Illness/Sickness: Silvery spots on belly and gills

[akanarek]

I have three axolotls, seven weeks old, and all three have silvery spots on their bellies and on their lower gills on both sides of the head. On one axolotl, the silvery spots have spread to the middle gills. The spots on the belly are localized to cover the area where internal organs can be seen through the skin. I thought it might be a fungus, but the spots on the belly appear to be underneath the skin.

The axolotls' gills are also forward as if they are stressed, but water parameters are fine (ammonia = 0, nitrite = 0, nitrate = 5). Their behavior seems normal and appetite is good. Diet is frozen bloodworms from San Francisco Bay, offered twice daily. Additionally, these axolotls have nine siblings kept elsewhere that have much more robust gills, a healthy pink color, and no spots.

The spots on the gills seem to have a luster similar to fish scales. I've attached two pictures, but it's tough to see the spots on the gills - my axies are not feeling very photogenic. Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[Skilly]

Axolotls naturally have shiny spots on their skin unless they are melanoid. Nothing to worry about.

What you should be worrying about is the gravel you have your axie on.... they will be able to ingest it and could become impacted and die. I highly suggest switching to sand, tile or bare bottom. So many people have lost their axolotls due to gravel such as this. We wouldn't want that to happen this this little cutie!

 

[Sykadelic]

What's the water temperature? Could the filter be too strong and stressing him/her out?

 

[akanarek]

Haha, I knew the first comment would be about the gravel! Fear not, this is a temporary tank while I cycle my big tank, which has carefully-washed play sand as its substrate.

Although spots may not be unusual, I think the patterns, colors, presence of these patches on the gills, and the fact that not one of the siblings kept in a different location have them may indicate this is something more.

Water temperature is room temperature, 68-70 degrees. Higher than I'd like but not out of control. They're in a 5.5 gallon tank with a Penn Plax filter that's basically just a sponge for biological filtration, some carbon chips, and air bubbling through it, so there's essentially no flow. Also, they just moved into this tank, and had been living in a bowl with twice-daily water changes prior to that. They had this condition then - could it be due to exposure to ammonia levels sometimes ranging up to 0.25 ppm?

Another possibility I've considered is that the bloodworms I'm feeding them look to be of lower quality than the ones fed to the group with no spots. The guy at Petco said bloodworms are high in fat, but this website says they're pretty well-balanced. Could that play a role?

Thanks so much for the help! I'm having major first-time-parent anxiety over this.

 

[MereB]

Although spots may not be unusual, I think the patterns, colors, presence of these patches on the gills, and the fact that not one of the siblings kept in a different location have them may indicate this is something more.

What you are seeing is the natural shiny patches that axies who have the gene for irradiphores get as they get bigger. You can tell that he/she has the gene by the presence of the shiny ring around the eye which makes the eyes look more like yours or mine. Don't panic it's normal and no doubt you little one will continue to get more shiny spots as it gets older. It's belly will also become less see through and go white as it get's older too making the internal organs harder to see if you can see anymore than a dark shadow at all.

The only thing you could expose your axie too that would cause shiny patches would be glitter so unless you have had the glue out and stuck some on then you can be sure it is entirely normal and natural.
Ammonia will not produce shine like that but it would cause stress if it's too high. 0.15ppm (approx) is the absolute maximim I let my tanks get too with animals in it as that is when my more sensitive animals start to show signs of stress but that said 0.25 is not going to kill your axie but it probably won't like it much either. I'd change SOME water, not all of it or your tank will never cycle, if it's heading up towards 0.25 to get it down again. 20% of the total volume of water is usually plenty.

Shininess is genetic and individuals that don't have the shiny gene are what we call melanoid and they have solid black eyes with no ring.

What you have there is a pretty little Leucistic with the shiny gene. He or she will be fine once you get him/her off that gravel. Temporary or not it can and probably will be ingested and the longer it stays in there with your baby the greater the chances of it happening and then shiny patches will be the least of your worries.

 

[akanarek]

Thanks for the response. You've convinced me it's nothing to worry about. As for the gravel, I'm just passed the third week of cycling a 30-gallon paradise for the little guys with not a piece of gravel anywhere in sight, so hopefully they'll only be in the temporary tank for another few days. Can't wait to move them in!

 

[Kaysie]

Even if it's just a temporary tank, that doesn't mean they aren't eating the gravel!

Like Grace said, SO many people come to this forum with issues of impaction. Or they say "that'll never happen to me! My axolotl wouldn't eat gravel" and then a month later "oh no, my axolotl's sick! It ate gravel and won't eat!" Don't be a statistic!

 

[akanarek]

:happy:

 

[Kaysie]

Pretty little axies!

 

[Skilly]

Yay sand! They look so cute and happy now. :happy:

 

[MereB]

Beautiful! Suck pretty little axies. LOVE that sand too. Never seen any with such a color variation in it, very pretty.