Illness/Sickness: Red skin: sick axolotl?

[Racingtortoise]

Hi all, looking for some help! I Have 2 axolotls; a wild type and a leucistic and both seem to be getting along fine and growing quickly since I bought them about 7-&months ago.

However, recently I have had to move them to another room so emptied the tank to about 5'' of water or so and carried the whole coffee table with a friend into the next room and refilled with dechlorinated water and I have since noticed the white one's skin has turned a worrying red. I thought it was fungal but then I saw it in the position in the photo and it appears to be its network of blood vessels.

The ammonia is zero and the temp is around 20C. I have washed down the logs and changed a large portion of the water while siphoning up all detritus I could see and have cleaned the sides of all algal growth. I keep the tank tidy and with a filter I do water changes and general 'housekeeping' of the tank once a week with removal of uneaten food hours after it's been offered.

I haven't been able to find much about thermoregulation in axolotls as they are poililothermic I wasn't sure if they still vasodilate like mammals!! And that was the cause of the red appearance... But the temp is not too high unless during the day at work it's getting higher and I haven't been able to notice. I have read a similar post about reddening of skin and the advice was about reducing temperature...

My other concern was the size of the filter: I tried to go small enough to prevent strong current but big enough to provide adequate throughput for the size of the tank and I wonder if the filter is actually too small: I rinse the sponge with every water change else it gets blocked over time. The wild type isn't showing any signs of stress or illness but his skin won't show the same signs as the white!! I'm hoping after a scrub and water change that a few days will see it right as I monitor the temp over the weekend but any experience or advice is appreciated!! Thanks in advance!

 

[auntiejude]

Red skin like that is a classic sign of water quality issues - have you tested for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrates? You may have disturbed your cycle with the move - not enough for a complete crash but enough to upset your water quality and your axies.

If you're concerned about temp you can get a max and min thermometer so it can be measuring while you're not there.

A filter should be rated for 4x tank size per hour - so a 100L tank needs a 400L/H filter. You can always baffle the filter outlet to reduce flow, use a spray bar etc.

 

[Racingtortoise]

Thanks for the speedy response. I thought the large water change would have affected the chemistry of the tank but didn't expect such a severe response!

pH is sitting at around 7.12-7.14 and Ammonia is zero. Nitrate/Nitrite I haven't got a test kit for but I keep it well planted to help minimise nitrate.

The filter I have got is designed for 10 litres an hour less than your recommendation of 4x capacity/hr and hasn't seemed a problem before as long as the sponge is rinsed regularly in water change bucket so should have a nice supply of bacteria.

I will check temp in the new room over the next few days and let time work it's magic as the tank re-stabilises!!

I'm pleased to hear it's a water quality signature and nothing more sinister as I can get a nitrate/nitrite tester and control everything else!

 

[Racingtortoise]

Every other day a half bucket water change and skin is returning to normal colour! Just eaten a worm too well nearly all of it!

 

[mewsie]

That's excellent news

It's worth investing in a full test kit for times like this.

Nitrites are still very harmful to axolotls albeit less so than ammonia. Nitrates at moderate to high levels are also harmful and should be monitored.

Most likely is that the move killed the cycle and your new regimen of water changes are keeping the problems minimal, but be aware that you could still have unmanaged poor water quality that is not bad enough to cause a skin reaction but still harmful to your axies.

It's always possible it could be something else though, so carry on keeping a good eye on their behaviour and condition

And get a test kit! Or be terribly nice to someone at your local fish store and they might test it for you. I may or may not have resorted to using this technique in the past.