Recently, I've noticed that my axolotl has some discolorations in his tail (some parts are slightly see through, see attached image). He is eating normally, I feed him nightcrawlers every other day. He is in a filtered 20 gallon tank (waterflow from filter is minimized) with a sand bottom. He isn't acting lethargic and has been moving normally so I'm wondering if tail discoloration is normal for axolotls. I don't know his age because he was a rescue but I've had him for around 3 years and he was a juvenile when I got him. Any info is greatly appreciated!
Is there something wrong with my Axolotl? Tail discolortaion
- Thread starter AryaJoNo
- Start date
How quickly did it lose colour?
Was the axo mottled when you got it or was it completely black?
If it was completely black then it should not be changing colour or losing colour.
The clear patch with pink/ red is a concern and looks a bit like an infection.
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Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge.
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for 1 week. The water changes and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in. It also removes a lot of the gunk and this means any medication can work on treating the fish instead of being wasted killing the pathogens in the gunk.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use them. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Cleaning the filter means less gunk and cleaner water with fewer pathogens.
Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.
If there's no improvement after a week with daily water changes, or it gets worse during that time, post more pictures. You might need a broad spectrum medication that treats bacteria and fungus. Sulpha based medications are the safest for axolotls. But try daily water changes first and see if it helps.
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You need to offer more variety in food. Fish and prawn can be added to the diet. Remove the shell from the prawn and just feed it pieces of the flesh without any shell.
Was the axo mottled when you got it or was it completely black?
If it was completely black then it should not be changing colour or losing colour.
The clear patch with pink/ red is a concern and looks a bit like an infection.
-------------------
Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge.
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for 1 week. The water changes and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in. It also removes a lot of the gunk and this means any medication can work on treating the fish instead of being wasted killing the pathogens in the gunk.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use them. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Cleaning the filter means less gunk and cleaner water with fewer pathogens.
Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.
If there's no improvement after a week with daily water changes, or it gets worse during that time, post more pictures. You might need a broad spectrum medication that treats bacteria and fungus. Sulpha based medications are the safest for axolotls. But try daily water changes first and see if it helps.
-------------------
You need to offer more variety in food. Fish and prawn can be added to the diet. Remove the shell from the prawn and just feed it pieces of the flesh without any shell.
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