Red Axolotl

[FatAmyMclovin]

Hi guys was just after some advice with my axolotl Jake, Jake has always been a golden colour with the white spotty colour but lately I have noticed that his tail and face a becoming a slight red colour. I was just wondering if this is normal? The weather has gotten alot warmer lately getting in the high 30's but I have been trying to put ice in the tank to cool it whenever I can .

 

[alex the]

Is it a male?
My white male does the same thing tail red and gills.I notice it more at night and in the dark. But I just assumed he was doing that cause he had just courted the female. Is he by him self in the tank?

 

[LSuzuki]

Sometimes a pink/red blush is perfectly normal, and sometimes it isn't. If is comes and goes and correlates to periods of increased activities, then it is fine. If it stays, then it could be a sign of infection (and time for a trip to a vet.) The higher temperatures could be making him more active or (hopefully not) making him sick.

Advice to deal with the heat:
1. Check all of your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH) - it won't make the water cooler, but will alert you to any developing problems that would make the situation worse.
2. Do more frequent water changes if you don't already do so, just to keep the nitrates lower, since he is already stressed by the heat.
3. Keep trying to keep the temperature lower. Do you have a fan blowing on the surface of the water? If not, add one if you can - it helps a lot in dry conditions.

 

[alex the]

I I have found that a marine cooling fan works best. It has four computer fans on it that cool the tank. They keep my four foot tank 23 degrees on a 30 plus day. I got mine from discus world maybe that can give you an idea. Another method is to make a chiller, chillers cost alot for about six months at most of usage a year. There's videos on YouTube on how to make a chiller. Next summer im going to make one with an esky

 

[FatAmyMclovin]

I assume it is a boy but not entirely sure, but yes he is alone in the tank, well apart from some feeder fish (because he went on a hunger strike and that is all he would eat)
So im unsure, he is alot more active lately though. And the room he is in has a aircon, that makes the room quite cold so the tank doesn't get to crazy temps, but will definitely try a new tactic to keep it cooler to see if that helps. Thanks ?

 

[HitmanSougo13]

This won't fix the problem completely as that is some high temperature you got. http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...iscussion/69628-do-yourself-aquarium-fan.html
I posted a few years ago on a DIY fan but see if that puts you in the right direction,

 

[Skudo09]

From the photo I think Jake may actually be a girl but it is a bit tricky from the photo to confirm 100% but I can't see any bulge behind the back legs and the shape suggests Jake may be female. But onto cooling, you could use fans and also insulate your tank. I use car windscreen covers around the outside (the alluminium type ones) to help keep the tank cool. You could also place a damp towel over the top of the tank or around the sides. It is a bit unsightly but it is more important to keep the axie at a cool temperature. I only have the cover around the back of the tank so I can still view my axolotls but if you need to get the temperature down a fair bit you may need to insulate all sides possible. What kind of lid do you have? If you have a solid lid, you may want to change it to a mesh lid. A chiller is the ultimate way of keeping the tank cool but these are very pricy and not something everyone can afford. I would see if you could use fans, insulating the tank. The problem with putting ice in the tank is that it melts and unless you can be constantly replacing with fresh ice, the temperature can fluctuate a fair bit and this can be more stressful than the high temperature. It is better to find ways of maintaining the cool tank more consistently if you can.