Axolotls covered in tiny bumps

[Anna]

Hello. I came home from a 3 week holiday to find all 3 of my axolotls covered in tiny bumps. I have tried to take pictures but they're not showing up. I found this thread and the bumps look exactly like this:

Small white bumps all over skin, Please help!!

A friend was looking after them but the water was pretty dirty and on the warm side. After a 50% water change parametres were all great (stupidly didn't check before I changed the water).

Have been doing daily 25% water changes and put in some almond leaves. Taco (alone in a 2ft tank) has made a full recovery and all his bumps have pretty much gone.

Nachos and Burrito who share a 3ft tank are not responding as well. Burrito (wild type) seemed to have the worst spots and Nachos was developing a tiny amount of gill fungus so I started daily salt baths (3 tspns per litre for 15 mins a day). Have continued this for 4 days. Although the fungus has now gone and the spots have improved slightly they have now gone off their worms.

The spots are slightly paler than their skin. I have seen lots of posts about similar spots but no actual solutions. I know they sometimes occur and can stay without bothering the axies, but I do find it strange that they all appeared at the same time whilst their conditions were not ideal. We had some very warm weather in Brighton whilst I was away, and one friend lost all 3 of his. Could the bumps be related to temperature?

I have not done salt baths today as I am wondering if they could be irritating their skin?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

[Anna]

anyone?
They are 7 months and 9 inches long. I hatched them myself and they have always been in perfect health until now. They are fed on earthworms, supplemented with pellets and frozen bloodworm. Temperature is 18 degrees.

Burrito now showing signs of improvement but Nachos is still not looking great and losing weight

[Kaysie]

Are they raised and pointed? Or light spots on the skin?

[Anna]

Hi Kaysie :)

They are raised and slightly paler than their skin. Definitely weren't there before I went away and most of Taco's have gone now so I am sure it's not normal pigmentation.

Nachos and Burrito still have them and are off their food. I haven't been giving salt baths for a few days as Taco recovered without any.

[Kaysie]

Any way to get a good picture?

[Anna]

I've tried taking pictures but both axies are wedged alongside their filter most of the time. They looked exactly like the pictures in this thread:

Small white bumps all over skin, Please help!!

but have now definitely started to improve. I have put an extra almond leaf in Nachos and Burrito's 3ft tank, as I realised Taco had 2 in his 2ft tank and spots cleared up quite quickly so now they have 3 in their 3ft. I've also managed to get them to eat some pellets (but they'll only eat them if they catch them whilst they are falling!) and some tiny earthworms. Even Taco didn't want big worms yesterday but is wolfing down pellets.

I feel less worried now they are eating and the spots are clearing up but would love to know what it was. I can only assume it was caused by their water not being changed often enough during the 3 weeks I was away. I also noticed that the end of the water conditioner had not been used up and the new bottle was unopened, I don't really want to grill my friend who was taking care of them as she was also looking after my guinea pigs and cat, as well as working a 60 hour week!

[Kaysie]

I don't think anyone has ever weighed in with an expert opinion on the bumps, but in all the threads I've read, it has something to do with water chemistry. Either chlorine in the water or something along those lines.

I'm glad they're starting to heal up!

[Anna]

She must have forgotten to use the water conditioner. Although I don't think the water was changed very often by the looks of it when I got home.

I'll ask her one day but still feel indebted to her for feeding everything whilst I was away!

[Anna]

Managed to get a picture of Burrito's spots which seem to be making a comeback. Nachos' are a little worse but he is being camera shy.


http://www.caudata.org/forum/members...8-p1060819.jpg

[Anna]

Nachos' spots are getting worse again and this morning he was throwing himself around as though he is itchy. I gave them a salt bath and he's chilled out a lot. I don't know if salt baths are the answer or not. I might throw in another almond leaf as the colour of the water hasn't changed. They currently have 3 large ones in their 3ft tank. Does anybody know if it's a fungus or something else? I'd really appreciate some help.

[Anna]

Here are a couple more pictures. I've been advised on the Facebook group to discontinue salt baths and add more almond leaves as the feeling is that it could be ammonia burn rather than a fungus.

[Anna]

Just tested the pH and it is at least 7.6, possibly higher but the test only goes as far as 7.6
Water straight from the tap is 7.4
Aren't Indian almond leaves meant to lower the pH? Levels are the same in both of my tanks, which suggests that the almond leaves I have may not be doing their thing.
However, since the pH levels are the same in both tanks and Taco has no spots, does this suggest that hard water is not the issue.....?

EDIT ok just used the high range pH test which reads 7.4
other readings- nitrate 40, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, temperature 18

[Bruce Maclean]

Originally Posted by axolotl newbie

Here are a couple more pictures. I've been advised on the Facebook group to discontinue salt baths and add more almond leaves as the feeling is that it could be ammonia burn rather than a fungus.

Hi,

If they haven't cleared up with simple treatments and are in fact recurring/getting worse then I would definitely get them checked out by a vet. I don't believe they are pathognomonic for (exclusively indicating) any particular condition that I have seen, so they would need to be investigated as to cause. Fungal, bacterial, mycobacterial, parasitic, irritation from any cause could all present like that, although with differing indices of suspicion in this particular case.

It seems clear that water quality issues/the change in husbandry was a factor, but then husbandry issues are a factor in virtually all amphibian diseases anyway - it could simply have allowed some fungus/bacteria/etc to take hold.

In terms of investigations, obviously this would need to be discussed with your vet. Initial scrapes probably, possibly followed up with biopsy and/or blood sampling if the scrapes were unhelpful would probably be the preferred initial steps.

Hope you can get them sorted out - I'd be very interested in any findings.

Bruce.

[Anna]

Ok thanks for looking into this. I will make an appointment with my vet. It's strange that Taco's cleared up so quickly and easily with very little intervention. I haven't tried any treatments other than a few salt baths and the addition of almond leaves (which I suspect are past their best). I gave daily salt baths for only four days. I'm just a little concerned as I read in another thread that scrapes can cost £250! Do you think it would be a bad idea to wait and try some newer almond leaves or more frequent salt baths?

[Anna]

Update:

The vet I spoke to felt that since they were both eating and looked otherwise healthy I would have time to continue attempting to treat them at home, and if all else failed suggested I brought them in for a skin scrape.

First I continued with salt baths and the new almond leaves. Then I was advised that using the two together would be counter productive so I discontinued the salt baths. Then it occurred to me that the spots looked like an allergy and did some reading. I noticed that the water conditioner I had been using - Nutrafin Aqua Plus- had additives for slime coat, and noticed a few threads were allergies to such additives were mentioned. Although I have been using it since they were very small I thought I'd try switching to API with no additives. Although I'm sure the spots were triggered by dirty water I thought maybe they were producing too much slime and the treatments I was using may not have been able to penetrate it.

Anyway, since switching to API Nachos' spots have completely gone and Burrito's are improving. It may have been switching the water conditioner, or possibly stopping the salt baths so the almond leaves were more effective. Either way, I hope this thread is of some use to anybody else with spotty lotls :)

[Kaysie]

That's great to hear, Anna! I am glad they're doing better!