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Illness/Sickness: Redish tail effecting legs?

DavidWatson123

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Hi! im new here and new to axolotls! I rescued a pair of full grow axolotls from a local store, my question is one of them started turning a pink/red color from the tail up, the other one looks fine, could someone help me with this? his back leg looks like it hurts:/

Thanks,

David
 

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LoriML

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I'm not seeing anything wrong with this coloring. Leucistics can be a whitish-pink and color can vary slightly with lighting and activity. If you start to see actual blotches on his skin or bright red veins popping through that would be more of a concern. Or maybe I'm just not seeing it.

It it's cloaca looking normal? His leg could be injured from anything. Is he using it?

Start with check your water conditions and go from there. If anything gets worse post another pic as well as water parameters.
 

DavidWatson123

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It's been eating a lot lately, I dont think it has hurt it self, it might just have to poop?
 

AxolotlChris

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The red in the tail is normal for Leucistics, more so with colder water or higher activity.

Have you cycled your tank? What test kit do you own for testing your water? What is the temperature?
 

DavidWatson123

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temp 68 degrees, I have cycled my tank every few days because I had filter issues (I wasted money on two filters that were not to their liking) finally ordered an eheim canister filter for them that just arrived, they don't mind it but I checked my ammonia levels (color test strips for fish) and my ammonia level is stressful so put an ammonia remover (like alcaslcer) and cycled the tank by 25%, I'll do it daily until ammonia is under control. Thank you all so much! anything else you can think of please let me know!
 

AxolotlChris

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I'm not sure if you fully understand the Nitrogen Cycle.

You can't have; 'cycled my tank every few days'. And I'm not sure what you mean by 'and cycled the tank by 25%' ?

If your switching to a canister filter then your tank will not be cycled. You will need to purchase the API Freshwater Master Kit - Welcome to API Fishcare: FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT which is a liquid testing kit, these are far more accurate. This can be bought on Amazon. Then you can test for Ammonia, Nitrite, NitrAtes, and PH.

Read these articles on cycling:

Caudata Culture Articles - Cycling
Caudata Culture Articles - Water Quality

The Nitrogen Cycle is key to your Axolotls health, so it is important to understand it and have it established in your tank.

Highly useful websites for Axolotl care:
http://www.axolotl.org/
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/articles_axolotl.shtml
 

DavidWatson123

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I went and bought everything I could find for him, water is .25 ammonia, 0 NH3, 0 NH4, I bought some extract west indian bay trees and been adding it to his or her water for the past 4 days yet hes only worsened, please help!
 

AxolotlChris

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Your Axolotl seems bloated, could you take some better images? The cloaca is definitely swollen. You should try finding a vet that can deal with amphibians asap.
 

LSuzuki

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Your axolotl is seriously ill, by the looks of it. There may be nothing that can be done. Better pictures might help those who are better at diagnosing illnesses, though.
 

DavidWatson123

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should i pull him from the tank? I adopted them as a breeding pair but the other one is perfectly fine? the water is perfect, I've spent $200 trying to help him over the past two week..:(
 

LSuzuki

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Give how bloated he looks in that one picture (which might be misleading - pictures are sometimes unclear), I think his only hope (and it is a slim one) is to take him to a vet.

I think it best if you take him out of the tank and keep him in a container with fresh, dechlorinated water. Change the water twice a day, and make sure the container is safe from pets and children, etc, and that he can't get out (covered or deep). This is to keep him from being bothered by his tank mate and to protect his tank mate if it is contagious.

I don't know how to treat bloat. If you search this forum for "bloat", you may be able to find some recommendations by some of the reputable keepers. Look in the oldest posts - the veterinarians used to be more active in this forum. The vets will sometimes have "HerpVet" under their names.
 

AxolotlChris

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Yes you should put your Axolotl in a separate container and change the water daily with dechlorinated water. Then find a vet that can deal with amphibians ASAP.

What have you spent $200 on?
 

DavidWatson123

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I bought them a canister filter, water testers, enough water control stuff to raise and lower just about every aspect of the water and some kinda tree oil, I'm just sad, I pulled him from the tank when i got home today from work, Hes very sick, his hind leg is disintegrating, I think one of his organs burst, have you ever euthanized? :(
 
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