top of the tank above the canister filter. I turned the filter off for a little while because I thought it might be having trouble swimming against the current. My fiancé came home to check on them a few hours later, and moved them both out of the tank to a bucket. They were both doing a lot of floating at that point, and I thought they might be gassy, so we didn't feed them Tuesday evening.

Yesterday evening, we fed them. The wild one ate and seemed to be acting normal, so we moved him back to the tank. He is still acting normal. The Lucy was swimming around completely on its side. I thought maybe since the bucket isn't clear it was disoriented, and moved it to a clear container. In the clear container, it seemed to right itself a little bit, but is still swimming and floating at an angle. I moved it to a smaller container and put it in the fridge, because I think it's constipated. It's been in the fridge for about 12 hours and hasn't pooped yet.

Am I on the right track, or is there something else I should try? Do I need to try to find a vet to take it to? This is my first time having any kind of aquatic/amphibious animal, so I'm at a loss.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Lower the water level so it can upright itself on all fours.

What are the water parameters???

 

[leftycurse]

Lower the water level so it can upright itself on all fours.

What are the water parameters???

Yesterday evening, it seemed to be leveling itself out. I did lower the water level in the tub when I did the water change. I haven’t been checking the water in the tub, as I’m doing a 100% water change every day.

In the tank, the water is 64 F, ammonia was between 0 and 0.25, nitrates/nitrites 0. I do a 20-30% water change once a week. The wild is back in the tank and it’s doing fine.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Yesterday evening, it seemed to be leveling itself out. I did lower the water level in the tub when I did the water change. I haven’t been checking the water in the tub, as I’m doing a 100% water change every day.

In the tank, the water is 64 F, ammonia was between 0 and 0.25, nitrates/nitrites 0. I do a 20-30% water change once a week. The wild is back in the tank and it’s doing fine.

Some are going to be more sensitive to water conditions than others and it seems that your tank may not be cycled.

 

[leftycurse]

Some are going to be more sensitive to water conditions than others and it seems that your tank may not be cycled.

I’m going to assume it isn’t, as I didn’t have a lot of time to get it set up before the seller wanted me to come get the lotls. I didn’t know some could be more sensitive than others, so thanks for that.

 

[wolfen]

make sure that the water is highly oxygenated and also kept cold 60°f and colder if possible above 50°f as lower than that and they will become sluggish, fridging should only be used if there are no other options as the cold temperatures can cause organ shut down, if you have an empty fridge that can be used just for axolotls then it can be set to the warmest level which will allow them to keep cool be not cause organ failure.
even if you have high ph your free ammonia level is very low (even if your ph is 8.4 tan at 0.25ppm and temp at 64°f your free ammonia is still only 0.0191 which is quite safe)
nitrites at any level can be harmful, obviously higher being worst.
a few things will cause an axolotl to float, bad water parameters.. this can be anything from incorrect nitrogen compound levels to high temperatures. this also involves gulping air due to a lack of water oxygenation.
food related issues... this can be caused by feeding hard pellets and also gas build up due to constipation.
unlike fish axolotls don't have a swim bladder so they can't control themselves if they end up floating, this can cause them to float front up, tail up, on the side and even on their backs.
when an axolotl is floating all the time then it will need tubbing in cold dechlorinated water which is changed at the minimum of every 24hrs with the tub scrubbed clean, the water needs to just cover them allowing their feet to rest on the bottom, air stones should be used in the water to allow for oxygenation.
it is not advisable to have an axolotl in the tank unless it has been cycled, this is done to ensure that the filtration can cope not only with the waste given off whilst they are young but also once they are adults.
it is very important to have a full range of tests done with the water not just ammonia/nitrite and temperature.

