Swollen and bruised! Help!

[leanniexo]

I guess I'll start off by giving some background information. I just bought a juvenile axolotl from a local pet store (they did not know its exact age). I have it in a 20 gal tank with some big rocks set up gradually so it can reach the surface if it needs to easily. I do not have any sand or any gravel in the tank. The temperature is at a steady 67 degrees Farenheit. I feed it daily, being a juvenile. I alternate days between blood worms and brine shrimp. It usually eats about 6 worms and maybe a dime-size worth of brine shrimp. I feed it usually in the evenings before I go to work.

So the problem I have is that this morning when I came home from work (I work 3rd shift), I noticed that its belly was quite swollen and it has blue-ish purple marks on its belly, just its lower half about halfway down it's sides. I don't know if it is belly is bruised underneath because I didn't want to cause it stress by looking. Last night I only fed it about 3-4 worms, that's all it would take. It obviously is quite later than this morning when I first discovered this problem and by now the swelling has gone down. It's belly looks like it is back to normal EXCEPT for the blue-ish purple marks. It seems to be swimming okay but doesn't seem to be as active as usual. Also I have noticed some poop in the tank since this morning so it seems to be passing things fine.

Can anyone help me? Does anyone know what this could possibly be and is it fatal or dangerous? I called my local pet store where I had bought it and they told me to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't develop any infections. But no info about it on the internet. If someone knows anything please share. :happy:

 

[Alkylhalide]

Picture would be helpful.

What are your ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,ph readings?
Is your tank cycled.

You really dont need to give him rocks to help get to the surface. I have 16" of water and they never have had a problem swimming for some air.

 

[leanniexo]

I'm honestly not sure. The pet store wasn't too knowledgeable when it came to this. I did have a filter in there (the pet store recommended a reptile filter) but that was way too strong! I've been doing water changes every other day almost. I'm going to go to the craft store when I get paid to see if I can make some sort of covering for the filter, I thought a small mesh fabric would work if I slid it up over the filter so the Axolotl's limbs won't get sucked in but the water will still get filtered.

The picture I included isn't mine. It is currently too dark in my room to take an accurate photograph of the little guy. Mine is brown but it has that deep purple-ish marking in the same exact place as the one in the picture shows.

 

[Alkylhalide]

And how old is your lotl? What do you feed him? Is there any gravel in the tank?


I strongly recommend you grab the api master test kit and start testing your water. Just to make sure it isnt ammonia burn. In the picture you provided this is normal coloring for one that age. They still are transparent a little and you can see everything in their. Belly or thats what it looks like to me look intestines! Hehe

 

[leanniexo]

As I said before I do not know it is exact age, the pet store did not know either I do know it is still considered a juvenile, only about 3-4 inches long. As for my feeding I typically feed it brine shrimp, I started to blood worms about a week or so ago. There is no gravel or sand in my tank, just a glass bottom. I've had it for 3-4 weeks and I have not seen the dark mark on him until yesterday. The swelling has gone down though, pretty much back to his regular size.

 

[leanniexo]

Just to let anyone reading this know that my little guy seems to be back to his normal active self. he's swimming around a lot more today. Still has the dark marks on him but they don't seem to be bothering him.:happy::happy::happy: