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Caudal fin disappearing, redness and not eating

Dagon

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Hi guys,

I have two axolotls in a 125 litre tank. They are roughly 2 years old and are both wildtype although one is much lighter than the other. Over the last few months their appetites have really declined, they used to snap at everything but now it is a struggle to get them to eat. The smaller one has not eaten for at least a month.

They are both floating constantly and are very active almost as though they want to escape the tank. I instantly thought poor water conditions were the cause but they are perfect (ammonia <0.25, nitrite 0 and nitrates <20 ph 7.5-8) and I do a 40% water change weekly. They are also on sand so no risk of gravel ingestion.

The lighter/smaller one also has reddish blotches on its skin which have been worsening recently, both of their gills have deteriorated also. The caudal fin on both has been shrinking and now on the smaller one is almost non-existent on its back.

The larger one does still eat occasionally and its skin/gills appear to be in better condition but I can tell it is not happy. I have no idea what the cause of this is and on my last water change I removed most of the tank decor (a planted log and some plant pots) and kept decoration minimal.

I have not changed my routine the whole two years of having them and prior to about three months ago they were very healthy and looked great.

Also as a side note I have always declorinated with tetra aquasafe, but I recently read a thread on here about how it may contain iodine (although it doesn't say on the bottle).

Any suggestions? Sorry for the long post!
 
Last edited:

melvin2002

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Dear Dagon,
I'm sorry to tell you this, but according to what i've heard red blotches and bloating are signs of kidney or liver failure in axolotls, I advise you to go to a veterinarian who can treat caudates as soon as possible, I'm very sorry for you, but if you are quick it may be possible to save them still.
in the best case scenario, they're going through metamorphosis, where the gills dissappear and the fins shrink, but this is unlikely.
Try to find out how much iodine is in your tank it can be a factor in axolotl metamorphosis, but whatever the case may be, go to that veterinarian.
the red spots could be redleg, you could
try a salt bath for that
good luck to you and your axies,
-Melvin
 

Dagon

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Thank you for replying. I knew it was serious and I shall get them to a vet ASAP, although a specialist is hard to find near me.
 
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