Illness/Sickness: Tail flaking away?

Spice2905

Spice2905

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Hi this is Luna my very photogenic first axolotl. I've had her for a couple of months now but for the past couple of weeks I have noticed that the very tip of her tail seems to be very slowly flaking away?

It has turned a clear translucent colour and looks very thin, it is gradually flaking away and I don't know what this is or how to treat it?

I have ordered a water testing kit as I do not yet own one, however yesterday I did a complete water change and she seems happier, but the tail looks no better.

It doesn't look a serious issue yet and doesn't seem to be affecting her in any way but I would like to treat this now, any ideas as to what it could be or how to cure would be deeply appreciated :) uploadfromtaptalk1433744635286.jpeguploadfromtaptalk1433744642274.jpeguploadfromtaptalk1433744698119.jpeg



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It's really hard to diagnose things when you don't give us any tank parameters like temperature or if your tank is cycled.
Since you don't have a test kit I don't see how it could be cycled, so that's probably the issue.
 
Sorry, no help here, but I wanted to say welcome, and that Luna is very cute. :)
 
It looks more like an injury that's regrowing to me. I could be wrong but the tail might be getting stuck between something and getting ripped? Either way just keep the water clean and cool and keep an eye out but maybe look over the tank and make sure there's nothing sharp that could be ripping the tail?
 
Thanks I'll check the ornaments and water as soon as the test kit gets here, I also have a goldfish that I have had for a long time and I have never had issues with the water and therefore never felt the need to buy a test kit, is it different for axolotls?

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Astrolotl said:
It's really hard to diagnose things when you don't give us any tank parameters like temperature or if your tank is cycled.
Since you don't have a test kit I don't see how it could be cycled, so that's probably the issue.
Click to expand...
I will get back with the results as soon as the kit arrives.

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Goldfish are more hardy than axolotls but they will still suffer in silence from an uncycled tank...I'm not sure how much you know about the nitrogen cycle but you should probably read up on it, there's lots of stuff on here if you search cycle or just look for other posts about the same thing. The problem with not having a test kit is that you don't know the ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate levels and those aren't something you can tell without testing, the water can look and smell fine while it's actually slowly killing your fish/axolotl from ammonia poisoning
 
allied123 said:
Goldfish are more hardy than axolotls but they will still suffer in silence from an uncycled tank...I'm not sure how much you know about the nitrogen cycle but you should probably read up on it, there's lots of stuff on here if you search cycle or just look for other posts about the same thing. The problem with not having a test kit is that you don't know the ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate levels and those aren't something you can tell without testing, the water can look and smell fine while it's actually slowly killing your fish/axolotl from ammonia poisoning
Click to expand...
Thanks for this, the kit will be here tomorrow, if it is ammonia what's the best way to cure it?

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Much as I'm glad I now know I'm providing a healthy home for my pets, I miss the days of blissful ignorance when sometimes fish mysteriously died! :wink: Luckily after fish mysteriously die, you tend to have better luck . . . Now I know it's because the tank finishes cycling.

After being set up a couple months you're hopefully already cycled, but if you still have ammonia it means your tank is overloaded, either not enough surface area for good bacteria, not enough water volume, or too much food waste or poop. The solution is frequent water testing, frequent partial water changes, and adding places for good bacteria to grow (sponge media and ceramic media, porous tank decor). Live plants also reduce ammonia. I sympathize because my temporary newt tanks are overloaded and I've been testing every few days and changing 50-70% water pretty much every time. It helps to be vigilant about using a baster to remove poop, shed skin and food waste immediately, feed less to avoid waste in the first place, and thaw and rinse frozen foods (the messy goo in those bloodworm cubes had a very negative effect), and add plants. If your tank is large enough, after those measures you should be getting zero ammonia readings. If you still get a little ammonia after a couple months, there's an underlying problem beyond establishing a cycle. (Such as tank being too small.)
 
Everything ChristineB said was spot on I just want to mention that axolotls don't shed though...if they do there's a problem, I'm sure you were talking about your newts but I just thought I'd make that clear :)

(and days were definitely easier when fish mysteriously died and there wasn't any point in buying medication for a $5 fish that would probably die anyway and whatever the pet store people said was right)
 
ChristineB said:
Much as I'm glad I now know I'm providing a healthy home for my pets, I miss the days of blissful ignorance when sometimes fish mysteriously died! :wink: Luckily after fish mysteriously die, you tend to have better luck . . . Now I know it's because the tank finishes cycling.

After being set up a couple months you're hopefully already cycled, but if you still have ammonia it means your tank is overloaded, either not enough surface area for good bacteria, not enough water volume, or too much food waste or poop. The solution is frequent water testing, frequent partial water changes, and adding places for good bacteria to grow (sponge media and ceramic media, porous tank decor). Live plants also reduce ammonia. I sympathize because my temporary newt tanks are overloaded and I've been testing every few days and changing 50-70% water pretty much every time. It helps to be vigilant about using a baster to remove poop, shed skin and food waste immediately, feed less to avoid waste in the first place, and thaw and rinse frozen foods (the messy goo in those bloodworm cubes had a very negative effect), and add plants. If your tank is large enough, after those measures you should be getting zero ammonia readings. If you still get a little ammonia after a couple months, there's an underlying problem beyond establishing a cycle. (Such as tank being too small.)
Click to expand...
I have a couple of long lengths of plastic ivy and a cave in my tank, the bottom is bare also so I think there's enough space for bacteria to grow, I also have a tank hoover to suck up the waste in the tank.

I have never had problems with cycling tanks before but have got a kit just incase which will be arriving this evening, I'll get back with the parameters however I think it is temperature related as I cannot find an efficient enough way to cool my tank down. I have ordered a clip on fan to see if this can bring it down as I believe that this could be the cause of it. Thank you for your help :)

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allied123 said:
Everything ChristineB said was spot on I just want to mention that axolotls don't shed though...if they do there's a problem, I'm sure you were talking about your newts but I just thought I'd make that clear :)

(and days were definitely easier when fish mysteriously died and there wasn't any point in buying medication for a $5 fish that would probably die anyway and whatever the pet store people said was right)
Click to expand...
Okay, thanks :)

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Here are the parameters:

Nitrate-0 mg/L
Nitrite-0 mg/L
PH-8
KH-180 mg/L
GH-160 mg/L
Ammonia-0

Any opinions? I'm aware my PH is high does anybody know the best way to lower it?

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Spice2905 said:
Here are the parameters:

Nitrate-0 mg/L
Nitrite-0 mg/L
PH-8
KH-180 mg/L
GH-160 mg/L
Ammonia-0

Any opinions? I'm aware my PH is high does anybody know the best way to lower it?

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Click to expand...


You could add a piece of oak leaf (sterlized, of course) and have to tannin leach out.

Or you could throw in a driftwood but the sheer size might bring a bigger swing than anticipated.
 
Rupert said:
You could add a piece of oak leaf (sterlized, of course) and have to tannin leach out.

Or you could throw in a driftwood but the sheer size might bring a bigger swing than anticipated.
Click to expand...
Okay thank you, do you see anything else wrong with the parameters? I've seen a range of different recommendations on the internet and am unsure as to which are ideal.

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