(I'll have to get a photo tomorrow- they're at my office)
I've had an albino and leucistic axolotl in a 34 gallon tank since they were babies (born late March 2011) with biweekly 30% water changes and a dual filter on medium that flows through 3-4 inches of floating aquatic sword plants (to dampen the current) no substrate- just bare glass and a fist-sized oval stone.
I hung a breeding tank on the edge this week for some pond snails that I didn't want the axos to have access to. My albino deemed this a good thing to wedge himself against, and wrapped his entire tail around part of the filter intake to help him reach it. I didn't see this until after lunch, and I immediately moved the breeding tank and turned off the filter to free the axo from its' suction.
I noticed lines from the intake throughout the tail end up to its' hind legs that looked like a hickey. I figured this was just blood pulled to the surface of the skin, and I let him swim off.
I moved the breeder tank out, but 3 days have passed, and the bloodshot stripes of skin turned to what could only be described as 'decaying cotton'. The entire tail and a spot on its' side look like cottony white fibers that fall away in clumps. I've isolated him so that he won't be bothered by the other axo, but I don't know what to do other than hope the isolation will save his energy for regeneration.
I've looked at every photo/read every description of infection/disease, and what I have doesn't look like what I've found. The *non white* skin feels normal to the touch (I don't want to poke at the affected areas). Namely its' 'ribs' area have me concerned. Axos have those vertical lines in their skin on the side.... the fleshier parts of the skin have fallen away from between these lines (a lot like corrugation: http://www.footnoted.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Corrugated-container-Smurfit1.jpg) and just today, the skin fell off one of its' hind toes. I can see one completely exposed clear toe bone.
It still eats his favorite foods, but only if I drop it near its' head because he seems hesitant to move around much. The other axo has perfect skin/gills (deep pink during swim, yellowy at rest)/is active/eats every morsel I feed it.
Therm says 68F, water is normal, nothing new added to tank recently, fed a variety of moist sinking newt pellets, dry floating medicated amphibian pellets, bloodworms and occasionally a couple mini algae wafers. Suggestions aside from vet? (Don't know if tea/salt tricks should be done since bone is exposed now)
I've had an albino and leucistic axolotl in a 34 gallon tank since they were babies (born late March 2011) with biweekly 30% water changes and a dual filter on medium that flows through 3-4 inches of floating aquatic sword plants (to dampen the current) no substrate- just bare glass and a fist-sized oval stone.
I hung a breeding tank on the edge this week for some pond snails that I didn't want the axos to have access to. My albino deemed this a good thing to wedge himself against, and wrapped his entire tail around part of the filter intake to help him reach it. I didn't see this until after lunch, and I immediately moved the breeding tank and turned off the filter to free the axo from its' suction.
I noticed lines from the intake throughout the tail end up to its' hind legs that looked like a hickey. I figured this was just blood pulled to the surface of the skin, and I let him swim off.
I moved the breeder tank out, but 3 days have passed, and the bloodshot stripes of skin turned to what could only be described as 'decaying cotton'. The entire tail and a spot on its' side look like cottony white fibers that fall away in clumps. I've isolated him so that he won't be bothered by the other axo, but I don't know what to do other than hope the isolation will save his energy for regeneration.
I've looked at every photo/read every description of infection/disease, and what I have doesn't look like what I've found. The *non white* skin feels normal to the touch (I don't want to poke at the affected areas). Namely its' 'ribs' area have me concerned. Axos have those vertical lines in their skin on the side.... the fleshier parts of the skin have fallen away from between these lines (a lot like corrugation: http://www.footnoted.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Corrugated-container-Smurfit1.jpg) and just today, the skin fell off one of its' hind toes. I can see one completely exposed clear toe bone.
It still eats his favorite foods, but only if I drop it near its' head because he seems hesitant to move around much. The other axo has perfect skin/gills (deep pink during swim, yellowy at rest)/is active/eats every morsel I feed it.
Therm says 68F, water is normal, nothing new added to tank recently, fed a variety of moist sinking newt pellets, dry floating medicated amphibian pellets, bloodworms and occasionally a couple mini algae wafers. Suggestions aside from vet? (Don't know if tea/salt tricks should be done since bone is exposed now)