Help!!! Axolotl Fading?

[onyx2011]

I'm really confused. I can't seem to find any information on my issue. It seems that overnight, Tabitha has faded? Is he stressed? Am I just paranoid? Sorry if my pics are bad quality, but I'm aiming for you guys to see the contrast of colors rather than detail, so my awful camera shouldn't be important.


Usually, I have to either turn up the brightness on my phone or take a good angle to see Tabi in pictures, but as you can see, it's very easy to pick out Tabi from the sand. (Yesterday I couldn't even find him for 5 minutes cause he was blended so well!)

The tank temperature is a good 67°, and the water parameters aren't bad cause I've been doing frequent water changes. There are two hides in the tank, so I don't understand what the problem could be?

He's usually a very dark, nearly black axie, but now he looks brownish gray. He's been snuggling the bubble wand lately, does that have anything to do with it?

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[Donna001]

Ok, don't panic, let's just get somemore information first.
What are your actual tank parameters? What test do you use? How long have you had the set up and has the tank been fully cycled?
If you could also get some really good pictures of your axolotl that would be very helpful. It may be worth perhaps putting something like a white plastic container into the tank and moving him into it so we can see him in detail. Sometimes things like a thickening of the slime coat can make dark axolotls look paler. Without information and pictures we won't be able to offer specific advice, so please provide as much as possible.
As for the food, it can sometimes be very difficult to change the diet. Earthworms are an excellent basic diet, and pellets can be very good for ensuring that they get some variation and additional nutrients. My younger ones were fine with pellets until they were old enough to move onto worms, and now they have no interest in the pellets. I have taken to hiding them in prawns once a week, just to make sure they get some. :happy:

 

[onyx2011]

Here's a good pic that my phone was somehow able to capture this morning

The one with him staring right into the camera(and he's quite darker in that pic) was from last week. I have to go out and run errands, I'll be back later to talk more about tank info

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[tipnatee]

You need check every thing exactly like what Donna001 said. And possibly put him in a clean fresh water container to see the change closer and for better close up pictures. Fading can be from outside slime coat do to irritate skin which need to be treated right away , or the other unusual case color mutation like vitiligo or etc, which is ok.

 

[onyx2011]

You need check every thing exactly like what Donna001 said. And possibly put him in a clean fresh water container to see the change closer and for better close up pictures. Fading can be from outside slime coat do to irritate skin which need to be treated right away , or the other unusual case color mutation like vitiligo or etc, which is ok.

I think I know what I did wrong. I did a water change on Thursday, and my measurements for the dechlorinater are for 15 gallons, and my water changes are 2 gallons.

I tried to put in the tiniest drop possible, (it's 1ml for 15 gallons), but I didn't think it was a big deal because it said that if you put in 3 mL, it can remove more bad stuff. Tabi then displayed stress, and had this twitch, and I searched this website and another user said it was too much dechlorinater. So I added more water, and he stopped twitching. That was on Thursday.

I just gave him a 30 minute tea bath, and he's doing a lot better already.

I can't provide exact tank parameters yet, I'm saving up for a testing kit. I don't have a job, because I was waiting for the football season to be over. I'm in marching band, so I can't have a life during that. I took a sample of my water to the petstore last weekend and they said it was in safe boundaries. Ive been doing water changes twice a week to maintain safe levels until I can get a good testing kit.

The tank has been set up since September 26, and Tabi has been in it since October 3rd. The tank is cycling, which is another reason why I do such frequent water changes.

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[tipnatee]

It's sound like you've found the cause. That's very good. , I often found that many people have this same problem of over use the dechlorinator, water conditioner and such. I found that it's much cheaper for the long run to use dechlorinating filter which you can buy in hardware store, instead of spending money on bottles of dechlorinator that might contain stuff that irritate axolotl skin. So far the one dechlorinator that I still buy if needed is the API ammo lock that I use during cycling fiter, and my axie doesn't seen to irritate by it.

 

[Donna001]

It's good that you have found what the problem is, and great to hear that your axie is looking better after a tea bath. The dechlorinator may have irritated the skin, causing the slime coat to thicken and give a pale appearance.

Best of luck and please keep us posted on your progress. :happy:

 

[onyx2011]

Here's an update on his progress! The above picture(assuming it uploads correctly, I'm new to this. ) is a good pic I got before a tea bath, yesterday


Tabi was very bewildered by the whole experience, but was well behaved! I heard stories about people hurting axie toes with the typical fish net, and that's all I got, so I placed the two tubs right next to each other. One tub was the tea bath, and the other was a clean ice cream bucket I scooped him out of his tank with. I then very carefully scooped him with both hands, and transferred him to the tea bath from the ice cream bucket. Tubs were at the same temperature, and he didn't freak out when exposed to air.


(Here's him in his ice cream bucket)


Here's a pic of this morning, before I left for school. Can I reuse the tea bath from yesterday, or do I need to use a new one? My water is toxic, so we need to conserve the clean water we do have.

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[onyx2011]

Also is it normal for axies to be hyper after a tea bath? Here's a cute picture I got of him while he was playing in some plants

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[Donna001]

I've not had to do a tea bath on any of my fellas, so I can't answer your questions on that.
Great to hear that he behaved well during the bath, and that he has been playing in his plants since returning to his tank. :happy:

 

[onyx2011]

Update, did a major water change on Thursday, and then left for the weekend to my best friends house. I got back today, and Tabi is doing a lot better! His color seems much darker, and his gills look fuller. So I'm assuming the crisis is pretty much over! *Knocks on wood*

I got him a new plant while I was out, and he can't rip this one up!!!

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[MrHood]

I need help so past week we had high Temps got a Lil warmer in the house and idk if this was the cause or something else I checked my WP and everything seem ok but nitrates were a Lil high but it looks to be my axolotl skin is turning greyish.

 

[wolfen]

I need help so past week we had high Temps got a Lil warmer in the house and idk if this was the cause or something else I checked my WP and everything seem ok but nitrates were a Lil high but it looks to be my axolotl skin is turning greyish.

the powder coating can occur due to numerous different reasons, high nitrates, high gh, being in enclosed area to long ie.. jar/caves/hides etc.. lack of cleaning out of jars/caves/hides etc.. although not harmful or inhibitive to the axolotl can lead to a build up of plaque areas.
black tea baths, pimafix, melafix may help with condition.

 

[MrHood]

the powder coating can occur due to numerous different reasons, high nitrates, high gh, being in enclosed area to long ie.. jar/caves/hides etc.. lack of cleaning out of jars/caves/hides etc.. although not harmful or inhibitive to the axolotl can lead to a build up of plaque areas.
black tea baths, pimafix, melafix may help with condition.

Thank so much 🩵