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LibertyLand Axolotl Rescue

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LibertyLand Axolotl Rescue

Our goal is twofold: first, to rescue, rehab and rehome axolotls in need; second, to educate the public about proper axolotl care.
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11/08/2024

Today for we're elaborating on the impact of 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞.

Before we get into it, here's a quick recap from Tuesday’s post, where we touched on this topic: 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘦. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘹𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘭. 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴.

𝗦𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁?
Thiaminase is an enzyme that breaks down thiamine—more commonly known as vitamin B1. Thiamine, or B1, is a water soluble vitamin that helps convert carbohydrates into glucose for energy production. It is a pretty vital vitamin, and when depleted there are significant health consequences, particularly in light of the fact that thiaminase is most commonly active in tissues with high immune function.

Tropical, freshwater, and/or fish high in polyunsaturated fatty acids are all likely to contain thiaminase. Feeding these types of fish to your axolotl increases the amount of thiaminase—which breaks down vitamin B1—in your axolotl's system. As a result, your axolotl can develop a thiamine deficiency.

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞?
Thiamine deficiency results in anemia (often with loss of color), decreased reproductive rates, neurological disorders, and immunosuppression.

A picture of an anemic axolotl has been included here to show the full effects of prolonged thiaminase exposure. To note, her emaciation (skinniness) and the poor condition of her gills are due to other factors, but her coloring (she should be pink; a melanoid albino) displays the color loss associated with anemia. (And don’t fret—she made a full recovery!)

If an axolotl becomes severely anemic it may take weeks or months to fully restore their coloring (as it takes time for the thiamine levels to increase after being depleted).

Also, the depletion of thiamine is not som**hing that happens instantaneously. It happens over a prolonged period of time where the thiamine reserves are broken down by the thiaminase enzyme. If an axolotl were to eat a singular minnow, there would likely be no visible or internal damage. It becomes an issue when they are continuously offered thiaminase-containing foods.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐱𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐞?
This can happen sometimes! Particularly with the lighter morphs (leucistics, albinos) when they become inactive they can get quite pale. Typically, if you feed or tub them they will pink right back up.

If they do not pink up, a KH/GH test is recommended to ensure the water is not soft (and lacking minerals). The axolotls can be depleted of the same vitamins if the water is not hard (mineral rich).

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬?
Share them here in the comments, or send our team a message; we’re always happy to help. And be sure to ask us how to join our Axolotl Help group here on Facebook, where we combine all of our expertise and experience to help axolotls and their owners live their best lives together 💕

11/07/2024

It's time for part four of our weeklong discussion of myth-busting the most common food mistakes made by the average axolotl owner. Today we'll be discussing Hikari sinking carnivore pellets, why they're not an ideal option for axolotls, and a few alternatives that we feel are more suitable to help keep your baby happy and healthy.

First, let's talk pellets in general. Pellets can be a great way to add variety to your axolotl's diet, but it's important to be selective about the type of pellets you feed your axolotl.

Recently, we posted about our intake and rehabilitation process and touched briefly on one of the most common mistakes we come across amongst our surrenders: axolotls that have been fed a diet solely or predominantly composed of Hikari sinking carnivore pellets.
(👀 Read that post here 👉 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14QCE639GP/ 😜)

Don’t let the package fool you; even though Hikari puts pictures of axolotls on their carnivore pellets, these are not appropriate for axolotls. Although they contain a large amount of protein, these particular pellets are also extremely hard. In fact, according to the brand itself, these pellets are designed not to break down or mold in your tank over time if they're not eaten immediately.

