Floating Axolotl

[corbinsg]

Hi!
I’m looking for some support in an axolotl I rescued. She’s got pretty severe gill degeneration, but some of her frilling is coming back. She also has some skin discoloration/burns that I think are water quality related. She was floating in the tank when we picked her up, and we fridged her for two days and she was passing a lot of waste. When we transferred her into her new tank today she immediately began floating nearly vertically and seems to really be struggling to stay horizontal unless something is holding specifically her tail down. Her water parameters are fine. I’ve been doing daily water checks to ensure it isn’t that. I’m wondering if I should try fridging her again? She hasn’t eaten anything, and her previous owner said she hadn’t eaten anything in awhile, and they gave her pellets as her main source of food. They said she turned her nose up at earthworms.
The substrate they had was fine sand with nothing in the tank she couldve swallowed, and we have sand as her substrate now. I’m just worried about her, she doesn’t seem comfortable and is moving around quite a lot I think to find a spot where her bum isn’t floating.
She’s also gasped for air at the top of the tank at least three times in the past 30 minutes. We have a sponge filter that bubbles a bit.
She’s a full grown adult - about 7 years old.
Any advice is helpful!

 

[wolfen]

although air-filters use and produce bubbles the oxygen saturation is low, using an air-stone which produces fine bubbles is one of the best ways to oxygenate the water.
use 2g/l non-iodised salt in the water (this will help with gill/filament growth as well as protecting and healing) although 50% holtfreters + 0.1g/l magnesium sulphate would be better.
because of the stress of floating tubbing in shallow water (shallow enough that her feet touch the floor) would be less stressful.
make sure that the water in the tank (or tub) is cold to reduce floating.
when using sand make sure to regularly turn it over to prevent oxygen dead spots and toxic gas build up.
hard pellets have been known to cause floating issues.
using blacked out jars etc.. can help if an axolotl is prone to floating, this is because an axolotl will use the jar to prevent it floating to the surface until the air is expelled.
try feeding frozen food ie.. bloodworm, krill, mysis, brineshrimp, chopped cockle/mussel, chopped freshwater prawns, always feed a varied balanced diet.
holtfreters etc.. Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity
water levels etc.. Water Quality Explained: How It Can Affect Your Axolotl's Health - WSAVA 2015 Congress - VIN

 

[Egghead]

What is the temperature of the tank. Gasping at air frequently can be a sign of high ammonia, high temps and stress. Also what is the params?