Did you check if the ammonia level in the tank is elevated?
Did you check if the water parameters are optimal?
Do you feed your axolotl with sinking pellets?
When you push your axolotl gently towards the ground, does it responds by swimming to the bottom of the tank?
When you have ammonia in your tank, you will usually not be able to tell straight away. When you see your axolotl float, you will want to take quick measures of the water parameters, including the ammonia levels. The best way to test the ammonia levels is with a test kit. If you find out that ammonia levels are out of control, you will want to take measures immediately. These include changing the water in the tank, providing a more powerful filtration system with effective chemical and biological filters, and placing the axolotl in a tank where the water parameters are fine for a while.
Axolotls can suffer from a gas buildup in their gut if the water parameters or the water quality is poor. They will appear somewhat bloated, and sudden temperature changes are the primary reason for gas buildup in their gut. Treating this issue can be complicated, and you’ll have to put the axolotl in a safe environment for a while until you fix the water parameters of the primary tank.
One of the most common reasons for floating is because axolotls bloat, and that can happen due to sinking pellets. It’s because the pellets will usually expand once you put them into the tank, and the axolotl might eat too much, causing them to become bloated. It is recommended to soak the pellets slightly before you put them into the tank to prevent this problem from happening.
One of the reasons that shouldn’t cause panic if you see the axolotl float is if they have swallowed air bubbles while feeding. You can usually tell if they are flowing due to this as they will not be turned upside down and will also return to the ground if you try to scare them. This behavior is very common and will be observed quite often.
Impaction is one of the most common reasons for problems with axolotls. They will ingest just about anything that they can put into their mouth, including the substrate. And if you have gravel as your substrate, the axolotls might suffer from impaction. This happens when the axolotl ingests something that they can’t get out of their system, and they might become bloated. Make sure you have a substrate that is larger than their heads, such as rocks or opt for other types of substrate that can’t cause impaction.
https://axolotlnerd.com/axolotls-float/
Sreten null
Hi! I’m Sreten Filipović. I graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade, with a master's degree in Environmental Protection in Agricultural Systems. I’ve worked as a researcher at Finland's Natural Resources Institute (LUKE) on a project aimed at adapting south-western Finland to drought episodes. I founded a consulting agency in the field of environment and agriculture to help farmers who want to implement the principles of sustainability on their farms. I’m also a founding member of the nonprofit organization Ecogenesis from Belgrade whose main goal is non-formal education on the environment and ecology. In my spare time, I like to write blog posts about sustainability, the environment, animal farming, horticulture, and plant protection. I’ve also published several science-fiction short stories.
You can find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreten-filipovi%C4%87-515aa5158/
