Shes gotten lighter in colour?

Not sure if this is a maturity thing as she is only 8 months old, but Raven has become much lighter in colour. Some specks on her appear white. I have added some 'multi-cure' stuff into the water.

Currently she and my other Axolotl Darwin are living in a 90L tub as I'm on holidays at my parents. They still have a filter and I have been doing 30% water changes every week and keeping their temperature under 20*c, one occasion having them in the fridge.

Their diet contains pellets and worms from the garden. (chemical free vegetable patch). And her appetite is still very healthy, gills are still fluffy,

The picture is a before and now comparison... My phone isnt great for photos, but I think the colour difference you see is accurate.

Is she sick?




(oh and those rocks aren't in their tank anymore before you worry)

When axolotls are inactive their gills and body can turn paler but your second photo isn't very clear to see, so I can't say for sure. What are your tank parameters like?

What is multi-cure? It usually is inadviseable to add chemicals to your axolotl tank as they don't have scales to protect them like fish and can actually cause them harm than good. If his skin looks sluggish - tea bath. If it's fungus - salt bath. You really shouldn't be adding anything into the tank other than the correct amount of dechlorinator. I would stop ASAP.

And good thing you took the rocks out - I remember your post from before. What changed your mind?

I went away for a few days and left Chernobyl in plastic tubs in my mums care. He looks very similar to your Raven, , and was around 5" long at the time.
When I got back, he had changed colour too. I believe wild types can be chameleon in nature and change their colour. I don't think this is a cause for concern

The white bits could be iradospores (spelling?) which are natural - try taking a photo with flash on (flash won't upset them) or shine a torch on. If they are shiny/reflective then they are normal. It could also be fungus. Are the white spots fluffy or lumpy, or smooth on the skin? I can't tell by the pic, one of the more experienced people may have some better advice.

Are you monitoring the water parameters while in the tubs? Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, and PH - even with a filter, these can rise quickly if not monitored closely. Being in a tub, I'm guessing it isn't cycled, which could affect your water quality and their health. I think daily PWC might be a safer option.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm still learning too :lick:

I'm trying really hard to look at the most recent photo of her and she sort of looks cloudy to me, which could indicate slime coat problems. But again the photo quality isn't the greatest.

If she just looks pale all over I'm guessing inactivity. If she's cloudy looking I'm guessing slime coat problems. If it's cottony it's fungus. And nex is right, when I got my wildtype his specks were yellow, now they're white. And mine does go pale when he's "sleeping". Perhaps a better photo will help us

The spots seem flat to the skin and have no strange texture. The filter has a water jet feature so the water is moving around. The Pet store lady did say the 'blue planet' Multi Cure treatment is fine for axolotls and the label does define a dosage for scaleless fish which I use.
its Teatment for the following:
white spot (Ichthyophthirius multifilius),
Velvet disease (Oodinium spp.)
and fungal diseases.

I dont think the spots are reflective either. haven't thought to have the water tested as my other axolotl in there seem completely normal and all their other signs are normal. Just the colour change that has me concerned. As for the sleeping possibility, when shes active like just after a meal she still seems pale to me. Oh and I am treating the new water every week to keep things as normal as I can.

And I took the rocks out because I was struggling to keep the tank floor clean and I felt it was harming my water quality.

Pet stores / LFS aren't always the brightest I never trust them. Isn't white spot and velvet a parasitic disease and would affect the other axolotl?

The photos still blurry to me but I can not see any fungus and would advise on tea baths rather than multi-cure. Their goal is to make money at the end of the day.

Tea baths are good as they won't do any damage to their skin or irritate it so no harm in trying it out for a few days. It could be down to your water quality / temperature.

how are tea baths done?

Regular black tea, no herbal infusions, no green tea - just plain black tea. Pour hot water over the bag / a full mug whatever you desire. Squeeze the tea out and let it cool to room temperature. Add to 10L of treated water and let your babies soak in it. You don't have to put them in the bucket, you can place it in a smaller tub as long as the tea - water ratio is right.

You can add it to your tank. It will leave the water slightly yellow due to the tannins, but that's okay. The tannins help soothe the skin, help correct slime problems and tighten it to prevent fungal problems getting in. Almond tea leaves also have an anti fungal property to it.