New axolotls - weird growth and white patches

[jmknapp21]

Hi all,

We got two axolotls from a coworker who didn't want hers anymore. They were in pretty dismal conditions when we went to pick them up -- about 10-15 gallons of water, gravel substrate, no hides, light on top, no filter, and turtle pellet food. They are a male and female, but they haven't laid eggs for a few years. The male is REALLY skinny, and the female looks to be a pretty good weight. They both have several white patches on their skin -- not sure if they're scratches, dead skin, or fungus?

More importantly, though, the female has a weird growth on her tail. I've added a couple photos here, so any thoughts would be helpful. One is of both of them together, and the other is just of the growth on the female's tail.

We were able to get them to eat two worms each upon arrival at home, and we're planning to slowly build up the male's weight. Is it possible for their retinas to be damaged beyond repair? The male's eyes seem to be sticking out more than normal (could be because he's skinny), and he didn't seem to notice that we were waving a worm in front of his face at all. It took about 20 minutes to get him to eat the two worms. The female, on the other hand, gobbled them up with ease. Maybe he just needs to learn to eat worms.

Thanks in advance for your advice and sharing of knowledge.
Jessie

 

[Martin21114]

Far from an expert here, but here's what I would do:

1st separate them so they don't compete for food or share any icky stuff (germs, fungus, parasites, whatever) until they are better.

2nd take them to a vet if you can, if not Axolotls - Health & Diseases should help.

Also, change their water daily (it looks like you have them in tubs), also maybe try live blackworms. They're an aquatic species of worm, so they wont drown as quickly as an earthworm. If my axies don't eat them right away the worms can last for days until my axies get them all.

Hopefully somebody with more experience will come along and give you more help.

Good luck you your new lotls.

 

[imzunicorn]

In my opinion. the male isn't skinny at all, the female is just fat.

As for the growth, might be internal damage or an infection. I've noticed from reading here that this happens sometimes and the area gets swollen. You might want to take her to the vet. It most likely isn't a tumor, axolotls are very resistant to cancer.

White patches is usually a sign of stress. The patches should go away after a while, just keep the water clean, cool and dark.

As for the eyes, he might have damaged them and he could be blind. When you feed him, touch the worm to his face and cut the end so the worm bleeds. They also hunt by smell, so this might help him eat it quicker. Could be that he also just doesn't know how to eat worms, but after a few days he'll get used to it.

Good luck.

 

[jmknapp21]

Thanks for your responses. From everything I've read, their bellies should be about as wide as their heads, and his is nowhere near that! If I'm wrong on this account, please let me know, but that is what I've heard from both books and people on here.