Because they are so hard, many axolotls cannot keep sinking carnivore pellets down, and those that are able to keep them down remain at risk of becoming impacted by these hard pellets.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝?
The key to a good axolotl pellet is its moistness. Axolotls are soft, inside and out; they do best with soft, easily digestible foods (we'll be covering the issues of attempting to feed chitinous insects like mealworms and crickets later this month). When purchasing supplies for our surrenders, there are two brands we usually use:

1️⃣ aquatic foods Axolotl Sinking Soft Moist Pellets by Rangen - available from Amazon and other online retailers
2️⃣ Ken's Ultra Soft & Moist Pellets - available from KensFish.com

Both of these brands offer a moist, salmon-based sinking pellet that is available in a variety of sizes, meaning that you can choose the best size for your individual axolotl. There are other brands of moist salmon pellets available at many pet stores, so if you can't find or get either of the above just make sure the pellets you do get are moist. The drier and harder the pellet, the more difficult it will be for your axolotl to digest.

𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬?
Pellets are a great part of a varied axolotl diet, but overfeeding pellets can lead to bloating, constipation, and even gas. While these are not fatal, they are all uncomfortable for your axolotl to experience.

If your axolotl regularly regurgitates their pellets, you may want to consider switching to a different brand or offering live foods instead.

If you are pellet feeding, we also recommend using a bowl or small container on the bottom of your tank; drop the pellets into this container and, over time, your axolotls will begin to expect to eat there. Having pellets in a container makes it easier to suction out leftover pellets if you accidentally overfeed—one of the most common causes of poor water quality and health issues!

11/06/2024

Hi everyone! We’re jumping back into today with the topic of 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝-𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬!🪱🪱🪱

The idea of digging up the worms from your yard to use as axolotl food is so tempting, isn't it? It's convenient, it's fast, it's cheap... but before you go playing in the dirt, let's discuss the reasons why wild caught worms are not recommended, and a few different places where you can purchase worms that are safer to feed your axolotls (and other worm-eating pets!).

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬?
Did you know that worms travel on average 30 feet per an hour, but depending on the worm they can travel up to 200 feet per hour!? This means that the worms you pull from your yard cover a lot of area—area that may have been sprayed with pesticides or other harmful chemicals. Another concern is the potential for the worms to acquire parasites outdoors, which if fed risks infecting the axolotl with a parasite. Worms bought from stores are bred in more sanitary conditions, and are considered a much safer alternative to wild-caught worms.

𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐫. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡?
As previously mentioned, the two biggest issues when it comes to wild caught worms are pesticides and parasites.

𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬
The most common pesticides for a worm to encounter and become contaminated with include (but are not limited to):
🐛 𝘕𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘴 (insecticides that persist in soil and groundwater
🪱 𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 (groups of pesticides particularly toxic to earthworms)
🐜 𝘍𝘪𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘭 (a broad-spectrum insecticide that targets several insect types)

The consequences on the worms themselves vary based on the pesticide type, the worm type, and the concentration of the pesticide exposure. Worms can either be
harmed directly with altered physiology, or their growth and reproduction rates
may be impacted.

Just a few of the other substances that worms may come into contact with during their travels include PFOA and PFOS, or "forever chemicals" (if you're not familiar with PFAS compounds, we recommend watching the 2019 Mark Ruffalo film 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴), microplastics,

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬
Parasites are a much larger scope than pesticides. Examples of parasites
commonly found in wild earthworms include:
🦠 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘴 - a protozoan infection that targets the seminal vesicles of earthworms
🧫 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴 - a nematode infection that infects larval earthworms
🔬 𝘈𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 - eukaryotic ciliates that reside in earthworm intestines

In addition, wild caught worms may contain larval stage infections of nematodes, trematodes, and other insects. In fact, worms can even be an intermediary for transferring some bird and mammal parasites as well!

𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲, 𝐬𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬?
Here at LLA, we recommend a variety of worms, but have the best luck with red wigglers (𝘌𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘢; also known as manure worms, redworms, branding worms, panfish worms, trout worms, composting worms, and tiger worms) and European nightcrawlers (not Canadian nightcrawlers; although these are an option for axolotls, we find more often than not that the axolotls don't enjoy them as much as the European nightcrawlers, and they can be regurgitated).

Like anything else, worm names and availability can vary by location; if you're in the US, you'll want to look for “nightcrawlers,” but in other places like the UK these worms will be called “dendrobaena worms.” Nightcrawlers and dendrobaena worms are the same, they just have different names.

