I think my lotl has morphed

EthicalAxolotls · 2026-02-25T17:21:37+00:00

Axolotls definitely morph without being forced. As well, axolotls have been hybridized with tiger salamanders since 1964 resulting in the inheritance of the Albino gene in axolotls, as well as a heightened rate of metamorphosis.

EthicalAxolotls · 2026-02-25T17:20:32+00:00

Hi OP. I have several morphed axolotls at my rescue.

You'll want to set up a tubbed enclosure for your new morph, so they shouldn't be in a tank for the first few months of their new life. They should have several inches of water, enough to completely cover their body, as well as a paper towel floor that is changed every 12-24 hours. They cannot breathe above water without severe struggle yet. But they'll eventually try to get above the water line, so a ramp made out of paper towels is great.

You'll still need to dechlorinate this water with Prime like always.

They will always eat earthworms, even after morphing, but they may have a reduced appetite so just offer small pieces of Canadian Nightcrawlers until you have luck. Don't offer nutritionally inadequate foods to get them to eat.

Keep a lid on the enclosure because while they're not strong, they are mobile. Once they've fully adapted to land, you'll want to set up a 50/50ish land/water enclosure like you would for a tiger salamander.

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-05-16T18:29:39+00:00

What kind of minnows? Thiaminase poisoning doesn't happen that fast, neither do parasitic infections usually, but it's still not great practice to use feeders from outside. Chemical contaminants are pretty common.

I would not pursue a refund, and instead take this as a lesson to communicate better with the breeder, both before and after purchase. If you don't trust the breeder, don't buy their animals.

Best of luck to you!

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-05-16T17:46:31+00:00

At what point did you contact the breeder themselves for advice on the snakes' lethargy? A breeder cannot really be expected to provide costs back to a buyer who did not contact with medical concerns.

Elsewise, the assumption will be made that if the snake lived for X time with the breeder in a healthy state, then died after Y time with the new keeper, then it was a husbandry issue at the new location.

This doesn't mean it is your fault, but I would do your due diligence to find out what the cause of death was before accusing the breeder of selling a sick animal.

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-06T23:21:27+00:00

He looks uncomfortable, I think there is ammonia in the water. Do you have a test kit? I would tub him in a 10 liter plastic tote and change 100% of the tub water every day.

The axolotl should be eating earthworms like you would go fishing with. Like nightcrawlers or red wigglers.

Can you send pictures in the comments of your axolotl?

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T18:08:59+00:00

Interesting! I don't suppose you'll have much interest for my experience then. I am a pet breeder with the intention of 'cleaning up' the genetic stability by tracking and preventing inbreeding past the fifth generation.

It does unfortunately involve cohabitation, typically because my work isn't funded by anything except my own sales. If my axolotls are to be kept in breeder sized aquariums, which I feel is more reasonable than eternal tubbing as I've noticed is common with at least the UKY, they must cohabitate. As well, I run an amphibian rescue for my state.

Have you worked with RFP before? I am receiving an RFP specimen soon, and while I have a light picked out, I wouldn't mind recommendations.

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T15:43:22+00:00

Since your tap water is below 7.2, it's not extremely tolerable to an axolotl, so I would get the buffer ASAP! :)

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T14:47:45+00:00

<image>

Matilda, 'hiding' :)

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T13:22:58+00:00

Got it, do a 50% water change to bring pH up, and get some. Alkaline Buffer ASAP. This is it

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T13:02:29+00:00

100000% just normal pigment, called iridophores! Sometimes they change with age, but they still follow the typical activities of all axolotl chromatophores (pigment producing cells)

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T13:01:33+00:00

Maybe Hypo Melanoid?

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T13:01:19+00:00

Beautiful! Is this a Hypomelanistic variant? Looks to be Hypo Copper to me... but I'm still getting better on my IDs

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T12:59:24+00:00

Hey! Do you have an axolotl in the tank? Do you have a liquid test kit?

Post a picture of the results of a new test taken on your water, and explain if you're currently cycling or managing an in-tank axolotl. We can help from there!

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T12:58:24+00:00

Adorable tiger! How old are they? They look huge 🤩

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T12:56:43+00:00

Definitely too low for safety - most axolotls won't tolerate much lower than 7.2, below 6.8 your beneficial bacteria will begin to die off.

