Illness/Sickness: Please help! Something is wrong with their skin.

[Morrison]

I don't know if it had anything to do with the high temperature a few weeks ago. But shortly after that things started to change.

My leucistic little axie used to be totally 'freckle-less' and s/he suddenly got a dark patch (like highly freckled leucistics) on her face. Right now s/he also has darker coloration on (what's left of the) tail fin and on the chin.

My golden axie has never been a bright yellow axie, but a bit like a 'slightly yellow albino'. Suddenly s/he got darker yellow pigmentation. Also on the head.

Both of my wildtypes have a greyish layer of something on their head as well. One of my wildtypes has beautiful spots on its head. Right now they're barely visible because of the... goo.

Also their gills are shrinking and their tail fins are getting less... big like normal axies have. Sometimes their eyes are a bit cloudy and the other day it's normal again.

My leucistic (and another axie, haven't figured out exactly which one) don't want to eat as well. They might be stressed I guess, they don't feel so well.


What I did to 'help' them:
I always do weekly water changes. I don't think I'm doing something wrong. I add a dechlorinator or I leave the water in a bucket for a day.

Alright... I restarted the whole tank (cycled and stuff, while they were in a big tub) just in case there's something weird in the tank like a parasite. Not sure if anything like that helps though. I used to have sand and fake plants in it. They also got dirty pretty fast (brown algae. I guess they're called diatoms... Hope I got rid of that right now). Right now I don't have the sand and the plants in it. I think it's easier to have a bare bottom tank. Just 3 hides and a moss ball. And my 4 axies.

I placed an almond leaf in the tank, days before I did the big clean up. Guess that didn't do anything good to my axies. Just ended up slimy and eww. (Guess it's the brown algae thing again).

Right now they're in the new, cycled bare bottom tank and they are still looking sick. I added some black tea to the tank water just in case it might help.

The temperature is 19°C.
NO2: 0
NO3: 10
Ammonia: 0

So, what's wrong with them? Parasites? Bacteria?
And what to do?

I added a picture of how my leucistic looked before. (Below. Yes, the sand is a little dirty on the picture. It was made before I did a water change and clean up)
Right now it looks a bit like this: http://www.caudata.org/forum/attach...1193330625-beagle-boy-axolotl-_mg_3476-01.jpg

And I'm sure it's not just pigmentation. It's something that doesn't belong there, because it's happening to all my axies.

Please help me. Don't ignore this, please.
(And sorry for my crappy English)

 

[Bellabelloo]

Firstly, your English is fine
I think pictures of the axolotl will be useful. My initial thought is it may be something to do with the water quality...maybe the afters effect of the warmer weather?

 

[axolotl newbie]

It sounds like it could be something to do with their slime coat. I read somewhere on here about a water company adding new chemicals to the water supply and it affected a members axolotls. Maybe try contacting your local water company to find out if anything has changed. It almost sounds like they are producing too much slime (the greyish film over their eyes that comes and goes). Have you changed your water conditioner recently? Have you always had problems with the brown algae or is that something new too?

Also you would need a lot more than one Indian almond leaf for it to make a difference. The first ones I bought on eBay didn't work or change the colour of the water, then I bought some which were in a teabag form which turned the water brown, which is what you are looking for. I would definitely add some more to your tank.

 

[Morrison]

I'm still using the same water conditioner. And the brown algae thing is something I never really had before in my tank. Well I had it once in another tank but eventually it was gone by itself...

Here are some pictures:
1&2: Xotl (yes, it's my ugliest axolotl...) You can see that his eyes are also a little cloudy, and that the grey stuff is on his head and on his back.

3&4: Frangipane 2. She never had such dark coloration. First it was on his/her head, now it's also on the tail, a bit on her back and there are also some dark parts on the legs. The legs also look a bit red and irritated... Not only the legs, the hole poor axie looks reddish and 'not very good'.

5&6: Goldilocks. Goldi has never been a bright yellow axie. But now there are bright yellow parts on his/her head and on the back. The same places where you can see the 'goo' on my other axies.

7&8: Spotl. Used to be an awesome spotted axolotl and now you can't see the spots because of the, I guess, dirty slime coat. Also on her head and back.

