Need an Expert Opinion

[Falzie]

Hi everyone, just wanted an opinion on my Axolotl, these patches don't appear to be fluffy, she is eating fine, gills are fine, and tail is not curled. Is this a fungus? what do I do? Sorry i'm such a beginner

 

[Tye]

I'm assuming you mean the lighter splotches on the side? I can't see anything on the face picture but it could just be bad lighting.
It's hard to tell from the photos, I'd want more people to weigh in. Most fungus is going to appear white and fluffy like cotton.
But someone is going to tell you quickly to change that gravel out to either fine sand or bare bottom, since gravel can be easily swallowed and block the intestines resulting in death or surgery.

 

[Hayleyy]

^see above for gravel. Get it out asap
Test the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and let us know. Also the temp of the water at the moment. It's hard to tell from the photos, it could be a slime coat issue?

 

[michael]

It's not clear but that could just be normal color pattern.

 

[mdtaylor]

Did the spots show up suddenly? If you aren't sure, do you have any older (but not *too* old) photos that you could check? It's a little hard to tell what's going on with the patches because of the lighting (but lotls are pretty hard to photograph). My little lotl, a few months old at most, has some sort of similar-looking spots but I'm convinced in his/her case it's just natural coloration.

Slime coat seems like a potentially likely factor, if it's thick or thin in one place and causing a bit of a sheen.

But yes, as everyone else mentioned, the gravel has to go immediately. A bare tank bottom is fine, so no need to wait until if and when you find a replacement substrate! Those rocks look delicious, and if I might eat them, she might too.

Relatedly... after you get the gravel out, keep an eye out for poo! I think axolotls' metabolisms vary, but if she keeps making a good loaf here and there, that'll help ease any worry that she ate a rock before you got them out. If she stops, come back and ask for advice; everyone here talks about poo.