My Black Axolotl wont eat. Should I worry?

[rheann]

My black Axolotl hasn't eaten anything in a while. He ate a little bit day before yesterday, I just thought mabye he was really full. I am starting to worry. he wont eat the pellets, and he wont eat the earth worms. My white Axolotl will eat the worms, and he will eat the pellets too, my wild Axie is doing just fine too. my black one yesterday tried to eat, but he just kept spitting the food out. Now today he wont even do that. I don't want him to die, I am hoping he isn't going to, it would kill me, he's part of my family, and I hate it when animals suffer. he is in the fidge right now. What should I do? He doesn't seem to have any other problems, other than he really likes to sleep at the surface, my white one does this sometimes, my wild Axolotl never does. Shoud lI try different food and what kind? I feel so bad for him. Poor thing.... other than not eating, he is active, and healthy looking.

 

[anne-marie]

Rheann, axies do go off their food sometimes.

But,
1) Test the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels. This will allay any doubts over water quality.

2) How often are you feeding? How big is he?
If this one of the recent axies you have had in. he may be a little stressed adjusting to the new tank.

 

[rheann]

Hi Anne

I am keeping him in a small two gallon tank, with water changes twice a day, he isn't in the main tank yet, as I want to make sure he is healthy before I put him in with Mr. Nibbles, my wild type Axolotl. He is about 4 inches or a little longer, I can't get him to hold still to measure him. I try and feed him twice a day, a few pellets or a chunk of earth worm, pellets in the morning, earthworms at night. yesterday he just kept spitting them out, even the earthworms. I think he's stressed, and I am so worried for him. Should I put him in the big tank with Mr. Nibbles? would it make him relax or make things worse? I was planning to put him in the tank in about two weeks or less. I just my black Axie and the white one a few days ago, on Friday. He was eating fine at first, now he just wont. I hope he will be all right. I can't stand to see him like this.

 

[anne-marie]

4 inches isn't very big and I think he will be fine in the 2 gallon tank with regular water changes. I'm actually thinking twice a day water changes is too much, but that's only from my experience. I only ever did once a day changes. I only ever fed once a day too! Give him a couple of days before you start to worry too much. Like some people, maybe he just isn't the greedy type?

 

[rheann]

Thanks Anne

I will keep you posted on his conditon, I will start feeding him once a day, so I only have to do water changes once a day, that could be what is stressing him out. He might be bigger than four inches, I wish he would hold still so I could measure him silly thing

Hopefully he will eat soon. My white Axie eats once a day, sometimes twice a day, but I think he would prefere only once a day. Thanks for your helpful advise. Hope to see some improvement with him by tomorrow.

 

[joan]

Yeah, once a day is adequate, and sometimes they'll go off food, maybe for weeks at a time. Don't freak out. Its okay unless they start to look anorexic.

 

[cynthia]

Rheann - Don't worry if it skips a day or two. It just took a trip across the country, is probably eating more than it was before and perhaps having different foods than it has had before.

One of my young ones seemed to be a little constipated for a while, and a couple of times it did not eat for 2 or 3 days. Then passed a giant poo and was starving

They don't all eat the same amounts or as often. My 3 young ones are still eating twice a day. I don't feed them until they are stuffed, they get a small worm in the morning and a few pellets at night. The black one usually skips its pellets in the evening maybe eating 1. The other two will eat 3 or 4 and appear willing to take more but I limit them.

Since yours are in small containers (as are mine) sometimes you have to change the water more than once a day. If the water is getting too warm or they have the messy poo water changing is necessary.

 

[rheann]

Thanks Cynthia

I didn't know Axies could get constipated. I was thinking maybe that's what's wrong with my Axolotls. He was kept in an aquarium with small gravel with other Axolotls. Maybe he is trying to pass a stone or something, i hope it passes ok.he was eating all right when I first got him, I noticed he really hasn't pooed much since I got him, and he hasn't pood at all in the last two days now that I think about it, or at least I couldn't tell if he did, there wasn't anything at the bottom but his uneaten pellets. I didn't take the following picture, the person I ordered him from did and emailed it to me. As you can see, there is gravel in the tank he is held in. If it is a rock blockage, what should I do? Will the gravel pass on its own? I'll change the water 2 -3 times a day, and I will keep offering him food. I will see how it goes the next few days. I'm really worried for him.