 

[Morrison]

And this is what they used to look like:
Spotl
Frangipane 2
Goldilocks and (ugly 'Mister Lip zit") Xotl.

 

[memojo1979]

Oh, crikey!
I saw the very 1st photo (how leucistic looked before) + couldn't see any problem, but now you've added the other photos, something is certainly upsetting them!
My feeling about the spottiness of the wildtype is that they get darker as they age. My own wildtype used to be a lot paler, but is now a similar colour to yours. However, whilst the fluffiness of the gills on mine has decreased when changed from sponge filter to canister filter, I'd say that yours are worse. Mine just lost fluff + shrunk a little - yours are quite drastic.
I can't see the slime coat very well, but I can see what look like a lot of little pin-pricks in a couple of the photos - can anyone else tell me if these are natural axolotl-pores, as I can't see them on my guys.
Finally, the drakness on the leucisitcs face doesn't look like natural colouring to me. I could be wrong, but to me it looks like it's growing on the surface of the skin, rather than just being pigmentation. Anyone else agree?

I'm wondering if a skin scrape might be needed from a vet?

 

[memojo1979]

Also, does anyone else think the leucistic eyes are looking a bit bulgy?
I know it's rare (+ I hate to jump on the bandwagon, so to speak) but isn't that a sign of possible morphing? Changes to the skin + tail would also (in my mind) tie in. The others don't look to be affected in quite the same way, whatever is happening.

By the way, I HAVE also read here previously, about leucistics suddenly developing pigmentation to the face. 1 of the suggestions was the surroundings, but they didn't seem to be changing in any other way, so if that's the case here, it would only be part of it, I think

 

[axolotl newbie]

The leucistic's eyes do look bulgy. I wonder if there is a photo reference for morphing stages in axolotls anywhere....

 

[Morrison]

Yes, poor things

When I look at the pictures right now I also notice that the slimey stuff on them has those little white dots in it.
The dark stuff on my leucistic does look like it's laying on top and doesn't really look like pigmentation IN the skin.
The eyes do look a little more bulgy than before. I guess it's also because she became thinner than she used to be (she doesn't really want to eat... but sometimes she eats a pellet or 2) I've seen those bulgy eyes a lot on thin axolotls. As well as their more-visible (is that a word) cheekbones.

I'll also keep an eye on the eyes.

 

[axolotl newbie]

It's probably a coincidence but the pictures of morphed axolotl/tiger salamander hybrids have colouring similar to your leucistic.... http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...l-discussion/51411-metamorphed-axolotl-9.html and in this thread they all morphed into blue/white adults.

 

[Morrison]

Meh, I don't want a morphed axie. I guess I will feel terribly guilty if they morph. Like I did something evil to them.

 

[Morrison]

By the way. I use Tetra Aqua Safe. And I use it since I have my axies.
Is it possible that this caused it or is it a safe product to use.
(I've read on this forum that it's safe, so I hope it is...)

 

[KingCam]

I'm no expert, but if I were a betting man I would bet you've got a morphing axie or two on your hands.

 

[axolotl newbie]

I used to use that when they were larvae. But I just looked up the ingredients and it contains iodine which I'm sure I read can can cause them to morph!! That's why sea salt, aquarium salt is recommended for salt baths, because table salt often has iodine added to it

 

[axolotl newbie]

Great Deals on Water Conditioners for Aquariums at Zooplus: Tetra AquaSafe

Is this the one you use?

 

[Morrison]

Yep, that's the stuff I use. Eww, I don't trust it anymore...

 

[axolotl newbie]

When you say their tails aren't as big, do you mean they are thinner or shorter? Apparently shrinking dorsal fin is also a sign of morphing.

 

[Morrison]

Yeah, I mean a shrinking dorsal fin. It's something I always see on sick axies. That was also the first sign that something was wrong.

 

[jessicaanne]

Wow, none of them even look like they used to.. That's so sad I hope you can find out what's wrong with them and that they pull through it!

 

[Morrison]

Thank you.

I also added some plants to the tank.
I don't have an airstone so I thought that some oxygen might be nice for them.