Is my little guy sick after moving?

[gougeaway]

Hey all! I moved around for a few years and had a friend taking care of my axy Mugatu. Yesterday I finally got him back after about 4 or 5 years. Said friend is not the cleanest person. The filter had not been changed and everything was covered in algae.
Yesterday we transported Mugatu, the water from his tank, and all his tank decorations. I cleaned the tank while it had no water in it (just scraped the algae off and wiped with paper towels and water)but left the water and tank decor as is. I also added 20% dechlorinated water since his tank was not very full (does water dechlorinator expire?).
Today his gills are much paler than yesterday and he has his tail curled. Also his gills are curved forward.

I got a new filter today and fed him some salmon pellets this AM (which he ate fine).
Is he just stressed from the move or is he sick?
What can I do?
Pics attached!

 

[Possum63]

Tail curve: Normal. If your axy has a tail curve being a stress sign it's only the very tip and it's more bent in a 90 degree angle than curved.

Gills forward: They do look slightly forward which is a stress sign. Check the water flow first. Then the temp. Then the water parameters. If your current is too strong you can try putting an ornament infront of the output or have it facing the glass if possible to reduce and intercept the current. If the temp is above 22 degrees celcious slowly bring it down (Do it slowly to prevent stress) remember 16 degrees celcious is ideal and if your water parameters are out (eg - anything above these: Ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrates less than 40) then do a 50% change. If that doesn't correct them then take your axolotl out put him/her in a tub of clean cool dechlorinated water and don't put him/her back in the main tank till the parameters are corrected.

Gills less colour: This can be temporary anemia. It means your pH is too low so slowly bring that up to about 7.5 OVER A FEW DAYS. Don't do a huge change at once because it is stressful for your water babe

S/he isn't sickly looking yet but if you don't make sure s/he is in healthy water then it can cause fungus and other problems. Best of luck. Keep us updated on how you get on

 

[snuggly time]

Have you got a water testing kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph? What's the temperature of the tank at?

If you have a new filter and scrubbed the tank out you might have killed off the beneficial bacteria/cycle. It's best to check the water parameters to be safe. He will probably also be very stressed from the move.

 

[gougeaway]

I just got new PH testing strips. It seems my Test strips for the other parameters expired years ago :/
The PH is a little high (looks to be around 8). Not sure of the ammonia, nitrite, or nitrates at this moment. I should probably run back out to the pet store.
The tank is at 21°C currently.

 

[Possum63]

I would advise getting liquid test kit rather than test strips as strips can be very inaccurate. I also recommend the API freshwater master test kit - and so do a lot of members on here. Also try bring that temp down a couple notches if you can.

Your axolotl will probably be stressed for the move anyway so assuming you've checked everything else and it's all fine then give him a couple days to adjust and you should be right

 

[gougeaway]

I will try and get that test kit tonight, thanks!
Also- my boyfriend mentioned the dark spots on his face (you can see them in the pic). Is that just because his tank was so dirty, or is that something I should worry about as well?
Thanks again!

 

[emmyk]

The spots could be something with his slime coat, but those are usually lighter. Is there a closer up picture? Might just be his natural color, my axie has some verrrry light marks on his face naturally

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[gougeaway]

Here is a close up of his face taken last night

 

[Possum63]

They look like normal colouration to me. In fact, your axolotl looks very healthy in general to me. His gills are healthy and fluffy and his body looks to have condition.

 

[emmyk]

I agree with possum. Pretty gills!

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[gougeaway]

Okay, got my master test kit tonight and results are as follows:

PH: Hard to tell- on the regular PH test i looks like 7.6, then on the High PH test it most closely resembles 8.4 (but doesnt REALLY match any of the colors on the high PH test)

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 80

I know the Nitrate and potentially the PH are a little high. Any advice?
Also- I need to add more water to the tank (it's about half full right now) should I do this now or wait till my levels are correct?
Thanks!

 

[auntiejude]

Add water now - it will dilute the nitrates, and if you can get some tank cycling stater bacteria solution or treatment it will help your tank.
The spots look normal on your axie, and I would agree he's probably a little stressed from the move.

 

[Possum63]

Your nitrate is definitely too high and if your pH is 8.6 it also is too high.

Add water to fill the tank - it will be as effect as doing a 50% water change if your tank is currently only half full. Remember your nitrate shouldn't get above 40ppm and if it does you need to do a large water change to get it below that again. Your other parameters are perfect though

 

[Petersgirl]

Another way to get your nitrates down is to add live plants to the tank - they don't need to be high maintenance, and lots can take the low light levels favoured by axxies. Examples include Java Moss and Java Moss Balls, Frogbit, Mini Water Lettuce and others. There are examples of Axolotl-safe plants on the Caudata.org articles if you're interested. Essentially the plants will use the nitrates to make food and thus lower them - making your overall level of nitrates safer.

Hope this helps!