 

[cynthia]

You don't need to change the water that often unless you need to; full of messy droppings, or too warm.

If he has eaten a rock it sometimes takes a while to work it out. When Jude swallowed a rather large stone she puked it up rather than passed it. Do not panic if you see the axolotl gagging hard over and over again. It is scary to see but all of Judes gagging was followed by a large rock popping out.

Just try not to worry and keep an eye on it. You only need to offer it food when you are feeding the others. If it refuses to eat don't leave the food in the container. You need to know when it eats and you don't want the pellets laying about in the water.

Remember axolotls can go quite a long time with out eating.

I like how the axolotls are all lined up in that picture

Grimace is a very pretty color.

(Message edited by cynorita on June 14, 2005)

 

[heather]

If he is still in the fridge he shouldn't be hungry anyways. The cold slows down his metabolism and well he wont be as hungry.
Take him out of the fridge, if you haven't already and then see how hungry he is.
If he still isnt hungry, dont worry about it!(though i am very happy to see yet another very concerned parent on the forum)
get those water tests done and keep an eye out for any puking!

toodles, heather

 

[rheann]

Thanks Cynthia, Thanks Heather

so far he still isn't eating, so if I happen to see him gagging, or find a large rock in the little container, I'll know what happened

I have better news though, he tried to eat again this morming, but spat his food out again. I always put 3 pellets in the water and wait to see if he will eat them then I remove them later. I always drop them by his face so he knows they are there, and When I do, he snaps at air, or spits them out. Hmm... Have to see how it goes. I had him in the fridge last night, I took him out very early this morning. I put him in the fridge last night when he wouldn't eat because i thought he was sick. I manage to keep his water pretty cool, and clean, but then again he isn't pooing right now either. Thanks again guys, I'll let you know how he is

 

[cynthia]

I don't think it needs put in the fridge. It sounds like it is acting just like my white one that was constipated. Just give it some time.

 

[rheann]

Thanks Cynthia

 

[helen]

I've just bought an axie. Never had one before and I got the works - temp control and filters and everything - but it won't eat. I've had it for over a month and it only ate once (at least that I know of) in that time. I tried leaving food in a dish a couple times just in case the scare factor was putting it off but it never looked like it ate any even though I gave it a few hours or even overnight/whole day a few times. Its still moves around though. I've got the temp thing set to 18C like I've been told although the other temp gauage has been saying more like 20/21C. No way I can lower the temp without it being too cold and flucuating all over the place. I've tried fresh beef heart/liver/kidney, fish meal, axie pellets and frozen bloodworms. The time he did eat, it was small pieces of beef liver on a skewer but its a bit hard to skewer bloodworms! Tried using tweezers but makes no difference. Hes a fairly small fella though (about 15cm) - is it possible he just doesn't need more food yet?

HELP Please!

 

[cynthia]

Helen - Try feeding it earthworm sections, or if you can find them a whole small earthworm.

Do you have gravel that is small enough it could of swallowed some?

How long has your tank been set up?
Have you tested the water for ammonia and nitrites?


(Message edited by cynorita on June 22, 2005)

 

[halszka]

If he's on his lonesome you might have to hand feed him all the time. Try some frozen stuff - beefheart (here it comes in prefrozen little squares at pet shops) or prawn flesh. Let it defrost a little and then it's easy to skewer with a skewer and easy for your axie to take it off the stick.

 

[rheann]

Hi Halszka

Grimace is doing very well now. He eats very now and eagerly begs for food. He really loves to eat the earthworms which I feed both by hand and in a feeding dish along with the IU Axolotl pellets. They're great! I also feed them crickets once a week as a treat, and i am also thinking of trying the prawn flesh as a story very close to me sells them. I am thinking of trying shrimp as well, the big kind. Are these safe to feed to Axies? Should I feed the prawns cooked or raw, and the shrimp cooked or raw? Thanks for your help