Photo: White skin patches...

[Morrison]

Please! Help! White skin patches...

Hi, a few days ago I noticed my dark axies have a patchy skin. I also have two lighter colored axies in that tank so I can't really see it on them. The leucistic one has also "reddish" feet. Like something is wrong with the water.

I've read things about a temperature problem, but the temp is still at 19ºC.
I did test the water and nitrites and nitrates were somehow too high. I immediately did a water change and yesterday I did another one. They're still 'patchy'.

(Nitrite and nitrate is better now)
My little albino doesn't eat easily now (but finally accepted the worm I gave him)

The axies in the other tank are all fine.

I also added sand to the tank recently.

So... Did the high nitrites and nitrates made them go 'white patchy'? Does the sand have to do anything about it?
And how can I help them get well?

Maybe a tea bath? How exactly does it work? Do I have to fridge them too etc.
And they're still pretty small... so is a tea bath (or maybe a salt bath) okay for them?

Here are 3 pictures (the first two is from my axie with the most 'whiteness'... I've noticed something too that looks like a 'broken' (?) gill or something freaky), maybe the last one is not very clear but I hope you can see what I mean by seeing the first two...
(Oh, the water is much clearer now... I thought the sand was rinsed enough... but probably not...)

Edit: oops... wrong subtopic...

 

[Morrison]

Please? Anyone?

 

[Shizeric]

Have you tested for ammonia?
What size is your tank, what is the filtration, and how often do you do water changes?

 

[Morrison]

My test strips (they don't sell the drop test kits over here somehow) don't show anything about ammonia and that really sucks because that's pretty much one of my big concerns. But I have ordered drop test kits because they might be so much more accurate.

The tank is 60x30x30 cm and the axies are still tiny (they will move to a bigger tank)
I have an internal filter. I don't turn it off at night (I've met enough people who do that... A big no!) The current isn't too strong to bother the axies.
I change the water every week or 2 weeks and if I see axie poo I immediately clean it up and I already freak out if I find a 'hidden one' behind a plant so that I don't know how long it have been there.

 

[Shizeric]

I have a feeling ammonia is your issue..they don't look too small..so they are probably producing a lot of waste, and that tank is too small for the 3 Axolotls. I don't think a smaller internal filter is going to be able to properly filter the water, so you may want to look into moving up to a larger tank soon and using a canister filter. Do you have a picture of the entire setup?

 

[daremo]

regarding reddish feet, I had a similar problem with mine and I fixed it adding almond leaves in the tank
My problem also started when I added sand in the tank, maybe it helps?

search the forum for "hurt toes" and you will see what my axie had, I hope it helps!

I got the leaves from ebay, if you need it I can give you the link

 

[sek]

Go here: Photos of Sick Axolotls

That may help, as mentioned your tank is far too small for 3 axies and you'll have a lot waste and ammonia being produced because of it. My two have outgrown their tank and I can't afford a big enough tank yet so I bought cheap large plastic container which also has a filter in it and works a treat. Try and get a container and a bigger filter, external filters are best.

As for the red feet, it sounds like another ammonia issue but check out Daremo's thread on 'hurt toes'

Best of luck.

 

[Morrison]

Thanks. I will separate them. I have two more tanks cycling at the moment. (I was already planned to separate them also because I have a nippy wildtype) I have some empty tanks I can use. (I once had a bunch of fish... ) I have a small room but I have to improvise. (I sold my snake to make room for my axies! Wow!)

I've noticed the red feet were... not red anymore. Maybe the water change helped a bit.
But is there also anything I can do right now to make the white patches go away or less? Maybe a tea bath? And if I give them a tea bath do I have to "tea them" in their main tank or in a separated plastic tub in the fridge or something. I can't find a tea bath article.

Thanks

 

[daremo]

here's the link for the tea bath, in the middle...

Caudata Culture Articles - Illness Part 2

 

[JWERNER]

Thanks. I will separate them. I have two more tanks cycling at the moment. (I was already planned to separate them also because I have a nippy wildtype) I have some empty tanks I can use. (I once had a bunch of fish... ) I have a small room but I have to improvise. (I sold my snake to make room for my axies! Wow!)

I've noticed the red feet were... not red anymore. Maybe the water change helped a bit.
But is there also anything I can do right now to make the white patches go away or less? Maybe a tea bath? And if I give them a tea bath do I have to "tea them" in their main tank or in a separated plastic tub in the fridge or something. I can't find a tea bath article.

Thanks

I'm having the same problem. Its one of those things you have to just systematical identify with trial and error. From what I have read it can be a number of things but seems as if stress do to temps is only the most common.

Mine started when the tank was actually colder than what it is now. We had a small heat wave and I had to change some water and start dropping in some cold packs but the problem was present before hand anyway.

All in all mine is going away slowly by trying my best to keep the tank below 73.
If its not progressing any further I am going to try the fridge and see how it goes.

I think its a over all stress thing that can cause it and not only heat stress but other types of stress as well. is tank hasn't been really high in temps to be honest but he had a sort of a bumpy ride when I got him the other week.

 

[Morrison]

Thanks for the link! It really says everything I wanted to know about it

And I really hope I receive the drop test kits tomorrow.