Need some help

My axolotl has changed colour he was white but now has gotten a rash pink sort of colour from the legs down to tip of tail.He has also got darkish brown finger tips i know that means something about sexual maturity would you know how this rash has appeared or how i can help it he has also lost some weight since i last checked.
He has been ignoring the pellets i drop in front of his head.
He usually follows my finger up to the top of the water before i give him a pellet but lately its like he is blind?? :$

What is the tank temperature, maybe due to that and could be causing some stress. If it's 23 degrees or above you need to lower the temperature to preferably below 20 degrees; using fans blowing across surface or bottles of frozen dechlorinated water floating in the tank and rotate (change bottles) before it completely melts.

i know it sounds stupid but have you declorinated the water and tested pH etc. sometimes we forget these simple things. they could have a drastic effect

i have just tested his ph and lowered it a bit i hav 5 bottles that i rotate but i went out today so i couldnt really change it

and i just changed som of the water. i added the right amount of conditioner.
does that declorinate??

could the rash looking thing be a parasite??

Yes dechlorinator is water conditioner.

Try not to alter your pH using pH up or down. an axolotl is okay in pH of between 6.8 to 8.0, as long as your ammonia doesn't start rising if it's close to the higher end of the scale as it then becomes more toxic. Sitting 7.0-7.6 is good for them.

Have you tested your ammonia at all?

And no I don't think its anything to do with parasite.

Fluctuating temperature more likely. It may very well just have been the temperature - that's normal. My sister's older leucistic/white one has got a pink tail and rear legs which he only gets due to temp rising or stress, but temperatures here have only got as high as 22 degrees so not as bad as Australia.

Sounds like it could be "redleg", which is a bacterial infection. If you think it looks like a disease, not just a natural color fluctuation (like Heihei described), then the treatments of choice would be refrigeration and perhaps antibiotics. Do they sell antibiotics for tropical fish in Australia? They do here, but it's not legal in Europe.

umm i think ammonia might be the problem.
would a normal pet store hav a ammonia test kit?

i found a little layer or something like moss on his skin and the red rash looking thing has covered his head as well.
I am planning to buy ice bricks about 4 maybe would that get his temperature down?

If you think it's ammonia, do a 20% waterchange. The petshop will have an ammonia test kit; but you can take a sample of tankwater down to petshop and they will test it for you (takes 5 minutes). Don't be tempted to buy any chemicals to "correct/fix" your tankwater by the petshop assistants. Usually the best way is to do gradual 20% waterchanges daily until the water improves (eg: ammonia lowers)

Is the layer sort of fuzzy/greyish white looking or hairy looking (sometimes you have to look from various angles to get a good idea!) If so it may be fungus which can be brought on via stress.

Can you post a picture at all ?

If he is stressed and you are having problems controlling the tank temperature are you able to put him in the fridge at all? If you use the icebricks place them in ziplock bags to be on safe side when you float them in the tank. You have to rotate them consistently exactly the way you've been doing with the bottles the way you have been doing anyway.

What size is your tank? Length and width, I'm terrible on gallons/litres! The smaller the tank, the water temperature heats up faster than in a bigger tank.

You could also use a pedestal fan, raise it and angle it so it blows across the surface of the tank water, that brings it down a degree or two; as well as moving it away from any direct light/heat sources (windows/lights); and also moving it to the coolest part of the house, if able.

(Message edited by heihei on January 25, 2007)

60 cm length
15 cm depth
29.5 cm width

yeah it is most likely what u described
i will try and get him in the fridge
is the normal fridge temperature ok for him?

sorry, not sure what you mean by normal. My fridge is about 9/10 degrees, my sisters is colder 5 degrees! Anyway, as long as it isn't 4 degrees. If unsure, place a thermometer in a glass of water and place at back of fridge. Check in about 15-20minutes what temp is.

When placing in fridge, use either 2 containers (ice cream containers if he'll fit!) with lids, filled with water conditioned water.

Put him in one, place lid on, wrap with a teatowel then place in the fridge. Place lid on other and place next to it in fridge.

The 2nd container is needed for the next day waterchange (you have to do complete daily waterchanges) which has to be same temperature as it's current container so it doesn't stress your axie.

Next day, try and tip as much water out gently so he doesn't slip out, or use turkey baster to suck out water, then tip him into the 2nd container. Place lid on, wrap with teatowel and put back in fridge.

With the 1st container, clean it with baking soda and water, then rinse and add dechlorinated water to it, place lid on, return to fridge.

Next day, repeat when doing daily waterchange.

Thank you for your information when i woke up this morning i checked him, his tail has curved at the tip of it and a little bit of it has turned white and i mean not good white.
It looks though as if it is being eaten away by something.

(Message edited by brad on January 25, 2007)

Sounds like fungus (both the "moss" you describe, and the tail erosion). You should think about doing salt baths, in addition to the fridge.
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/salt.shtml