You can find nightcrawlers at local pet stores, gas stations, and bait shops. A garden center may have them as well, but not as consistently. Most commonly in store worms are Canadian nightcrawlers, which are usually much longer, thicker, and need to stay a little colder than their European counterparts. To find European nightcrawlers, it's usually easiest to get them online, and to start your own worm farm. (🪱 Interested in setting up your own worm farm? We'll be sharing tips and tricks for farming your own worms later this month, so stay tuned!)

For those of you that don't have the space to farm your own worms at home, nightcrawlers can be kept in small styrofoam containers in the fridge and purchased online—some places even offer monthly subscription services!

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬?
Share them here in the comments, or send our team a message; we’re always
happy to help. And be sure to ask us how to join our 𝗔𝘅𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 here on
Facebook, where we combine all of our expertise and experience to help
axolotls and their owners live their best lives 💕

11/05/2024

Welcome back to ! Today we’ll be covering 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 🐟🐠😱

Did you know that feeder fish can be a great occasional treat for your axolotl? They provide enrichment and add variety to their diet; that's why we’re going to dive into how you can safely introduce live feeders to your axolotl in today's post.

Let’s start with which fish are safe for an axolotl to eat. Live-bearing fish including guppies, endlers, and platys (but *not* mollies) are safe fish to feed to an axolotl. While platys can be a good option, mollies are not considered safe feeders due to their more aggressive nature, not because they pose a health risk if eaten. In addition to these fish, neocaridina shrimp (most commonly cherry and ghost shrimp) are also safe live feeders.

When choosing between different sized feeder fish, keep in mind that the axolotl should be approximately 5 inches in size minimum, and try to offer fish the same size or smaller than the gap between their eyes. Fry are recommended for smaller axolotls, but also can be fed to adults as some may perceive a grown fish as too big to eat. Fry bones aren't as developed as adult bones, meaning that feeding fry diminishes the risk of impaction compared to using full grown feeder fish.

As always, every axolotl may be different! Some may enjoy hunting while others may become stressed by it. Observation is key when introducing som**hing new.

𝐒𝐨, 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐱𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭, 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬?
Yes! Fish and other live feeders can carry parasites and/or diseases. We always recommend quarantining feeders for 30 days to monitor for illness prior to offering them to an axolotl. Never offer any live feeder that is behaving abnormally or appears sick. If you breed your feeders at home, it's not necessary to quarantine the feeders, but still necessary to ensure you're feeding only healthy fish and shrimp to your axolotl.

Another thing to keep in mind when adding feeder fish is how many you add. In large groups, fish may become more aggressive in addition to nipping at the axolotl’s gills. A few at a time will provide a tasty treat while avoiding any harm to the axolotl.

Lastly, these treats are safe in moderation, but they should not be fed as a staple food. Fish contain bones that, when consumed regularly as a staple food, can lead to internal issues like impaction.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭?
Some fish—specifically minnows, also known as "rosies", and goldfish—are not safe to feed to an axolotl because they contain a substance called thiaminase. When eaten, fish that contain thiaminase deplete axolotls of essential vitamins over time, ultimately making them sickly. (We'll talk more about thiaminase and axolotls in our post this coming Friday, so be sure to circle back then for more info on the long term effects of thiaminase exposure!)

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐱𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐥?
Axolotls are species only, meaning that any fish introduced to their environment must be added with the expectation that they will be eaten, and therefore also be safe for the axolotl to eat.

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: Feeder fish are not allowed in the UK! If you are a UK resident, this post will not be as applicable, but we hope you’ll continue to follow along with the rest of !

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬?
Share them here in the comments, or send our team a message; we’re always happy to help. And be sure to ask us how to join our Axolotl Help group here on Facebook, where we combine all of our expertise and experience to help axolotls and their families live their best lives 💕

Source/learn more: https://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/Mixing_disasters.shtml

11/04/2024

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬: 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬.

Let's start at the beginning.

Axolotls are carnivores, or meat-eating animals whose nutrition and energy requirements are met by consuming animal tissues as food.

