Question: Curious about GFP melanoid or wildtypes!

[Janilla]

Hey guys!

So I was curious about something, I know that lighter coloration such as luecistics and albinos will glow brighter, but I was curious about how melanoid or wildtypes look under a glow?

Does anyone have any good pictures of the much darker colorations as they're glowing? I would love to see them!

 

[EmbryH]

I don't know of any images of a darker GFP axolotl, but if you're looking into getting one, I would reconsider ever using a blacklight on them, as the GFP exists throughout their entire body, including the inside of their eyes. As they have no eyelids to block out the light, and they're already light-sensitive, putting a blacklight on an axolotl can be painful and stressful.

The GFP ups the "coolness" factor, but generally it can lead to a more stressed animal.

 

[Boomsloth]

I don't know of any images of a darker GFP axolotl, but if you're looking into getting one, I would reconsider ever using a blacklight on them, as the GFP exists throughout their entire body, including the inside of their eyes. As they have no eyelids to block out the light, and they're already light-sensitive, putting a blacklight on an axolotl can be painful and stressful.

The GFP ups the "coolness" factor, but generally it can lead to a more stressed animal.

Going by what Embry said, yes GFP is "cool" but shouldn't be the main reason you buy an axolotl. If you constantly show off your cool glowing axolotl it will get stressed out fast and learn to associate your presence with the uncomfortable light. However I do own two GFP axolotls, one leucistic and one wildtype. I can't say how they would glow now since they have grown a lot since the last time, but the GFP wildtype was a more subtle glow. You only notice it if you are comparing it to a non GFP wildtype. Other than that my GFP wildtype has a slight greenish tint. Again not recommended to shine a UV light on any axolotl for extended periods.

 

[Boomsloth]

Forgot to mention, GFP pigments respond to UV light which means that if you plan on using any type of light bulb in your tank that emits UV light (most grow lights do) your axolotl will be glowing. You won't notice it but your axolotl will. I have an LED flashlight that I was using to help see any gunk in their hides and I stopped using that because I noticed my leucistic was going green.

 

[Janilla]

Oh no no I know that it's not good to keep them under direct light! I know that it can be painful for the little babes, I was more curious as a whole, since most of the photos I've seen are of the luecistic or albino typed, I was just curious what other types looked like! I'd never expose them to direct light like that, or put them under a black light, I'm sorry if my post came off that way that wasn't my intent!

 

[Boomsloth]

Ohh okay. Yeah the wild types look normal except for maybe some green tinting and greener eyes. Melanoids tend to only have the eyes. There really isn't much difference between GFPs and non GFPs except for a slight greenish tint.

 

[shark]

Hey guys!

So I was curious about something, I know that lighter coloration such as luecistics and albinos will glow brighter, but I was curious about how melanoid or wildtypes look under a glow?

Does anyone have any good pictures of the much darker colorations as they're glowing? I would love to see them!

My wild-type GFP... I don't keep the black light on for very long and hardly every turn it on at all, but he is pretty bright!