Illness/Sickness: What is with her? Sick?

[MisterK]

Hello Everyone,

I have browsed this forum for quite awhile now and this is my first post.

I am from Ontario Canada and saw a female axolotyl at a fish store. I watched her there for a couple of weeks. I decided to purchase her but now I am questioning her health. I knew she didn't have large fronds when I bought her but it didn't seem to affect her. Will the fronds grow back? And do her feet look more webbed compared to other axies?

She has a great appetite and eats when food is offered.

Recently she has been floating around the top more and seems to have small white dots on her tail.

I have been doing 50% water changes every day for 3 days and I have added two almond leaves to her tank.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Here is a video of her:

https://vimeo.com/161390506

 

[SammyTheLotus]

Oh, she looks so sweet! What are the parameters of the tank she's living in?
Good food, low stress and good water quality are great ways to get her gills to grow back to normal size! And time of course.
Is the water filter creating a particularly strong current in the water? Axolotl tend to get stressed by strong water flow and I noticed in the video she seemed to struggle a little against the current. If it's possible for you to direct the water flow against a tank wall or onto some rocks it might make her feel more comfortable! ?

 

[Donna001]

Hi MisterK and welcome to the forum. :happy:
I would expect the gills to grow back with good quality water, food and care. I think that the feet seem more webbed because I think the toes have gone, possibly nibbled off by another axie, which makes them look a bit odd. If that is the case then the toes would probably grow back to given time.
She looks cute and well fed, so that doesn't seem to be a problem. Sometimes they float if they need to poop - has she been recently?
How is the water quality? What are the parameters?

 

[MisterK]

Thank you both for your fast replies!

She is housed in a 40 gallon breeder tank with a large sponge filter. Aside from the bubbles that come out of the sponge filter there is no current in the tank. That is the way she swims and it looks like she struggles like that all the time.

I have not tested the parameters of the water but the tank has been set up for over 2 years (was used as a community tank before)

Are the white spots visible in the video? Does it look like she has a fungus on her?

She did have a large poop a couple of days ago. I will monitor and make sure she is going frequently.

Thank you again for all of your help.


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[SammyTheLotus]

Thank you both for your fast replies!

She is housed in a 40 gallon breeder tank with a large sponge filter. Aside from the bubbles that come out of the sponge filter there is no current in the tank. That is the way she swims and it looks like she struggles like that all the time.

I have not tested the parameters of the water but the tank has been set up for over 2 years (was used as a community tank before)

Are the white spots visible in the video? Does it look like she has a fungus on her?

She did have a large poop a couple of days ago. I will monitor and make sure she is going frequently.

Thank you again for all of your help.


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I couldn't quite tell if there were any spots on her, but I'm glad the current of the water isn't the issue! ?
If I were you I would test the water parameters and treat accordingly, and keep a close eye on her.. Like Donna said, the floating isn't exactly "normal" behaviour but she seems pretty happy and healthy otherwise!
Keep us posted on this sweet girl, good luck with her! ?

 

[Donna001]

I thought I could see a couple of spots on the tail, but also thought I could see some on the body and head which looked like they were just tiny bumps on the skin. I would have expected fungus to look more fluffy, but I don't have a great deal of experience with that, so more experienced keepers may be able to help you there.
In general she seems quite perky and active, and she's eating well, so I wouldn't be overly concerned.
Let us know how she gets on.

 

[Elise]

I viewed your video and noticed the tiny bumps you mentioned which are present across most of the body. Similar threads have been posted before, and while there is no definitive answer, the general theory is that these small bumps are symptomatic of a water chemistry issue. The cause is thought to be from chlorine present in the water column, or possibly additives in the tap water conditioner causing skin irritation. Try switching your brand of water conditioner to one with fewer additives or one using only sodium thiosulfate.

Here is a previous related post for reference:
http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...xolotl/85905-axolotls-covered-tiny-bumps.html

 

[Donna001]

Thanks for the link Elise.
There's always something new to learn about pets.
:happy:

 

[Skudo09]

It could be the angle in the video but to me, it looks like she may be a little bloated? Is it possible to get some photos from the side and from above? If bloated, it is best to seek veterinary attention as it could be a sign of something serious such as a bacterial infection or organ failure (hopefully not). Some more photos from different angles may help to clarify whether she does appear bloated or if it is just the angle.

I would also test the parameters and try changing to a different dechlorinator with less additives and see if that helps. But it would be good to get some more images to double check the bloated appearance. It could just be how I am seeing it in the video.

 

[MisterK]

Hello everyone! Thank you for all of you help so far! I tested my water today and these are the results:

PH- 7.4
Ammonia = 0 ppm
Nitrite = 0 ppm
Nitrate = virtually 0

She seems to be ok and still has a healthy appetite.

I have included a few pictures for everyone. I do not think she is bloated but would love to know what you guys think.

I really appreciate all of the help!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HitmanSougo13]

Hey Mister,

I peg this axie to be about 2 years old if not more. The skin texture looks normal to me as they get to their adult state, they do get more little bumps on their heads and body, perfectly normal. Now is your 40 gallon filled to the top? Buoyancy can be something an axie struggles with when they are younger otherwise the axie looks like it wants to poop.

You said you just bought her so can I assume the tank is cycled?

From her pov, her top left gill and her middle right gill looks like she may have been handled roughly or attacked, you see how both look a loop instead of a pointed gill? That is like a blood vessel that holds up the gill and it looks like it popped out of the gill so do not be surprised if those two gills likely won't grow bigger and fillaments won't grow on the blood vessel either. Otherwise she is a cutie and a survivor!