Okay, that makes sense.

Bloodworms, on the other hand, are the aquatic larva of the nonbiting midge (Chironomidae)—an insect that exists around the globe, similar to mosquitos in appearance, but without the annoying habit of biting.

So, if axolotls need to eat animal tissues (muscle, fat and other soft tissues) to sustain them, and bloodworms have soft tissues, then 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐱𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐥?

The type of bloodworms most often recommended and sold by pet stores are either frozen or freeze dried. Although this means that they are readily available, inexpensive (at least compared to some other foods), and marketed as high in protein, neither the frozen or freeze-dried form of bloodworms are suitable as a staple part of the axolotl diet.

In their frozen form, bloodworms are rich in iron, but they contain only about 6-8% protein and don't contain many amino acids—both key requirements of the healthy axolotl diet. Don't be fooled by the packaging, either; a lot of frozen bloodworms claim to be a very high percentage of protein, but in reality bloodworms themselves contain about 6-8% protein, and each bloodworm cube contains 80% by dry volume. It's a tricky way to imply that you're feeding your animals a protein-rich food when, in fact, it's not.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐱𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬?
Adult axolotls kept on a diet of frozen bloodworms alone are likely to become obese, which can lead to other health problems. Bloodworms are tastier than other healthier foods, so axolotls are much more likely to prefer the unhealthy option over nutritional options in favor of the taste.

Switching adult axolotls that are used to a diet of bloodworms onto healthier foods can often lead to hunger strikes, as well. Imagine being fed nothing but candy, only to be told one day that you're being switched to a veggie-only diet. You wouldn't exactly be thrilled about eating your new food, would you? (In these situations, we recommend a tough love approach; it'll be hard, but don't give them bloodworms, even if they beg. We'll have a post coming later this month about weaning your axolotls off of bloodworms, so stay tuned if that's som**hing you're currently struggling with or preparing to do...)

Axolotl hatchlings and juveniles fed a bloodworm-only diet are usually under weight and often pale. They also tend to develop at a slower rate than healthy axolotls, who grow about an inch a month once they hatch until they are full grown.

Poor nutrition can make axolotls of any age more susceptible to changes in their water quality. This can lead to frequent health problems like fungal and bacterial infections (stay tuned, we'll have posts on how to handle both of those, coming soon!).

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐱𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐥 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬?
Not at all! Bloodworms are a great infrequent treat for axolotls, other types of amphibians, and freshwater fish. Feed them in moderation, and switch up the treats you use so your axolotl doesn't start to favor a particular treat over other foods. Other treat options include river shrimp, neocaridina shrimp, guppies, or platies (just remember: always quarantine any fish you intend to feed your axolotl, unless you raise them at home!).

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬?
Share them here in the comments, or send our team a message; we're always happy to help. And be sure to ask us how to join our Axolotl Help group here on Facebook, where we combine all of our expertise and experience to help axolotls live their best lives 💕

11/04/2024

🐉 Mooshu Monday 🐉

We’ve made progress with regrowing her gills! We keep an air stone in with her turned down nice and low so there isn’t too much of a current. Sometimes they can have the stones turned up more but Mooshu is really small and we want to minimize stress and her getting tossed around. Check out her cute frills and stay tuned for a weight update next week!!

11/03/2024

Come say hi to at the Manchester, NH reptile show today!

11/02/2024

📢 ✨ 𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🌟📢 Because it's always crazy busy at the New England Reptile Expo in Manchester, NH, we're going to give everyone an extra incentive to make their way through the crowd to find us.

🚨 Here's what we're going to do: the first 12 people to show up at our booth and mention this post will win A FREE MYSTERY GIFT 🎁 of their choosing!

Terms & Conditions: Limit one prize per household. No purchase necessary. Gift will be chosen from preselected assortment of items. Cannot be exchanged for cash or other merchandise. Cannot be applied to adoption fees. Members of the LLA Board of Directors and their households/families not eligible to participate.

11/01/2024

When we take in an axolotl here at LLA, it's our responsibility to help them become as healthy as possible before they join their new forever homes.

