[schoolzoo]

I've just recently added an axolotl to my collection. Any advise on how to make it a happier animal would be great. To me it seem to be slightly stresses as the end part of its tail doesn't have any color in it, and it seems to have some cloudy white parts on its body. Is this normal, or should I be worried? It often swims around in its tank, and comes to the front when food is offered.

It is in a 10g.

 

[Dendrobati]

I've just recently added an axolotl to my collection. Any advise on how to make it a happier animal would be great. To me it seem to be slightly stresses as the end part of its tail doesn't have any color in it, and it seems to have some cloudy white parts on its body. Is this normal, or should I be worried? It often swims around in its tank, and comes to the front when food is offered.

It is in a 10g.

I did not like the wild type until I saw yours. That is a beautiful axolotl!

That's really all I have to say, can't help with the health questions. I suspect that the lack of color on the tail is fine though, it's just how he looks like. Maybe one of the parents was albino. One of my albinos has a tail that is pretty much transparent, it has always been like that, and he is very healthy.

Marta

 

[schoolzoo]

Thanks. Any tips on what to feed and how much? I've read a lot of different articles. Some say crickets, and not feeder fish, while others say the opposite.

 

[Judy S]

Send a PM to Michael Shrom--he is the Axol.expert....has plenty...

 

[Dendrobati]

Thanks. Any tips on what to feed and how much? I've read a lot of different articles. Some say crickets, and not feeder fish, while others say the opposite.

I am not much of an expert, I only have 4 axolotls. I can tell you what I feed mine though

I feed them red worms and once in a while some bloodworms. So far so good, they are doing great!

When they were younger I used to feed them two / three times a week, now I feed them a couple worms each everyday. They are always hungry!

Marta

 

[amit]

feeding them is not an issue, as they will take any live/raw meat you'll offer.
I gave mine fish (mainly gambusia affinis), grasshoppers, slugs, chicken breast, earthworms, tadpoles (of Bufo viridis - a native toad where I leave), and the huge and ugly larva of Scarabaeidae beetles I found in my lawn.

other then that, you should perform weekly water changes, and keep the filters clean - as you would do with tropical fish.

just one interesting note regarding feeding them with tadpoles:

the first time I had axolotls, i did not give them any tadpoles.
the axolotls lived, and died, as a water breathing creature, and did not transformed to an adult salamander.

the second time, I fed them alot of tadpoles, and the axo's transformed to the land dwelling, air breathing adult form.

I suspect it happened because they got the "adult transformation" hormons (I think it's called tiroxyn, or something like that) fron the tadpoles they ate.

 

[schoolzoo]

That's an interesting observation. Worth looking into, or reading more about. Just for the information, not that I want to have mine transform.

 

[Tongue Flicker]

Provide them with non-freezing cold water which is very easy to do this season. I'm sure your axie will smile a thousand smiles for you.

I feed mine small fish, soft-bodied inset larvae like blue bottle flies and all kinds of feeder worms (newly molted superworms, earthworms, live tubifex, bloodworms)

The white patches are mostly irido/melanophores. They're normal pigment cells

Good luck and congrats!

 

[Michael Shrom]

Go to caudata.org or axolotl.org for some good axolotl care info. Feeding fish, tadpoles, and chicken to your axolotls can put them at risk for disease. Overfeeding and poor water quality can cause axolotls to metamorphose.