Juveniles (2 months old): massive floating

[Murgebas]

Hello, everybody.

I have about 40 young axolotls (about two month old). Untill now the rearing process seemed to go really well, only few had died (the initially weak), but now strange things started to show up suddenly. More and more of them started to float in the surface, leaning on one side. They also do corcsrew swimming time to time.

I keep them in plastic containers and change water 100 percent every day. I didn't change anything, it is the same water, same food (frozen bloodworms, once a day) and same plastic containers... I started to feel that I'm gonna loose them all, If won't stop this tendency.

What do you think could be the reason? Can I do something to change this patter?

 

[Kaysie]

Juveniles usually float because they're not getting enough food.

Also, bloodworms lack calcium. If they're big enough, you should try feeding them chunks of earthworms.

 

[Murgebas]

Hm, so I should feed them twice a day?

What about daphnia? It maybe kinda difficult to find earthworm, since it is quite cold in my country.

 

[Kaysie]

Daphnia magna are good if you have enough to culture. But if you don't have any daphnia, just try feeding them more.

 

[Murgebas]

Thank you very much for your answers. I fed them more yesterday, and today significantly less of them are floating.

Another question concerning daphnia... I don't have a possibility to culture them, but what about dried daphnia?

 

[Kaysie]

Freeze dried / dried foods are void of any nutritional value.

Culturing daphnia is fairly simple. Have you tried, or do you lack the space for it?

Have you thought about ordering worms online? Or purchasing them from a pet store or a bait shop?