So, how do we do this, and what does the process look like?

𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
When we take in an axolotl, we do our best to get as much information about their physical health—both current and past—as possible; as well as any behavioral challenges their owner has notice and details about their living environment (were they ever kept on gravel, for example).

Knowing what an axolotl has been fed, the temperature their tank was kept at, whether they were kept with any other inhabitants, how often their water was changed, what was used to treat their water, whether they were ever kept on gravel... these are all key details that we work to uncover about each intake.

Why?

Having an axolotl’s complete history at the time of intake allows us to create and start them on a customized treatment program sooner than if we treated based on our evaluations alone. Some issues can take time to present themselves, so the sooner we know what we’re dealing with, the better!

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟏: 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

🚑 𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩
Once an axolotl is surrendered to us, they receive an intake evaluation conducted by one of our volunteers. In addition to the information our team receives from the person surrendering, we evaluate the overall physical health of each axolotl, looking in particular for the following:

➡ Lumps and bumps that could indicate internal blockages due to gravel ingestion, tumors, or other internal health issues

➡ Gill frond, gill stalk, slime coat, skin or hand/foot issues that indicate poor water conditions or possible parasitic/bacterial infections

➡ Physical signs indicative of gender, such as an enlarged cloaca and a longer, thinner body in males, and shorter, more rounded bodies in females

➡ Genetic abnormalities, such as extra or missing limbs, hands, or feet; blindness; stunted growth or dwarfism, etc.

🚑 𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩
Our team takes a minimum of two weeks to evaluate each new axolotl for possible behavioral issues or special needs that their new forever families will want to know about and be prepared to handle. During this period, we also deworm them (assuming they are healthy/strong enough to handle the deworming process; those that are not receive care first, then deworming later). Some of the key things we watch for during the intake period include:

➡ Failure to eat, aversion to tong feeding, frequent regurgitation, or other food-related issues

➡ Aggression towards other axolotls

➡ Inability to stay on the bottom of the tank (usually due to prolonged tubbing) or other swimming issues

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟐: 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
Based on all of the information we have, we develop a treatment program for each axolotl in our care. Each program consists of three key areas: food, water, and medication.

🪱 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙
Too many of the axolotls we take in have not been fed a proper diet prior to coming to LLA. The most frequent mistakes we see when it comes to axolotl feeding include:

🪱 BLOODWORMS: Feeding nothing but frozen or freeze-dried bloodworms, which provide virtually no nutritional value to an axolotl, but will be readily eaten because it’s ‘tasty’.

🐟 FEEDER FISH: Feeding large or otherwise inappropriate fish that can lead to a number of health issues, ranging from fish bone impaction to vitamin deficiencies.

🔴 CARNIVORE PELLETS: Don’t let the package fool you; even though Hikari puts pictures of axolotls on their carnivore pellets, these are not appropriate for axolotls. They are extremely hard and take a long time to break down, meaning that your axolotl is likely to throw them up because it cannot digest them, or could become impacted by the hard food.

Once an axolotl arrives at LLA, we provide them with the appropriate diet based on their individual needs; for example, we feed fatty salmon belly to those axolotls at risk of or with known gravel impaction to help lubricate their innards and (hopefully) expel the stones they’ve ingested.

💧 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧
We cannot overstate the importance of cool, clean, dechlorinated water when it comes to keeping an axolotl healthy and happy!

Many of the axolotls that arrive at LLA show signs of poor husbandry—in other words, it is clear upon arrival that their basic needs were not being met. In particular, we see ammonia burns, nitrate poisoning, sloughing or peeling slime coat, severe fungal or bacterial infections, and many other indications that they experienced poor water quality in their former lives.

Due to their often delicate condition, most axolotls are tubbed upon arrival at LLA, meaning that they are kept in food-grade plastic storage containers large enough for them to swim around in, but small enough to make application of medications, feeding, and observation manageable. They are provided with air stones and hides to help minimize stress during tubbing as well.

