Do axies shed their skin?

[stuart]

I got a new axie for my birthday last week. He's only a baby. But I'm noticing what looks like shedding skin ... do axies shed? Or is this some sort of infection? Any ideas?

 

[annabelle]

I am also relatively new to this but from what I can gather axies have been known to shed but usually they eat it so fast that you never see it. As a word of caution tho. My axie (RIP Charlie) had skin peeling off him and he died. I came on here and the lovely people here told me it was most likely an ammonia spike which killed him. U should probably check your ammonia levels. If you dont have the kits for it usually your local pet/aquarium store can test it for you. Another thing to check is if his tail is a bit bent at the end. Its supposed to be a sign of stress. If it is an ammonia spike, a partial water change is probably a good idea to get it down a bit. Im sure there is alot more to consider but I hope this helps.

 

[annabelle]

One more thing. Did you cycle your tank first and what is your GH/Kh and pH like?

 

[mark]

Does the "skin" look like mucus or is it more a look like a cotton fuzz. If it looks like mucus then it is shedding, the other is fungus.

 

[joleen]

I dont think its actually been confirmed as to whether axies shed or not (unless i missed the thread where Ed or Jen confirmed ??).


Welcome Stuart!

Id test your water asap if i were you (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph).
If you dont have a test kit, get a sample and go to your nearest aquarium. Make sure you ask them for the exact result of each though and post them here.
Good luck.

 

[sharn]

i dont think it has been either, the video wasnt a axolotl shedding, it was something else that looked like one lol. and im sure with the amount of time us people spend looking at aixes we would have seen it if it did happen, im pretty doubtful to be honest.

i would definatly think it would be ammonia or stress (they can excrete alot of slime coat when stressed). you say you got him last week so i assume your tank isnt cycled? if not you will need to do water changes often (every 1-2 days) of 30% or so to keep the levels down. if you could test your levels that would be a great help

 

[stuart]

Ok ... A few things.
* What does Cycling the tank involve?
* What does GH/Kh mean?
* No I haven't checked the ammonia levels (will get a kit today)
* Staring to think this is a fungal infection - Will a salt bath be an adequate treatment?

 

[stuart]

Nugget didn't last the day. I came home a few hours after my last post to find that he had passed on. Thanks for your advice everyone.

 

[joleen]

Stuart,

You should start by reading here:
http://www.axolotl.org/

It has ALL information you will need and will answer all the questions above.

I cant say whether a salt baths will fix the issue. Try having a look through previous posts/threads that contain the word "fungas". Majority of them will have photos in there that you can use as a comparison with the condition your axie is in. You'll also find info on salt bathing, if you conclude that it is definatley a fungal infection.

 

[annabelle]

Sorry to hear about your axie.

Its very upsetting when it happens. Ur probably right about the shedding jOLeen, its just something Ive heard a few times in this site. Havent seen it confirmed or even commented on by a moderator yet. Stuart, very good idea to read and research as much as u can if ur gonna get another one. Im at that stage now. This forum and the site jOLeen put up are great but it wouldnt hurt to google it as well. The more info the better. Sorry bout the long post.