Question: My Axys are changing colour!!

[Rubyscarfell]

Hi there! I'm new to all of this, I've got three wild type axys, sushi, flat eric and lancelot, I've had them little over a month now and I'm having similar problems to other people on this party of the forum, but mine don't look anything like the pictures posted, my two older ones are dark wild coloured for a few days then are very light tan with very red gills for a few days, mostly nights, they don't look sick, have no fungus, I check the water often, they are eating perfectly fine and never fight with each other and are super active, it doesn't seem to affect them in the slightest, but no idea what causes it, I've asked around a couple of aquariums and pet shops and they don't know either, I'm not worried as my axys are healthy as always would just be curious to what causes it, all three are from the same parents I believe but lancelot stays the same colour all of the time, though he's a few months younger, I was wondering if its when they come into sexual maturity? Ill try and get some before and after pictures posted soon.

 

[Erzs]

I think it's best to see pictures before commenting but with you saying it's mostly nights their gills get redder and that they are active it could just be that. I know Arbie gets redder gills and tail fin when she's been having a swim! But she's leucistic...Hope to see some pictures soon! =]

 

[Crysta]

There can be a number of reason axolotls change colour.
Mels it can be just a natural thing,
also due to water perimeters.
perhaps what they are doing.
The food they are eating.
Gaining pigment in lecs.
A change in environment.
and different temperatures.

that's just a few I can think of that could contribute to something of the sort - not that I claim to know the ins and outs of advanced axolotl biology.

Do you have any pictures? perhaps before and after ones?

 

[sek]

I've recently read a lot about axolotl colour changes... Some axies seem to do this after having an injury from a tank mate or something else. They change colour and their regenerated leg is the original colour the were before. They also have the same head shape as a morphing axie would have. Not much is known about colour change but as Cloudy has stated, a lot can effect it.

Pictures are good.

 

[Rubyscarfell]

Okay Ive got some pictures, apologies as they arnt great quality, my axys are photo shy, and I know I should have sand on the bottom of the tank but the gravel is bigger than the axys can fit in their mouth and sand has to wait untill payday im afraid The first picture is the before and the second is the after, its quite a big colour change, I know its not just a trick of the eye due to the lighting or anything like that. The pictures are of eric my male older axy but the same thing happens to sushi my female (well I think she is) but not to my younger one lancelot.

 

[melfly]

They can fit that gravel in their mouth easily.
You'd be better with a bare bottomed tank until you can sort something else.

The colour change is a bit unusual. they change from one colour to the other? and back?
All I can think is its blood flow. But i'm not sure. My leucistic is very red through the night, usually when hes dropping spermatophores.


Mel

 

[Rubyscarfell]

Ive had no problems with the gravel yet, they have never been able to fit a piece in their mouth fully, I know its a problem, I will have sand in a week, yeah they basically change then change back, theres no difference in behaviour or eating or anything like that, it just seems strange to me, I tried asking the pet shop about the breeder but they are a bit useless and couldnt tell me anything about them, I hope they arnt ill and are just strange

 

[melfly]

They may be munching them when your not looking. You'll be surprised what they can actually fit in their mouth.

I dont honestly think they're ill.

Mel

 

[Crysta]

the gravel is easilly small enough to be eaten and pass through them. It may be better to just remove the gravel and have them on no substrate until you can get sand, just incase, you wouldn't want it to get to the day before you're going to switch to sand, and then have one swallow a rather large one.

I don't think your axies are ill, colour change seems to be a normal thing for them.

 

[brillB07]

i think mine is starting to do the samething..iv had Trogdor for a month now as my first axie ever. he is a wild type and iv looked back at some first pics where he was really dark. now his gills are redder and lost the dark pigment to a very light tan color. that is the only thing iv noticed in change though