Illness/Sickness: Unhappy upside down Axolotl

[Grumpy]

I rescued this Axolotl from a pet shop towards the end of 2012, she had buoyancy issues and had been regularly attacked by other Axolotls. Over time her limbs grew back but she spent her entire life floating upside down on the surface. I took her to a vet but that was a waste of time. I tried fridging with no success so I put a piece of slate across the top of her tank just under the water this stops her drying out on the surface and she treats it as the floor, walking about, just upside down. She eats fine and goes to the toilet and that's how she has remained for over a year. However recently she has started to try and reach the floor and twists round and round - its sad to see as she clearly wants to be the right way round. I have tried lowering the water level but she still ends up, upside down. Any suggestions as I don't like to see her this way.
I have two other Axolotls in a separate tank that are fine.

 

[auntiejude]

The chances are she is a 'floater'. It's a genetic disorder wher she can breathe in but can't breather out properly, meaning she is always buoyant.

Unfortunately there is no cure. All you can do is what you have been doing - giving her cover and a means to stay below the surface. If she is eating and resonably healthy it's all you can do for her.

 

[Grumpy]

Okay thanks, I was hoping for a miraculous cure, but this explains why she seems fine in all other respects.

 

[Alkylhalide]

There is a cure, well I guess a cure for the phenotype but not one for the genotype obviously. I will pm you, I worked with ed zalisko to fix my two floaters I had and they are happy and healthy now

 

[Ariel]

Is the cure too powerful and mystical for general public knowledge?

 

[Alkylhalide]

Hahaha sorry no it isnt, it is just everytime I post it people hve been just shrugging it off and ignoring me so it seems like a waste to post it. I just sent the email I recieved from Ed Zalisko to them, it involves putting a downward current into the tank, making the tank so that one half has a strong current(normally frowned on) and then keeping the other half where the axie can go to get away from the current. My best guess to how this actually helps is that the downward current forces the air to expel from the lungs, and helps keep them at the bottom of the tank. I had floaters(only floating for 3weeks upside down) and within 2days of doing this, they were right side up, and by one week they had relearned how to swim properly again. Now they are gone to new homes all happy and healthy.

If you are interested I will post the email on caudata(again) maybe somebody might be interested!