Question: Person who can grow my axie needed

[Jawdoss]

HI, strange title, i know.

But heres the story, some people might not agree with this, however i need help. My axie is smaller then its sister. Its front left leg is always pushed into his side, and he never uses it. I have trouble getting him to eat, and he is fairly skinny.

Is there anyone here that could help me with getting my axolotl to eat?
I feed it worms and pellets, but how can i make it grow and fatten up?
Whats a food that fattens them up, where can i get that?

Is it possible that anyone in Australia, Gold Coast, would look after my axie and until its bigger, and then return him to me, so the bigger tank mates don't pick on him? Im having trouble getting it to eat, and the other axie 2-3cm bigger picks on it.

Any idea, please help me

 

[auntiejude]

You need to separate your axies if there is conflict - it could be stress causing him to lose his appetite. Try a large plastic tub, or find a 2nd hand tank or a divider.

You can't make an axie grow - you can only give it the right conditions and nutrition and hope for the best - it could be he is just genetically smaller. Worms and pellets are the right food.

You said there is 2-3cm difference, how big are they? If the are 7 and 10cm I can see how there may be a problem, but 15 and 18cm shouldn't be too bad.

I had an baby axie (8cm) in a mixed tank and he refused to eat, became very skinny and almost died. I put him in a 5L container on his own and he perked up in days, has put on another 2cm in 3 weeks and is almost caught up with his siblings. I'm convinced it was the flow from the filter and the fact that he was intimidated (not necessarily bullied) by his slightly bigger siblings that caused this. He's doing fine on his own, and I will be reintroducing him to the pack in another week or 2.

 

[Jawdoss]

You need to separate your axies if there is conflict - it could be stress causing him to lose his appetite. Try a large plastic tub, or find a 2nd hand tank or a divider.

You can't make an axie grow - you can only give it the right conditions and nutrition and hope for the best - it could be he is just genetically smaller. Worms and pellets are the right food.

You said there is 2-3cm difference, how big are they? If the are 7 and 10cm I can see how there may be a problem, but 15 and 18cm shouldn't be too bad.

I had an baby axie (8cm) in a mixed tank and he refused to eat, became very skinny and almost died. I put him in a 5L container on his own and he perked up in days, has put on another 2cm in 3 weeks and is almost caught up with his siblings. I'm convinced it was the flow from the filter and the fact that he was intimidated (not necessarily bullied) by his slightly bigger siblings that caused this. He's doing fine on his own, and I will be reintroducing him to the pack in another week or 2.

Okay, Tomorrow i will put him in his own tank (2 foot). the filter is cycling now, should i move him in there by himself? WIll that do, or too big?

 

[auntiejude]

How big are your axies? IMHO no tank is ever too big, but a filter can be too powerful if the axies are small.

 

[Jawdoss]

How big are your axies? IMHO no tank is ever too big, but a filter can be too powerful if the axies are small.

The small one is 14cm and the big one is 16.5cm almost 17cm. They are in a 4 ft tank with a 600L/hour filter.

The tank i will move him to is 2 foot, and he will have no jet powered filter (its a sponge filter). Do you think that will work?

So all i need to do is put him in another tank, by himself, feed him and wait till he gets bigger?

 

[auntiejude]

I can't understand why 2 axies of that size and with that much space are having conflict issues. TBH I'm not sure that size parity would solve the problem, and I'm a little confused as to what the problem may be. With a 4ft tank you should be able to separate them for feeding so there are no issues there with competition for food, axies don't get territorial and they generally aren't bothered about gender or competition for mates.

But I would still say separating them is the best option for now - regardless of the cause of the problem.

Maybe others have different opinions?

 

[layna]

As a very temporary fattener, wax worms or black worms will work, but earthworms are the best an axie can get
Try feeding a little more?
An axies tummy should be as wide as his head, if not they need feeding more.

There shouldnt be any problem in your tank unless they are not being fed enough, then they can get snappy!
You say your cycling a 2 foot tank, but it wont cycle overnight with no ammonia, so this leads me to think you might not have cycled the tank theyre currently in.
What are your water readings?

