Pale axolotl, looking sad, bright red gills

[MichaelWB]

Hey guys.

Thought apologies for making a new thread, but I've got a bit of an axolotl problem that has been building up over the last few months. I've sort of made threads as problems have come up but I think that each individual part is actually a small part in a much bigger story.

I used to have two axolotls that lived together. Unfortunately they had a number little accidents together and my wild type (Hayden)'s legs were badly damaged. She lost the skin on them but I feel they healed nicely.

In order to avoid the accidents from happening again, I constructed a divider to keep my two axolotls out of trouble. I drilled some holes in plastic and separated the two with a divider. They seemed to enjoy life in their separate houses.

The filter however was not on Hayden's side and despite the fact I changed the water regularly enough and tried to encourage water flow, I think there was a problem with this. I wish I had realised this sooner! Slowly but surely Hayden began to not seem her usual self. She became quite and withdrawn and more worryingly she started turning a sad looking grey colour.

I came home one day to find my poor Hayden looking miserable and laying on her side. I thought she was dead. I quickly created a space for a new tank and set it up. I made sure to take her favorite hides and plastic plants. I also took a few things from the other side of the divider as well. I changed the water in the new tank every day, just in case the tank needed to cycle despite the fact I had bought established bacteria into the tank.

Hayden has been eating well but she seems grey and sad. Her front legs healed nicely but never regained their colour. Her gills are bright red all of the time as well. I'll post a few photos of how she used to be and what she looks like now. I wonder what could be the problem, and it's quite sad!

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. This probably could have been avoided if in my last few threads I told the whole story rather than JUST THE PROBLEM, so I've learnt a valuable lesson here as well.

Thanks guys

 

[MichaelWB]

Hey guys.

Apologies for bumping this. I hope you appreciate the feeling of having a sick axie and everytime you check the thread there are no replies.

Here's an update: Hayden is a bit more active than she was. She'd spend entire days where she wouldn't move, but now she seems to be getting about a bit more. Her walking seems very labored though. As if it's a big effort for her? I can't really describe it.

I haven't seen her swim much or move around other than walking. My other axolotl will swim around for a bit sometimes or when I'm pottering around in the tank she'll swim over. I haven't seen Hayden "off the floor" for a couple of weeks now.

She's eating though. I'm feeding her earthworms. She's managing them fine. She's also pooing which means there's no problems there.

She's still grey, rather than her old black self and her gills are still very bright? Any suggestions/ideas.

I appreciate that you might want to know some details about my water quality, I'll see what I can do.

 

[mrspeckles]

Water parameters wpuld be helpful. What is the temperature of the tank? Lack of oxygen could cause discolouration. This can be affected by water parameters, eg. water too hot. How often is she 'flapping' her gills.

By looking at you pictures from pevious posts, this seems to have been a gradual progression. From the pictures I can't see any fungus. One picture you posted in another thread had them in a tank with dividers. These areas appear too small.

Also, how old is your axolotl?

My axolotl doesn't leave the bottom of the tank much either. This is normal, it all depends on the individual axolotl. The only time he will come further up to the surface is if I wiggle food in front of him, and move it up, so he chases it. Mine is extremely lazy during the day when it is hot, but at night becomes more active, but does not swim around heaps. its perfectly normal as they are fairly casual creatures

Someone with more knowledge might have a better idea of whats going on, surprised you had no replies, so thought I'd try!

 

[Bellabelloo]

How long have they been on the white sand? I have wild coloured axolotl that change colour slightly if I have them in a different tank, in their case it seems to make the iridophores more noticeable.

 

[ACEPHONECHIC]

Hi far from an expert but can I ask the temperature of your tank, i find my gang are alot happier if it is cooler rather than too warm.
Axies do tend to be quite lazy and hang around the bottom or lounge on the plants except at eating times. As long as it remains eating that is a good sign as the first thing often that stops with anything that is poorly it stops eating.
Even though alot say they are solitary it may be missing the other one and be stressed thinking something strange has happened.
Quiet, not too much light, food and clean conditions should help.

 

[MichaelWB]

Hey guys - To answer some questions/respond to comments.

Parameters - Whoa!
Temperature - 19 oC
Ammonia - 0.1mg/l
Nitrite - 0.3mg/l
Nitrate - 50mg/l

I'm guessing the Nitrates are a bit high, could that be what's causing my issues?

Mrsspeckles - The divider was only a temporary measure. I know it was too small, but I didn't have the space to relocate the poor thing. I have since made the space and she lives in a tank on her own. It's a 90l I think?

I'm not entirely sure how old she is. I got her back in July and can only speculate she was about 2 or 3 months old? I really have no idea! That'd make her about 10 months old now? She's still not very big, but axolotls are random in size so it's not the most accurate of measures!!

Bellabelloo - She has always lived on white sand.

Maybe, I am worried about her inactivity because she was a lively youngster? I guess that chill out as they mature? My other axolotl didn't, she's still a massive child!

Thanks for the help guys!

Edit: Peered in just now and found her floating with her back end in the air. She was trying to swim down. Some bubbles came out of her mouth and she sunk back to the bottom. I've never seen this before! It's also the first time I've seen her swimming in a few weeks. Significant?

 

[mrspeckles]

Good that she's in her own tank now, I only skimmed the other posts, so probably didn't get the full story :wacko:

Peered in just now and found her floating with her back end in the air. She was trying to swim down. Some bubbles came out of her mouth and she sunk back to the bottom. I've never seen this before! It's also the first time I've seen her swimming in a few weeks. Significant?

Sounds likes some gas

I'm really not sure what could have caused her to change colour. I thought it may have been a too cold/too hot temperature, but obviously not. Just keep an eye on her, if she's pooping and eating it's a good sign. What do you feed them?

 

[MichaelWB]

Haha, eating and pooping seem to be the yard sticks of measuring axolotl health. It's probably because they're the two things axolotls seem to excel at.

To answer your question my axolotls eat earthworms freshly dug from my pesticide free garden. Nothing better than watching an axolotl eat a worm! Takes a bit of getting used to though...

 

[Dakkagor]

maybe try switching her food to something like frozen bloodworm? My axolotls lunge for the stuff at feeding time, to the point of playing tug of war with them!

I think its worth reiterating what other people have said, often axolotls have different behaviours. My wild type is quite shy and retiring, and my golden albino is quite adventurous and active, but the wild type has become more daring in recent weeks in his new home. so maybe he is just slowing down as he gets older

 

[MichaelWB]

Hey guys.

She seems to be much better now. She's a lot more active and seems a lot more interested in things. Im really pleased with how she has been the last couple of days.

She is still grey though. Her greyness is a lot more even! Maybe I just have a grey axolotl? I'm happy with how she is though, so I just want to thank you guys for your help in what has been a very stressful couple of weeks.

I'll stop posting in this thread now, promise!

 

[sillymoogle7]

Glad to hear she's acting more her usual self. And I actually like her new colour, a very tasteful pearly grey with burgundy accents, maybe she just thought it was time for a makeover

 

[rsjour4079]

Hey guys.

She seems to be much better now. She's a lot more active and seems a lot more interested in things. Im really pleased with how she has been the last couple of days.

She is still grey though. Her greyness is a lot more even! Maybe I just have a grey axolotl? I'm happy with how she is though, so I just want to thank you guys for your help in what has been a very stressful couple of weeks.

I'll stop posting in this thread now, promise!

I have an axanthic too, and whenever he is in a lighter color setting he does seem to lighten in color, but will act normal otherwise.