Extremely Pale Axolotl

DinnerTheAxolotl

DinnerTheAxolotl

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Hi, my axolotl is so pale I thought she was dead. She isn't moving and the only reason I knew she was alive was because her gills twitched please help me I don't know what to do or what happened. She was acting a little stressed but I do not know why. Her water temp is 62 degrees F and her pH is 7.6. here is what she looks like
1651191393404.png
 
What are the other water parameters like? Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc. Is it possible that she was just sleeping? They have no eyelids and a lack of activity can decrease blood flow which may make them paler.
 
Ammonia: 0ppm
nitrites: 0ppm
nitrates: 0ppm
idk if she was sleeping but she sill hasn't moved
 
she moved a little and how do I tub her? last time I cleaned the take I did a 75% water change and changed the filter and scrubbed the sides of the walls and stuff. what is the ammonia level supposed to be? she isn't turning red which I read was a sign of ammonia burn sorry I'm freaking out lol
 
DinnerTheAxolotl said:
she moved a little and how do I tub her? last time I cleaned the take I did a 75% water change and changed the filter and scrubbed the sides of the walls and stuff. what is the ammonia level supposed to be? she isn't turning red which I read was a sign of ammonia burn sorry I'm freaking out lol
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Your nitrate reading at zero with the other two indicates you may have a misreading. To tub, basically just get a tub rinsed and filled with dechlorinated water. Red is a sign of ammonia burns but if she was swimming in a crashed cycle tank for a while, the color could be paler.
 
I don't know what you mean by "changed the filter" but that can definitely crash your cycle. Not to say it shouldn't be done when necessary but I'm thinking that likely crashed the cycle.
 
with filters you change activated carbon monthly as the the carbon becomes less effective and if left to long will start colonising bacteria,
sponge filters are squeezed out into old tank water to remove any muck build up, these do not need replacing unless damaged/deteriorated, replacing these can damage the bacteria colony and therefore damage the nitrogen cycle.
bio media is rinsed out with old tank water, these do not need replacing and removing the bio-media will crash the nitrogen cycle as you are removing nearly all the bacteria colony.
cleaning filter housing should be done using old tank water.
 
I change it every two weeks and I have a mechanical 20 gallon filter with carbon activated catridges
 
DinnerTheAxolotl said:
I change it every two weeks and I have a mechanical 20 gallon filter with carbon activated catridges
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does the filter use zeolite?
zeolite will remove ammonia.
the nitrate shouldn't be zero, but the ammonia and nitrites wouldn't be zero either with a crashed cycle, how are the parameters tested? liquid or strips? might be a bad test.
axolotls can suffer anaemia if the water isn't hard enough.
make sure the water is oxygenated enough.
 
Last edited:
I just got home and saw that she has regained a lot of her color, and she is a little on the paler side but she's pink again! She still hasn't moved from the same spot though :(
 
DinnerTheAxolotl said:
I just got home and saw that she has regained a lot of her color, and she is a little on the paler side but she's pink again! She still hasn't moved from the same spot though :(
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sometimes they go pale whilst resting as the blood is going through them slower, this is more noticeable on light coloured axolotls such as luci's and albino's.
if the water hasn't got the right salt's and minerals in it they can suffer temporary anaemia, see Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity for more info.
the main thing is to keep the water parameters in check, keep the water cold and well oxygenated.
 
wolfen said:
does the filter use zeolite?
zeolite will remove ammonia.
the nitrate shouldn't be zero, but the ammonia and nitrites wouldn't be zero either with a crashed cycle, how are the parameters tested? liquid or strips? might be a bad test.
axolotls can suffer anaemia if the water isn't hard enough.
make sure the water is oxygenated enough.
Click to expand...
i have liquid tests
 
can you send a pic of the axies belly? this happened to mine, too.
 
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