Purple Gills?

[Nina Willis]

Hi everyone,

I have noticed twice now on my Lucistic axolotl Ash that his gill (the large par, not the little frills) have turned purple. It almost looks like there is excessive blood flow?

The first time was right after I moved them to a smaller tank while my bedroom floor was being re-done, and he went back to normal in a few hours.

The second time I got up at 2 am to find that he had somehow cut himself and also had purple gills again. My filter is also on the fritz (got really loud) at the same time.

Is this a stress reaction or something else. Even though it went away fairly quickly, I am concerned by how dramatic the color change was.

Thanks,
Nina

 

[Skudo09]

Some leucistic axolotls naturally have purple colouring of their gill stalks. If you are noticing the colour is more vibrant when your axolotl is more active it is because there is more blood flow which is normal and nothing to worry about. You can always post some photos. Is your tank cycled? Have you tested the parameters?