Illness/Sickness: Injured/ill axolotl

[Bill B]

I have two axolotls, which I got about a year and a half ago -- one albino, one melanistic, both from the same breeder at the same time. The the albino looks fine and healthy, but melanistic seems to have something wrong... see photos. The toes and gills seem diseased, or like something has been nibbling on them. Any idea what could be causing this?

 

[Chinadog]

I've moved your thread to the sick Axolotl section, it should get more views there.

 

[Bill B]

Thanks. Sometimes I get mixed up on how the forums are organized on this site.

 

[AxolotlChris]

It looks like its been bitten off, I cant quite make out the other legs/arms fully but it looks like the three visible have all been bitten which would have been done by the albino. The gills shrinking is usually due to poor water quality.

Can you answer a few questions so more advice can be given?

Do you check your water for ammonia, Nirtrites, NitrAtes, and PH?

What temperature is your tanks water?

What do you feed and how much?

 

[Bill B]

I occasionally check for ammonia, but not the others. I can change water more if need be. The fact that the albino is in very good shape suggests that that the water quality is OK.

They are in a 29 gal tank, and I have a chiller to run to run during warmer months. I forget exactly what I read the temperature at, but I think it rarely gets above 74 degrees F. During cooler months (like right now), the water temperature is close to the air temperature. I just looked, and the thermometers read about 68-69 deg F.

I only feed about once a week, enough that they enough some food is remaining when they are done eating. Used to be just black worms. Recently have been feeding earthworms but will discontinue that because I have heard they can contain toxins. I just ordered salmon pellets from Michael Shrom and will probably get them in about 1-1.5 weeks from now.

It looks like its been bitten off, I cant quite make out the other legs/arms fully but it looks like the three visible have all been bitten which would have been done by the albino. The gills shrinking is usually due to poor water quality.

Can you answer a few questions so more advice can be given?

Do you check your water for ammonia, Nirtrites, NitrAtes, and PH?

What temperature is your tanks water?

What do you feed and how much?

 

[AxolotlChris]

You'll want to purchase a liquid test kit, its a must have for anyone keeping amphibians. I recommend this: Welcome to API Fishcare: FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT

We need the readings for all the parameters so we can establish if your tank is properly cycled.

74F is too high and can cause issues, such as stress and disease so perhaps in the warmer months look at additional methods to help keep your tank cool: Caudata Culture Articles - Cooling

It seems your albino is taking chunks out of your melanoid. Feeding twice a week would help stop any accidents by keeping them well fed.

Earthworms don't have toxins in them, they are one of the most nutritional foods for Axolotl: Caudata Culture Articles - Worms Pellets are fine too a mixture of the two is a good diet.

 

[Bill B]

OK, I'll buy the test kit.

Somehow I did not think of what would even cause them to bite on each other: hunger! I just thought they would do it because they are irritated with each other.

I have a chiller, and can buy a more powerful one for the next spring. Got the idea for a chiller when I read that page about 1.5 yr ago. Ice is way too temporary, and I can't imagine fans would work well enough. I got mine from Chill Solutions.

What about earthworms sold as bait for fishing? They don't have toxins?

You'll want to purchase a liquid test kit, its a must have for anyone keeping amphibians. I recommend this: Welcome to API Fishcare: FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT

We need the readings for all the parameters so we can establish if your tank is properly cycled.

74F is too high and can cause issues, such as stress and disease so perhaps in the warmer months look at additional methods to help keep your tank cool: Caudata Culture Articles - Cooling

It seems your albino is taking chunks out of your melanoid. Feeding twice a week would help stop any accidents by keeping them well fed.

Earthworms don't have toxins in them, they are one of the most nutritional foods for Axolotl: Caudata Culture Articles - Worms Pellets are fine too a mixture of the two is a good diet.

 

[Bill B]

Does that website you linked sell the kits? I did not see a way to buy on that page.

 

[AxolotlChris]

Yes Axolotls hunt their prey mainly by sensing the movement, also by smell and poor vision. So on occasion Axolotls natural instinct kicks in when they are hungry and they will snap at an unfortunate tank mate. Accidents can happen while feeding so feed separately or by hand at the surface to avoid more problems.

As long as the source of the worms is safe then bait shops are fine! Earthworms don't hold toxins unless you buy them from a source which uses pesticides or any other chemicals since the worms can contain these.

 

[AxolotlChris]

No that website doesn't sell them, that is just the manufacturers website. You can buy them off Amazon!

 

[nicfear]

I feed my axolotls every second- third day, I have four in a four ft tank so I have increase the feeding times just to prevent them nibbling on each other.
I feed them a different variety of foods such as bloodworms, earthworms, prawns, neon tetras and live brine shrimp. I prefer to feed them live food or should I say, they prefer live food. I too have tried pellets but none showed any interest.
Maybe try one of them as an alternative..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bill B]

I think I am feeding them enough, and the melanoid kept getting bitten. (The feet were growing back after the infection was treated, and then they were bitten off again.) I have gotten another tank and separated the two.

 

[Bill B]

Also, a herpetologist I know told me that axolotls bit each other bite each other whether they are hungry or not... at least it very frequently happens, no matter what.

 

[LSuzuki]

Some axolotls are nippier than others, and some seem to be targets more than others. I have one wild type that I am going to be rehoming once he grows back his right front leg for the 3rd time. (He is now separated from the others.) He was housed with similar-size juveniles/sub-adults (all 6-7" now) and he is the only one losing parts. I don't know whether he smells like food, reacts slowly, or what.

From my observations, axolotls usually only nip each other by accident or by being mistaken for food (usually by being by food). But other people have reported more aggressive-acting axolotls. Since I haven't seen which tank-mate(s) are snacking on poor "Gimpy", I'n not sure which case it is.