Depending on the situation, tub water may be changed as frequently as every 12 hours (or whenever it becomes soiled, if sooner), or every 24 hours. We use cool, clean, Seachem Prime-treated water free of ammonia, chlorine, and other potentially harmful substances when tubbing, and our tubs are disinfected regularly with an extremely diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide and water—we never use soap or any other harsh cleansers, just very hot water, soft sponges, and the hydrogen peroxide solution.

🌿 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
There are a variety of medications that we use to treat common health issues in axolotls on a regular basis here at LLA, including:

➡ 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 (IAL): IAL have natural antimicrobial and antibacterial properties that can help treat common axolotl health issues like fungus; they can be purchased through most fish stores or online retailers like Amazon

➡ 𝗖𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗲𝗮: Another natural remedy for health issues like fungal infections, the caffeine in black tea will also restrict the blood vessels, which can help stop the bleeding in the event that your axolotl is injured

➡ 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗣𝗿𝗼: A commercially-available parasite treatment that treats and prevents parasites such as flukes, tapeworms, flatworms, and turbellarians in fish and axolotls; can be used regularly for preventative deworming (see how we deworm here).

➡ 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 (m**h blue): A salt-based, commercially-available medication used to treat more severe cases of bacterial or fungal infections when natural remedies like IAL and black tea baths aren’t strong enough.

➡ 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗣𝗹𝗲𝘅: A blended kanamycin-based medication that treats several fungal and bacterial diseases, both internal and external; this is another option available when natural remedies like IAL and black tea baths are not strong enough.

➡ 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀: Though not traditionally considered a “medication,” live blackworms are one of the most nutritious foods you can feed an axolotl—and one that’s hard for even the pickiest eaters to turn down; we use live blackworms to help entice axolotls with eating issues or illness into eating, an important part of the healing process.

Here at LLA, we try our hardest to catch and treat each and every health issue an incoming axolotl may have, but we don't always catch everything. That's why we're also dedicated to educating our adopters and providing them with all of the resources they need to be successful with their new water puppy!

11/01/2024

📢 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 #𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿! 📢

We know how overwhelming it can be trying to find accurate and helpful information about axolotl care online. That's why we decided to dub this month "Nom Safe November"!

Each weekday in November, will bring you a new post intended to clarify the good, the bad, and the ugly about various foods commonly fed to axolotls, how various foods do or do not support axolotls' unique dietary needs, and the role that axolotl anatomy and genetics plays in why some foods are better than others.

Join us this month to learn everything you could possibly want to know about axolotls' dietary needs—and how to use food to help keep your axolotl as happy and healthy as possible. Follow the hashtag and like our page to ensure you don't miss any of this fantastic information!

10/31/2024

Show us your axolotl's costume!

If we get enough entries, we'll do a contest with a fun giveaway!!! 😜

10/31/2024

Who else will be attending the 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐍𝐇 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨 THIS SUNDAY?!

Members of are looking forward to discussing all things axolotls this Sunday, so be sure to come by and find us. 👋🏻 👋👋🏾

The Manchester, NH show is a very busy, usually packed event, so be sure to come find us—we'll be testing out a new booth setup, we have new educational resources to hand out, and we'll even have a few available axolotls with us!

Not ready to adopt? No worries! Come by and ask us all your burning axolotl questions.

More information on this weekend's show available here: https://reptileexpo.com/all-shows/newhampshire/

- - -

🚨 Considering bringing an axolotl home for the holidays? 🎁 Get your tank set up and cycled NOW—it can take weeks to even months to establish a nitrogen cycle, so now is the time to get started!!!

👀 Keep an eye out; we're going to be sharing our new Aquarium Cycling Guide with helpful tips and tricks, in the next week or so!

10/30/2024

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐱𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐥'𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫? Another issue we frequently see is improperly conditioned water. There are two main reasons why we recommend Seachem Prime water conditioner above anything else, and we're going to share them with you right now.

1. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐱𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐥'𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐭. When choosing a water conditioner, it's important to know what's in the bottle. Many types of water conditioners contain aloe vera or bay leaf extract—substances that can be helpful for scaled fish, but deadly for axolotls and other amphibians.

