Axolotl with really red tail? Please help

firebellynewt84 · Feb 1, 2018

So Hello, I got an Axolotl around last summer. He's always been really healthy and has caused no problems. However recently we moved him into a larger tank and sometimes the tank gets really cloudy. Eventually it clears up though. But the past week he's been having a red tail then back to a normal tail. He's also a lot more "floaty" then usual. Is this some sort of fungus or problem with water? Please help as soon as you can I will be posting pictures of him tomorrow. Thanks!

rhotle · Feb 2, 2018

It could be bacterial or fungal. I'm not sure. Here's a link to a Reddit thread with a similar topic. This one also had the link to another Caudata thread in it, so here's that. Are the red spots spreading, and do you have pics that you can upload or link to? Either way I think it would be a good idea to give him a tea bath or salt bath. Hope he's okay!

DSaxolotl · Feb 2, 2018

Hello,

Can you please post a picture of the axie?

firebellynewt84 · Feb 2, 2018

heres 2 pictures of him, sorry for the really blurry photos they were taken on my phone. as you can see, its pretty much only the tail with the red parts and nowhere else that i can see. can you guys tell what this is or will i have to try and take better pictures? thanks

rhotle · Feb 2, 2018

Hmmmm from what I can tell, it doesn't have the same "splotchiness" that a bacteria or fungi would have, but then again its hard for me to see the tail clearly. His gills look great though. What are your water parameters and the temp? (pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc.) When in doubt do the tea or salt bath.

Male axolotl mating behavior might be what your witnessing. Is he in a tank with a female, or have you noticed spermatophore? (sperm piles). When males do their mating dance, they have very rigid tails that turn pink due to increased blood flow. I don't know how long they remain that way though, I've never witnessed it myself. Here's some more info on that.

Cryowuff · Feb 7, 2018

I can't tell from the photos, but if the axolotl is still behaving normally I wouldn't worry. Much like their gills, leucistic and albino axolotls will sometimes go red in the tail as a result of increased oxygen levels and/or blood flow. If it were caused by fungus or bacteria, there would be a number of other concerning symptoms, and the tail would not be going from red to normal. It would remain a very concerning, sort of splotchy red coloration.

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Axolotl with really red tail? Please help

firebellynewt84

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