Illness/Sickness: Is my Axolotl okay?

[Atherose]

I've been posting so much lately, I get so easily worried.
My axolotl has lines down the sides of his stomach... like deep lines. No cuts or anything just lines.

Could this be from the heat (I live in Australia) or from not feeding him enough ?
Thank you kindly.

 

[carsona246]

I have a vague memory of reading something about this, gonna go search it, but I'd check the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate while you're waiting. I doubt it's from not feeding him enough, may have something to do with your temp(maybe?). What's the temp of the tank?

edit: ok, couldn't find anything, posting a picture might help

 

[HappySkittles]

Aren't the ridges natural? A pic would help.

 

[Atherose]

I'm not too sure, as I am new to this but his gills don't look to happy to me. I recently moved him into a new tank so he could just be adjusting...
His water has been at about 25c but I have been trying to keep it around 18 (I just ordered a pump for my chiller and I try and keep it at 18 but it's hard when I have work/am asleep)

 

[Atherose]

I also have been using water neautraliser to keep ammonia levels down as I have to put in fresh cold water every day, it has a slime thing in it too, could this be a contributing factor?

 

[yellowpebble]

25 is stress level heat for axolotls but it seems like you are trying hard to reduce it. Those ridges are natural and from what i've noticed, deeper ones come with age. I noticed these lines on my axie one day too all of a sudden but they all have them. Some seem to have them deeper than others though.

Dont chillers automaticly keep the water at a good temperature?

 

[yellowpebble]

My water dechlorinator comes with a slime thing and it has never hurt my axolotls. I'm sure if anything it would help their slime coat. Water changes are a good idea every day, you are doing the right thing. Warm water contributes to amonia levels and depleted oxygen levels, so keep it up. You could also try keeping a fan pointed at the waters surface while you are at work to increase oxygen and lower tempurature.

 

[carsona246]

Warm water does not contribute to ammonia levels. If your getting ammonia I would do daily waterchanges to combat that. However doing a waterchange with significantly colder water than the tank water will probably do more harm than good. Changing the temp drastically will stress an axolotl out pretty badly. Try to keep a fan on the tank and keep the temp as cold as possible, while not allowing the temp to swing back and forth.

 

[yellowpebble]

sorry, carnon is right i got it mixed up with ph :S

i'm sure of the high tempuerature/low oxygen thing though

 

[Atherose]

Thank you so much I just noticed they were there all of a sudden and he didn't seem to happy, but yeah. I'll get a fan pointed at him right away.
Oh, I do have a chiller I just can't have it on yet because I don't have a pump for it to run through is wha tI was saying.

 

[blackdog]

What sort of filter do you have?

 

[yellowpebble]

you can get them cheap as from ebay

 

[iSuzie]

Those ridges are natural and from what i've noticed, deeper ones come with age. I noticed these lines on my axie one day too all of a sudden but they all have them. Some seem to have them deeper than others though.

my older axies have them to and they are more defined. i wouldn't worry about them at the moment, the temp is way more concerning. if u cant get the water temp down and to stay down at a stable rate, it might be a good idea to think about fridgeing until you can get the pump for your chiller? if the temp is to high for to long it might result in fungus so maybe fridgeing would be best until it does arrive good luck! and dont worry about posting to much that's what the forum is for! haha