My new Axolotl has a strange leg and gills

[LPG]

Hi I am new here. I just bought a 1 year old Axolotl two weeks ago and have noticed some things that make him 'unique'. His left gills are about half the length of those on the right, the tip of his tail looks broken and his front right foot has a huge lump on the elbow. It doesn't hinder his movement and he eats a lot and he swims around all day. He is really energetic and loves attention. I love him to bits but have no idea what is wrong with his leg and whether it will heal.

When we bought him he was in a tiny box at the pet shop unable to move around. We have him in a 45cm tank with a filter and two hidey holes he loves. He loves to eat yabbie pellets and can't get enough of them. It is hard to know what to buy him here as I live in Japan.


I am trying to post pics but can't figure out how to do it

Lara

 

[Jacquie]

Hi Lara,

A guide on http://www.caudata.org/forum/f1-gen...hnical-not-newts/55492-how-post-pictures.html.

Although axolotls are able to regenerate limbs and gills, it's not always a perfect process. If a limb heals crooked, it will likely stay that way. The axolotl shown in my avatar has an 'upturned' limb (her front foot), and even with this handicap, she still manages to beat her more 'able bodied' tank mates to the food.

 

[LPG]

Hey Jacquie,

Thanks so much for your reply. I am originally from Melbourne too!

I have tried attaching pics. I hope they come through ok. I took them on my ipad but had to go through my laptop to try uploading. grrr

Lara

 

[melfly]

Hello
Your Axolotl looks in pretty good shape to me.

Gills look fine, quite long actually
Cant see the leg properly, could you get more pics?

Mel

 

[LPG]

hi Mel.

I just took these. Hope they are clearer. He uses it but it is just very different from his front left 'normal' leg.

Lara

ps. I love his gills. Glad to hear they are healthy looking.

 

[melfly]

His leg look ok.
As mentioned above although they heal they dont always heal perfectly.

My Florence's back foot is backwards after an injury and an odd regrowth.
So yours look absolutely fine to me and very very gorgeous i might add

Will you be upgrading her tank? I think 60 cm should be minimum for an adult axolotl


Mel

 

[LPG]

Thank you! That makes me feel better. He was really underweight when we got him and has put on heaps in the past 2 weeks. He has only done one poop though!

Unfortunately we can't upgrade to a 60cm tank as we have nowhere safe to keep it where it won't fall off in an earthquake. We get lots here. I upgraded to a 45 when we got him as I had read on lots of sites that was the minimum for 1 axxie. We just put plants in and he is even happier than before if that is possible! He is such a happy chappy. He fits right in at my house. He is super active too and is more awake in the day time.

Thanks for the compliments. I think he is gorgeous

 

[Tiffanymac]

he's really stinking cute!!!! And I LOOOOVE the clay tipped pot decoration! I have never seen anything like that here! :happy:

 

[axolotl lvr]

Your axie is adorable!!! He looks quite good I looove the coloring of his gills very pretty!!
Have u named him yet?

Welcome to Caudata!!!!

 

[LPG]

Thanks guys. Names were hard. We had a small baby one which we called Tico but he/she didn't survive. My youngest daughter and I love Cesar Millan and she really wanted to call this one Cesar. So Cesar it is!

It is funny watching him in the flower pot as he is too long and his tail sticks out the end. Lol. At the moment he is 'hiding' on top of his tunnel with his head in the new plant. Bet he thinks we can't see him.......

Oh and he did an enormous messy poop today. I was so excited as it is only his second one in two weeks.

Enough babble

Lara

 

[iChris]

as for pooping, adults only really need feeding every 3 days or so, and poop even less. my 2 adult axies poop once or maybe twice a week.

that tank looks acceptable, but monitor the water quality closely as it looks like it hasn't been set up for very long.

is there any reason you haven't filled the tank up completely? besides sloshing that maybe caused by earthquakes?

 

[LPG]

Chris- earthquakes is one reason but I did tell my son last night that we need to top it up more as the level goes down a bit each time I suck out the gunk. How much more should be in there?

Everyone is saying he should be fed 3-4 times a week but he loves eating! He comes looking for food and in Japan people usually feed them daily. Food availability is different to what everyone else is able to get. he loves eating yabby pellets but they are small. He also eats dried worm cubes. It is all so confusing!!!! I told my son that everyone else is feeding theirs earthworms and he said he will have to try and get one when I am not home as I am strict vego and cannot give it to Cesar The thought of giving him a living creature makes me tear up. Our local pet shop doesn't have any frozen food either.

We had a look at the water testing kits and man they are expensive in this country. Is there a cheap online place anyone recommends that will ship internationally? They are like $50 for 3 testers here.

 

[iChris]

what is the total capacity of the tank? you should be fine if you leave say 2 inches from the top.

you can use a turkey baster to clean the gunk out, or just siphon it out and top it up again with treated tap water.

as for the test kits, will your local aquarist test a sample for you? I would think that the aquarium trade is big in japan. have you tried ebay?

 

[LPG]

I just checked ebay actually. I bought nitrite, nitrate, ammonia and pH tests. In the meantime I will get my son to ask the pet shop tomorrow for me if they can test it for us quickly.

My son is going on a school trip this week but he is going to do another tank change before he goes. we have done it weekly and so far it has been about 3/4. When do we need to do a full change? I am worried about taking Cesar out as I don't want to stress him out like we did when we put him the bigger tank.