 

[leftycurse]

make sure that the water is highly oxygenated and also kept cold 60°f and colder if possible above 50°f as lower than that and they will become sluggish, fridging should only be used if there are no other options as the cold temperatures can cause organ shut down, if you have an empty fridge that can be used just for axolotls then it can be set to the warmest level which will allow them to keep cool be not cause organ failure.
even if you have high ph your free ammonia level is very low (even if your ph is 8.4 tan at 0.25ppm and temp at 64°f your free ammonia is still only 0.0191 which is quite safe)
nitrites at any level can be harmful, obviously higher being worst.
a few things will cause an axolotl to float, bad water parameters.. this can be anything from incorrect nitrogen compound levels to high temperatures. this also involves gulping air due to a lack of water oxygenation.
food related issues... this can be caused by feeding hard pellets and also gas build up due to constipation.
unlike fish axolotls don't have a swim bladder so they can't control themselves if they end up floating, this can cause them to float front up, tail up, on the side and even on their backs.
when an axolotl is floating all the time then it will need tubbing in cold dechlorinated water which is changed at the minimum of every 24hrs with the tub scrubbed clean, the water needs to just cover them allowing their feet to rest on the bottom, air stones should be used in the water to allow for oxygenation.
it is not advisable to have an axolotl in the tank unless it has been cycled, this is done to ensure that the filtration can cope not only with the waste given off whilst they are young but also once they are adults.
it is very important to have a full range of tests done with the water not just ammonia/nitrite and temperature.

My pH is 6.5. I am going to take my axie out the fridge and try to return it to the tank.

 

[wolfen]

your ph is way to low, as it is even if you tried cycling the tank it would just stall, it is also not ideal for axolotls either.
by the looks of it I would say that you have soft water, axolotls need slight brackish moderate to hard water.
use holtfreters or modified holtfreters (I will include a link.. Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity), until you can get all the chemicals required in the mean time add bicarbonate of soda over a period of a few days until the ph gets to 7.4 - 7.6 so as not to shock your axolotls by raising the ph to fast.
what is the tap water ph.

 

[leftycurse]

your ph is way to low, as it is even if you tried cycling the tank it would just stall, it is also not ideal for axolotls either.
by the looks of it I would say that you have soft water, axolotls need slight brackish moderate to hard water.
use holtfreters or modified holtfreters (I will include a link.. Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity), until you can get all the chemicals required in the mean time add bicarbonate of soda over a period of a few days until the ph gets to 7.4 - 7.6 so as not to shock your axolotls by raising the ph to fast.
what is the tap water ph.

I haven’t tested our tap water since I started the tank, but if I remember correctly it was pretty close to 7.0. Last time I tested, the GH was 180 and I think the KH was 80.

 

[wolfen]

with the kh being 80 and the gh being 180 am I right in thinking that this was done using strip tests? as drop tests measure in degrees for which your kh is 4.46° and your gh is 10.05°,
your kh (carbonate hardness) is low and would explain why your ph is dropping. your gh is low to moderate and shows that there are some minerals ie.. calcium/magnesium in the water (most likely calcium).
for an accurate reading liquid tests are preferred.
in the holtfreter/modified solutions in the info I included I think on the readings as given johns solution would be the easiest to use in your water, although using the same as the author of the information would cover all bases as it will also help deter fungul issues and also help protect them from nitrite.
further information.. Water Quality Explained: How It Can Affect Your Axolotl's Health - WSAVA 2015 Congress - VIN https://ambystoma.uky.edu/genetic-s...Issues-1-12/archive/Issue 3/09-16brothers.pdf https://ambystoma.uky.edu/genetic-s...ive/Issues-1-12/archive/Issue 11/24-26fox.pdf

 

[leftycurse]

I made some John’s solution and put it in the tank last night. The Lucy went back in the tank last night too, because it was staying on the bottom leveled out and had pooped. It ate some bloodworms last night, this morning it was floating above the filter again. It is trying to keep itself down. It was wedging itself underneath the filter and the flowerpot to try to stay down. I put it back in an isolation tub.

 

[wolfen]

I made some John’s solution and put it in the tank last night. The Lucy went back in the tank last night too, because it was staying on the bottom leveled out and had pooped. It ate some bloodworms last night, this morning it was floating above the filter again. It is trying to keep itself down. It was wedging itself underneath the filter and the flowerpot to try to stay down. I put it back in an isolation tub.

have you got air stones in the tank?

 

[leftycurse]

have you got air stones in the tank?

I do not. I didn’t get any because I thought that would be too much water movement for the axies. Should I get one?

 

[wolfen]

I do not.

make sure you have air stones in the water, good oxygenation is required by axolotls and filtration.
if there isn't enough oxygen in the water axolotls will gulp air at the surface, if the axolotl doesn't manage to purge the air that it has swallowed (normally with a burp) the air will then get stuck and cause it to float.