While aloe extract, for example, can stimulate scaled fish to grow or regrow their slime coat, in axolotls and other amphibians it's absorbed through their skin at much higher concentrations (since they have no scales). This can lead to discomfort, malnutrition, peeling slime coat, and even death if exposure is prolonged for extended periods of time.

2. 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐜 𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚. The second reason why we recommend Seachem Prime over other water conditioners and dechlorinators is its unique ability to bind to the ammonia in your tub water for a full 24 hours (most others don't keep working that long).

This is particularly important when tubbing your axolotl; if you're changing water every 24 hours and using another water conditioner, you may be exposing your axolotl to potentially toxic amounts of ammonia in your tub after your water conditioner stops working.

Since Seachem Prime is pretty readily available at most pet stores (and you can also find it online from retailers like Ken's Fish - kensfish.com or even Amazon), we believe it's not worth risking your baby's health by using anything else! In fact, in many instances Seachem Prime is actually more cost effective than other water conditioners; just 2 drops can treat an entire gallon of water, where some other water conditioners need 8 drops per gallon...

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐱𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩
Questions? Ask us how to join our Axolotl Help Facebook group, where you can find simple, easy-to-understand, no BS help with all of your axolotl-related questions and concerns!

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Videos

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM LLA!! 🎃🦇🕸

On today’s episode of Totally Available Tuesday, check out adorable Sherlock and Incognito eating their lunch together! These boys are loving hanging out together and make a great pair. Check them out on our website- www.libertylandaxolotlrescue.org

🐉Mooshu Monday🐉 The first food offered almost any intake is black worms, especially if they’re in as rough shape as Mooshu. She loved her black worms and has been working on gaining weight. Wait until you see her update next week, her gills are growing back and looking so amazing! ❤️ #adoptdontshop #axolotl #axolotllover #rescue

🐉Welcome to Mooshu Monday!! 🐉 We are going to highlight one of our newest surrenders and share some behind the scenes of rescue work each Monday! We had a wonderful woman reach out for help with this guy. She was given him in this condition and realized he needed specialized care to survive. We are so grateful she gave us the opportunity to help him and everyone is in love with this little one! Mooshu is only about 3.5” long but should be at least twice that size or more. He is very thin and his gills were eaten off by fish. He also is missing the end of his tail. He immediately went to one of our most experienced fosters who was able to stabilize him, get him eating and dewormed him. This is the condition he was received in. Stay tuned for an update next week on this cutie and see how he is starting to glow up!! #libertylandaxolotlrescue #axolotleducation #mooshumonday #ambystomamexicanum #knowledgeispower #axolotlsoffacebook #adoptionsaveslives

Pooper and Sherlock are ready for their forever home!! Get your apps in, these beautiful confirmed boys won’t last!

Totally available Tuesday!

It's time to meet some of our adoptable axolotls! This week, we're highlighting a handful of cuties (photos in the comments! 👇👇👇), including: ▶️ Pablo, a juvenile male starburst wild ▶️ Incognito, an adult male albino ▶️ Freya, a special needs adult female wild type You can also see all of our available axies by visiting libertylandaxolotlrescue.org today! #TotallyAvailableTuesday #LLA #WildAxolotls #AlbinoAxolotls

announcing totally available tuesdays!

Get ready, because it's time for a new weekly feature here at LLA: Totally Available Tuesdays! Each week on Tuesday we'll highlight one or more of the axolotls currently available for adoption through our rescue, including everything you could want to know about their history, health, and any special needs they may have. Of course, you can also check out all of our available axolotls at any time by visiting our website at libertylandaxolotlrescue.org #LLATAT #LLA #TotallyAvailableTuesday #AdoptDontShop

The Toilet Babies

Can you believe someone was going to flush these beautiful babies?! 😢 Thankfully, one of our amazing fosters was able to do an emergency pick up and bring these little guys and gals home. Given their size, they should be ready for their forever homes sometime in January 2025, so stay tuned… 😜🤩