New axolotl didn't look too healthy, your thoughts?

Hi all,

Like I said in my introduction topic. I've only just bought this axolotl. It didn't seem too healthy (although I'm not an expert) and I hope I can get it back to good shape.

Since it's been in his new tank for just 2 hours a lot can still happen to it, but I'd like to post a few pictures for some impressions and help as to if it's feeling okay and if there's anything I can do for it now.

Also, please take note of some weird black spot on the thin part of it's tail (not sure what else I should call it).

I've sharpened the picture up just to point it out more clearly. Please have a look at these pictures and tell me what you think.








My apologies for the quality of these pictures.
Thank you for your help in advance! It's greatly appreciated.

Hi Rammoth,

Unfortunately I can't tell much from the photos at all. Your axolotl's gills are not curved forward and its tail is not bent, so it is not showing obvious signs of stress. It also does not look too thin. The spot looks like a bruise from a partially-healed injury, I think?

Is it possible for you to make sharper photos? Although you may not want to be moving the axolotl around a lot as it is new to this environment, I find it easier to take clearer pictures if the axolotl is put into a smaller container (like a clear glass bowl).

-Eva

Thank you for your help, I'll see what I can do. I don't want to take it out of it's tank anytime soon, since it's still adjusting to it's new tank, but I'll try some different camera's or try pictures with flash.

He's already looking better now, eats well and moves around quite a bit, so I suppose there isn't anything (serious) wrong with it

If I can get any sharper pictures, I'll update this topic.

Thanks again!

The most important thing you can do for your axolotl at the moment is make sure its living in well maintained water, water that is alive with healthy bacteria, water that is a good temperature.
Have you tested your water at all?
And what is the temperature of the tank water?

Hello again,

I took some better pictures this time. I didn't test my water myself, I just let it test by my aquarium store which keeps some healthy axolotls themselves (I didn't get it there, because I didn't want the wild coloured ones) and they told me my water is all fine except that the KH value (salt?) was quite high, 16 at that moment. The next time I got it tested it was 10. I think it was because of some frozen shrimps I've been feeding him. I refresh his water by 15-20% every other day, cause I haven't let the tank cycle before I got him.

The PH value is 7.2 and the water temperature is quite high (at 24C, can't seem to get it any lower at the moment )

Here are the pictures, especially take note of the white tops of it's gills. I don't think it's fungus cause it doesn't really look fluffy and hasn't grown in the past 2 weeks that I've been keeping him (he had it already when I got him). I'm keeping a close eye on it however and would like your opinion on it. Also the black spot doesn't seem to improve yet.

Could the white marks on it's gills be scar tissue or regeneration tissue? He seems to have been bitten an awful lot at it's former owner (with salamanders).

Once again, thank your for all your help.

I think the white bits on the gills are normal colouration, my female had them. The black spot I am not too sure about, it may be just pigmentation. I would be tempted to just keep an eye on your axolotl for changes. In my ( humble:wacko: opinion) your axolotl looks fine and you seem to be doing all the right things though the temp could do with dropping...have you tried using a fan blowing across the top of the water . With regards to salt, you should rinse the shrimp before feeding..what else are you feeding it?

Thank you for your comment

I tried using a (household) fan, but he seems to really hate it.

I mostly feed him tubifex and every so often shrimps. I wanted to make shrimps staple food until I found out that they give out lots of salt. I'll try to rince them and see if it works out

I'm still looking for places to find other food (rainworms or bloodworms and the like) for variations, but he's a very good eater so far and is always in for some worm hunting.

I keep an eye on him all the time, I like watching him and observe him every day to see if I can find any changes (since he's been bitten a lot while in the pet store). So far I can only see good changes (new toe ) and he's quite lively and doesn't show any symptons of stress yet, so I figure he's doing fine at the moment