Help! My axol wont eat!

[nemo]

I'm in Melbourne at the moment and its been really cold lately. My axol wont eat and is kind of not moving around much. I'm worried about him. Is this usual for them to go off their food and mope around when it's cold? It's only been 4 days, but he is generally a huge pig. I have tried feeding him different things such as blood worms, meal worms, sardines, beef heart which he usually scoffs down, but he isn't even interested in food.

 

[katy]

Yeah, it's pretty normal for a particularly cold period. Don't worry, they can go weeks without food if they want to! Keep on offering him different things and he'll eat when he wants to.

On the other hand, this all applies only if he doesn't have any other injuries or worries that you've noticed - if he's otherwise healthy, I wouldn't worry.

 

[nemo]

Thanks heaps!! I am still worried about him, he is usually active and the kids are upset because he isn't moving around much. Hopefully it gets warmer soon!!!

 

[kim]

Hey there,

Have you thought about maybe putting a small heater in the tank? Just for while its cold, but remember dont over heat it as they get very stressed.

Oh and make sure that you cover it up as you dont want the axie burning itself on the heater.

 

[mik]

If you put a heater in you might want to put it on it's lowest setting. Heaters in UK usually have lowest setting as 18 deg C. But axies tend to prefer it colder 14 - 18 C is quite often quoted as the best range. Anything approaching and above 24 is pretty stressy.

 

[kelly]

This is unrelated, but Mikki, are those pot plants in your tank plastic or ceramic?

 

[mik]

Ceramic pots kelly i cut bottoms off with a stihl saw...or at least one of my plumbers did anyway.

 

[miss]

Well at last Nemo started eating. After two weeks and him developing fungus, treating him and the water and popping him in the fridge (after a visit to the vet) he started eating!!!

Woohoo!!!

 

[leah]

bit unrelated- garlic oil is supposed to be an appetite stimulant, and I've used it with new fish who wouldn't eat before with success. You soak their food in it before feeding, and it's supposed to help increase their appetite. It seems to work... just wondering if anyone's heard of it or used it with axies before? Mine's eating well, but good to know for the future if he ever stops eating!

 

[miss]

Well a girl at work told me today that when he fish stop eating she crushes garlic and puts it into a stocking and dangles it into the water. also each month or so they crush some up really small and mix it with the fish food and apparently it's good for them and they love it.

Don't have any idea if it would be OK for an axie... If mine stops eating again for 2 weeks, i'll try it, LOL.

 

[chick]

I just bought my first axol and since I put him in his tank his little feathery gills have started to come of and he is not eating. I have the water at the appropriate temperature and still nothing is working. He has feeder fish (rosy barb) w/him in the tank but no activity from him. He stays behind the plant that is in there and comes out every once in a while but then goes back. What should I do? I really dont want him to die? But I'm running out of options. Getting really worried.

 

[kaysie]

Try earthworms. Not moving at all is pretty normal for adult axies. If food went right into their mouth, they would never move. How long has it been since its eaten? Sometimes they can go weeks without eating.

The barb kind of worries me. Barbs can nip at the gills of axolotls and probably dont make good feeder fish. I'm a big advocate of feeding earthworms rather than fish. Its more natural. Try getting rid of the barb and finding some worms for your axie.

 

[mik]

Chick, can u tell us some more. How long have you had him and how long since he ate? How big is he? Does he look fine apart from lethargy? Can you tell us more about the water quality?

In themeantime do as KC says. Take out the fish and try earthworms they love them. If he is only young 4-5inches or less try brine shrimp too.

Chick try and read one or tow of the help threads and see the kind of info we ask for, so we can help better,

Good luck

 

[miss]

Yeah try earthworms, mine didn't eat for almost 3 weeks and the first thing he snapped up as a huge earthworm!! All is better now and he is back to his piggy self - eating everything he sees. I hope your axie starts eating Chick!

 

[chick]

Thank you all for your help. I got her on Friday the 20th and maybe I was just being a little premature on her condition and wanting to see her eat. I just got really worried and didn't want to see her to die. Her water temperature is at 18c-65f and other than her feathery gills being gone she looks rather well. She might be getting a little skinnier too but that could just be me over-reacting again. I've been trying to read up on axies and trying to figure out how to better take care of them. So I found out it's a girl, but since friday she has still not eaten. I will most definetly try the worms though and will keep you guys posted. Thanks again for your help.

 

[mik]

Chick, For books try Amazon and there are two books by Peter Scott, the contents are almost identical so only bother with one. They are a bit dated but the information is all good.

 

[chick]

Well she finally ate! I fed her some crickets and I tried the worms but she doesn't seem to be eating them. I guess they are way to big for her to eat because she will latch on to it and then spit it back out because it won't go all the way in her mouth. I had a quick question for you guy's, How often do they usually eat? About how many times a day do you feed them? Also I have noticed that her little feathery gills are coming back. Little by little, but they are coming in pretty good.

 

[kaysie]

Are you feeding earthworms or red wigglers? My axies 100% refuse red wigglers, spit them back out. I feed mine about 3 inches of worm twice a week, usually some bloodworms in between.

 

[mik]

Try chopping up your worms into two pieces say 40mm long max.
Mine eat everyday, typically 1 worm...poor things never even touch the sides on the way down.
But i aslo try something different every few days too for variety.

 

[kerry]

Hi guys my axie was also not eating and i have picked up like so much advise.

Thanks
will try for sure.

Oh and chick i sure hope your axie starts eating, i know how worried you are.