Question: Is Engleburt sick?

subjonno · Jul 28, 2008

Hi Everyone,

I'm still a newbie to all this and was wondering if my Axolotl Engleburt is sick.

Engleburt has a lump just under her tail and right behind her hind leg. She also swims around like she is stressed or agitated. I have very fine stones in the tank so I don't think she swallowed a stone or anything.

I have photos but have no idea how to post them up on these forums lol

Once I work out how to put photos up I will

Thanks
Jonno

Jacquie · Jul 28, 2008

Hi Jonno and welcome aboard!

This link provides instruction on how to post pictures to the forum:
http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=55492

If you could also advise of your water parameters (Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate/PH/Temperature) this will assist us in ascertaining what could be up with your axie.

How large is your tank?

I would replace those small stones with either sand or bare bottom tank. Gravel of any size smaller than 2cm in diameter can cause impaction or discomfort to the axolotl when ingested.

The lump behind tail could mean that she is actually a male. Male axolotls have an enlarged cloaca, the female does not.

But if you could post a photo of the 'lump' just to be on the safe side however and advise of the age/size of the axolotl, that would be very helpful.

Cheers Jacq.

subjonno · Jul 28, 2008

Ok hopefully these pictures work and aren't too big to view.

Are axolotl eggs white? Cause I have these weird black balls in the plants, they have a moldy web around them, sorry the pictures aren't that clear.

subjonno · Jul 28, 2008

Thanks Jacq

Umm I get these readings off the test strip

Nitrate 20
Nitrite 0.5
pH 7.0
KH 40
GH 60

I think thats right, Im colourblind so hmmmm hahahahaha sorry

naymo · Jul 28, 2008

Hello,

Engleburt looks extremely healthy,..HE is a boy lol the large sweeling at his hind legs is his cloaca and its size suggests he is a male.
The little weird balls in your plants are eggs, is he in the tank with another? Because it looks like hes become a daddy.

Jacquie · Jul 28, 2008

The golden albino in the pictures is a male axolotl. I'm guessing that his tank companion is the Leucistic in your avator picture? Is that right?

Those things sure look like eggs to me!

Congratulations.

If so, the eggs are brown as the mother is not albino. If she was an albino the eggs would be white.

For breeding information: http://www.axolotl.org/breeding.htm

Ah, just caught sight of your next post...

Dip strip tests are notorious for giving woefully inaccurate readings, test tube kits are far more reliable.

If the Nitrite is 0.5 and the Nitrate is 20 the tank has not fully cycled as yet. The most important reading however is for Ammonia, any reading higher than '0' for ammonia is toxic to an axolotl. Is the axie still swimming as if stressed or agitated?

Cheers Jacq.

subjonno · Jul 28, 2008

really? a boy lol well we originally assumed he was a boy but I changed it in the forum to a girl so I didn't get embarrassed if the lump meant he was pregnant lol guess I embarrassed myself in another way hehe

Engleburt lives with 3 other axolotls; Dragonbob, Wilfred and Adlekirklina hehe none of them have the enlarged cloaca. . . guess Engleburt is one lucky boy hehe.

As for the eggs, I saw them white on the website, so they can come in black as well? lol

subjonno · Jul 28, 2008

Probably posting this in the wrong place lol but here are our axolotls

Dragonbob and Engleburt

Wilfred (Who is now probably a girl hehehe)

and the gorgeous Adlekirklina

Thanks for the congrats, my girlfriend is over the moon lol

inkozana · Jul 28, 2008

Goodness! Engleburt has gorgeous colouring!

Jacquie · Jul 28, 2008

There may be another male in that batch of good looking axies - some males develop more slowly and can be mistaken for girls because of this.

It's often best to wait until the axie is a year old before trying to sex with accuracy - although sometimes you can be lucky and the male will develop the bulge early as a juvenile indicating he is obviously a male.

Kaysie · Jul 28, 2008

I've found that after one male starts dropping spermatophores, the rest come to maturity pretty quickly (a competition thing, I suppose).

But you've definitely got at least a pair, and are now a proud grandparent! The white eggs come from albino parents, while dark eggs are laid by non-albino parents. Which means either Adlekirklina or Wilfred is the momma (can I suggest Winifred? lol).

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Question: Is Engleburt sick?

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