One axolotl dead! Leucistic with pronounced blood vessels!

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Kurtlin

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A few weeks ago i purchased 3 juvenile axolotls. one melanoid, one wild type, one leucistic. this morning i found my wild type dead without warning :( i also noticed that my leucistic was very pink and her blood vessels were very red and her gill fluff seemed to be deteriorating. i am fridging the leucistic. the melanoid seems to be just fine though. water parameters are all good. pH is 7.5. they have been fed small salmon pellets and small earthworms. the temp is a bit high at 20 degrees. maybe i need to bring it down? any tips on how to do this in the long term without buying a costly chiller?

also, they are in a 30 gallon divided tank with lots of plants, a piece of driftwood and a couple ornaments.
 
Kurtlin said:
my leucistic was very pink and her blood vessels were very red and her gill fluff seemed to be deteriorating.
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This is generally down to water quality or temp, what did you check your water quality with? and what did you test for?
 
Have you checked your ammonia and nitrites? These can build up quickly, and can cause the symptoms you've listed.
 
I checked ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, ph and chlorine with some boxed test kits. ammonia, nitrate and nitrite were all 0 and ph was 7.5. chlorine was 0... i suspected bad water quality to but that doesn't seem to be the case :confused:
 
the temp is between 20 and 21 c. is this a problem? how would i be able to keep it lower?
 
Kurtlin said:
the temp is between 20 and 21 c. is this a problem? how would i be able to keep it lower?
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Personally I wouldn't say it's absurdly high but it could be lower. Have you tried placing fans over the water surface? Ice bottles are an alternative but you will need A LOT of them for a good rotation of placing, refreezing, etc. Both cheap and effective ways of cooling the water.
 
I've considered fans... but I've checked many other threads and 20c seems to be quite common. I really wish i knew what to do to help my little guys :( there arent any vets close to me... the overflow filter i have causes a little water movement... i will be doing a water change tomorrow. hopefully this will help.
 
Kurtlin said:
I've considered fans... but I've checked many other threads and 20c seems to be quite common. I really wish i knew what to do to help my little guys :( there arent any vets close to me... the overflow filter i have causes a little water movement... i will be doing a water change tomorrow. hopefully this will help.
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It is becoming quite a mystery! As said, the symptoms they are showing are usually down to temp and/or water quality issues. Like I said 20 degree's isn't tragic as temperature goes. Anything edging towards 25 degrees and over is when you need to be worried.
 
my test kits are kind of old... will this effect the test?
 
Kurtlin said:
my test kits are kind of old... will this effect the test?
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Out of date tests can give false readings unfortunately, yes. So, it may be worth you getting some brand new ones in asap. It may just turn out to be your water quality after all.
 
will do... my ammonia one looked pretty outdated. hopefully a new test kit and some water changes will do the trick
 
Kurtlin said:
will do... my ammonia one looked pretty outdated. hopefully a new test kit and some water changes will do the trick
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Here's hoping! Wishing you the best of luck with finding out if thats the answer! Keep us updated :happy:
 
Kurtlin said:
my test kits are kind of old... will this effect the test?
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Unless you have been doing 100% daily water changes on your axolotl tank the reading of zero for ammonia , nitrite and nitrate is wrong, you may want to invest in a new kit or get your water tested at a pet shop. You should also have a close look at the remaining wild type, light coloured axolotls show poor water quality far easier than wild types, it may be in a bad way. I like to keep a leucistic in with my wild types for this reason, in case I get an unexpected spike or a water change gets missed by my kids when I am working away from home. If I come back and find my pure white axy is looking a touch pink it gives me the opportunity to test the water , do an emergency water change if necessary and then beat the kids at my leisure.
 
the nitrate/nitrite kit is fairly new... nevertheless what should i do until i procure a test kit? i am fridging the leucistic. should i fridge the melanoid too? doing a water change tomorrow. do you recommend a salt bath?
 
I bet your test kit is bad. 0 readings aren't common in a cycled or non-cycled tank. There should be an ammonia spike with a dead axolotl having been in there.
 
I would do a big water change. I dont think fridging is necessary, but adding a cheap desk fan to your tank will drop the temps to a better level. It is a very cheap and very reliable method.
 
my leucistic passed away the next morning :( poor thing. I did a water change and the melanoid still looks perfectly healthy. perhaps when i get my tank better established ducky can have some playmates...
 
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