BLOATED AXOLOTL

[obie trice]

HI there,

I have a bloated axolotl which I think has eaten stones. I have read that they do this now and then and most times spit them out and are all good but should I do anything or just leave it?

THanks heaps

[sharn]

how big were the stones in question? they might be too large to pass and could lead to death but by putting him in the fridge (and removing the stones in his tank, sand, slate or large river rocks or nothing are good) it is going to slow his metabolism down and de-stress him. i can get some posts off the net if you want confirmation about putting them in the fridge, its very common practise for axie keepers :lol:

get a food safe container big enough for him to lie flat in. fill that with tank water, pop the axie in, lid on and into the fridge. you will need to test that your fridge is above 5C though, put a thermometer in a glass of water in there for a few hours and get a reading before hand. whilst hes in the fridge he will need 100% daily water changes (because the small body of water fouls very quick), keep another spare container of declorinated water in the fridge too so that its the same temp for moving. you can offer food every 3-4 days if you wish but its not uncommon for them to not eat while theyre in there so dont stress too much if you offer and he doesnt accept. i normally offer the axie food in the container hes been in for 24hours and then if he makes a mess in that one its not a problem because you have that fresh container to transfer him over to.

if the fridge is not an option i would just remove him into a large substrate free bin and keep in a cold place. make sure you check daily for stones and remove them.

best of luck for him!