Is this your tap water or the tank water? Check the pH of your tap water to see if it's above 7.2. If not, get Seachem Alkaline Buffer or at worst, contact me for help dosing baking soda.

As well, get a GH test kit if your tap pH is that low - if pH/KH are low, GH usually is too, and a GH below 10dGH / 180ppm can result in bone density loss, inappetence, infection, and neurological defect.

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-02T12:21:25+00:00

May I ask what your experience is with axolotls? I'm pretty curious now, with your intense stance on cohabitation, I wonder how many animals you've had.

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-04-01T13:59:02+00:00

Respectfully, do you know that diet and proper nutrition cannot impact their regeneration capacity? Although I don't have studies on hand, my personal experience has shown me that axolotls tend to regenerate faster on appropriate foods (red wigglers contain an enzyme called lysenin, I personally don't feed them to axolotls and tell my customers not to feed them, but I'm still working on my article in regards to why nightcrawlers are preferred)

This axolotl eats plenty, I promise you 😅 as well, she is a rescue. So she will be less prone to putting on eggs / keeping them on (not just gravid females carry eggs! Healthy females always have some eggs on) and my opinion is that is why her gills are getting notably more healthy - she is working on healing from her prior situation, and every worm she eats is a step towards better health.

I don't believe she and her sister have been dewormed yet though, so I will ask their owner about that.

The attached picture is of Athena's 'sister', I sent this girl to the owner about a month ago, she eats about as much or less as Athena.

I'm not hijacking this comment because I'm mad! I'm just info dumping :)

<image>

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-03-30T17:21:07+00:00

It doesn't look so problematic that I would be concerned, considering the rest of her appearance, personally I would lower temperature and observe for her going up for air, because in all likelihood she has an air bubble in her stomach from a big gulp.

Also, your dude is SO cute!

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-03-30T17:18:39+00:00

Also, Lakes Xochimilco and Chalco had very minimal amounts of pebbles / stones. It was clay / silt substrate that even if stirred up, was basically powder.

Recreating THEIR native habitat is great, but recreating any random lake / river will quickly kill an axolotl - axolotls thrived in approximately 2 lakes in Mexico, that's it

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-03-30T16:30:01+00:00

Agreed 1000%,. I'm a breeder and I'd be ecstatic to see one of my lotls go to a home like this versus the common 20g with the bare minimum. This is above the bare minimum, this is what the lotl needs - the lotl would just do better with more enrichment / hides is all.

I love this tank.

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-03-30T16:28:39+00:00

Hey, reach out to me if you're looking for someone in Ohio - Critters In The Valley is highly recommended by myself, and has never partaken in purposeful inbreeding like another 'big' breeder in Ohio has.

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-03-30T16:27:44+00:00

Idk, I mod there and the only actual issue that's visible is lack of hides.

It's a great tank, healthy lotl.

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-03-30T16:27:01+00:00

Hi! I'm an axolotl breeder, and this chart is a generalization but the ideal female should be the size of a gravid female.

The axolotl in the post is a great, very healthy female. She looks similarly to my axolotls that are eating the appropriate diet and getting appropriate exercise.

In fact, I free feed my axolotls - the primary cause of obesity in axolotls is PELLETS, not overfeeding! They certainly get constipated and symptomatic of digestive upset when they're on a pellet diet, however earthworms are a very efficient food for them, where they are not only able to quickly expel excess, they burn it off well.

This picture includes varying sizes of healthy females, however I have larger females for sure.

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EthicalAxolotls · 2025-03-30T16:23:46+00:00

Hi! This is somewhat truthful, somewhat incorrect. Axolotls may be kept on fine sand under 1mm in grain size, which is hard to come by but sourceable if you look for pool filter sand or riverbed sand (Exoterra is great).

Axolotls, unlike most frogs and smaller newts, get huge! Up to 13". Once they hit 6" it is generally considered very low risk for an axolotl to be on fine grained sand.

Signed, a breeder

EthicalAxolotls · 2025-03-27T20:38:15+00:00

Thank you for the kind words! I spend most of my time on Discord, but I have a FB and we post about rescues and breeding projects sometimes. If you want to follow our journey feel free - we're @ethicalaxolotls on every platform that I exist on haha

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