 

[Bellabelloo]

Could you add a photo of the axolotl that you have concerns about?

Axolotl will grow at different rates so this may be the cause. If you are concerned about the smaller one not getting food, then separate it for a period of time so you can monitor what is going on more closely. Offer earthworms daily and keep cool. .

 

[Jawdoss]

You say your cycling a 2 foot tank, but it wont cycle overnight with no ammonia, so this leads me to think you might not have cycled the tank theyre currently in.
What are your water readings?

I recently had an axolotl that was sick. So i set up a 2 foot tank about a week ago incase i needed to put it in there (I ended up putting him in the fridge him anyway). So the filter has been running for about 5-6 days. It has about 4 guppies in it, but i will take them over when moving the baby into it. So its well and truly cycled.

 

[Jawdoss]

Could you add a photo of the axolotl that you have concerns about?

Axolotl will grow at different rates so this may be the cause. If you are concerned about the smaller one not getting food, then separate it for a period of time so you can monitor what is going on more closely. Offer earthworms daily and keep cool. .

Sure, Should have posted them at the start, my bad.

 

[Jadore axolotl]

In your second picture your axolotl seems to be acting like mine was last week with his leg.

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...ick-axolotl/95324-legs-stuck-behind-back.html

My axolotl Bud has now started using both legs again and is fine. Although unlike you I have had no trouble getting my axolotl to eat and he was fine other than his legs.

Hmm just realising I am not really helping unless the fact that my axolotl was okay after a week comforts you to know but more asking is your axolotl acting like mine was with his front legs? Would really interest me to know as I still have no idea what was causing Bud not to use his legs.

 

[HayleyK]

So the filter has been running for about 5-6 days. So its well and truly cycled.

Some tanks take months to cycle. Just because there's a filter and some fish in there doesn't make it "well and truly cycled". When you get the correct readings I.e. Ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates under 40 - then you have a cycled tank

 

[Jawdoss]

Tried feeding my axie today, and she still wont eat at all. I'm affriad he isn't going to make it, from lack of food. I have tried pellets, live fish, live shrimp, live and blanched earth worms, and he wont eat anything at all.

What do i do?

 

[Alkylhalide]

Something is stressing him out. What are the tank readings? Ammonia nitrite, nitrate? And thr temperture and ph.

 

[Jawdoss]

Something is stressing him out. What are the tank readings? Ammonia nitrite, nitrate? And thr temperture and ph.

ph 6.0
nitrite 3
nitrate 40
Ammonia, between 0.0 - 1.0

I forgot to record the gh and the kh

 

[Kaysie]

Your nitrite is terrifyingly high. You need to do drastic water changes immediately.

 

[Jawdoss]

Your nitrite is terrifyingly high. You need to do drastic water changes immediately.

What should it be? and what does it effect?

Nitrite is 1 or 2 (hard to tell), not three sorry, I'm using dipsticks and they are a bit dodgy, i just did another test
and nitrate is 40

 

[Kaysie]

It should be 0. Your water parameters should be Ammonia: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: Less than 40ppm.

It affects oxygen attachment to hemoglobin. Basically, nitrite poisoning suffocates aquatic animals. Anything higher than 0 should set off serious alarm bells, and you need to do immediate, drastic changes.

If that was my tank and my axolotl, I would have literally dropped everything on the floor, grabbed a net and taken it straight out of the tank and put it into a bowl of fresh water. This is a serious, life threatening issue.

 

[Jawdoss]

It should be 0. Your water parameters should be Ammonia: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: Less than 40ppm.

It affects oxygen attachment to hemoglobin. Basically, nitrite poisoning suffocates aquatic animals. Anything higher than 0 should set off serious alarm bells, and you need to do immediate, drastic changes.

If that was my tank and my axolotl, I would have literally dropped everything on the floor, grabbed a net and taken it straight out of the tank and put it into a bowl of fresh water. This is a serious, life threatening issue.

so is there anything specific that could cause this?

 

[Kaysie]

Not doing water changes.