Illness/Sickness: Small white bumps, veins everywhere, and his fluffy gills have gone!! (Axolotl)

[mariaaa]

Hoping someone here can help me!

Basically, I bought my Rufus when I was in college, he was TINY! I loved him so much!

He grew up and went in a bigger tank, and I grew up and went to uni...

Now I'm not saying my family are incapable of looking after him while I'm gone, but every time I come back he's slow, lethargic, and his gills have shrunk...

Normally I change some of the water, give him dome medicine, and he's fine, but this time, he's just getting worse I've included some pictures, I'll try and get some better quality ones...

As you can see he is covered in white spots, there is literally no fluff on his gills, and his body is covered in veins.

He eats catfish pellets, as the pet shop owner recommended, and occasionally bloodworms, but they make the tank scabby!!! His tank is normally darker, but I moved the covers to take a picture. My room does get hot though, and I open the window alot, which is right next to his tank. Could this be a problem?

When my brother started giving him bloodworms while I was at uni, the tank has started growing green things, could this be a problem too?

I hate leaving him behind, as he always gets ill, but never this bad. I'm scared I'm going to have to get rid of him. Any help? Please?!!

Maria x

[jane1187]

Hi, hope our advise in chat was helpful last night.

Keep us posted on his recovery and ask more questions if you have them.

Good Luck!

[mariaaa]

Hey Jane!
Your advice was so useful! Been doing exactly as you said (minus the earthworms, still not got round to that), even though it means running to and from the bathroom with seven buckets of water :P and I even bought a shark that blows bubbles to oxygenate the water. He is miles better already!!! Still room for improvement, but he is so much friendlier and more active, and the veins have nearly gone!
I reckon his gills are growing back too, but that's probably just me being hopeful :P doubt that would happen so soon

Thank you so much for all your help and advice!!! We don't know what we would have done without you!!

I'll keep you posted

xx

[Beth]

Dear Maria,

I recently made a post with a similar problem to the one you experienced back in August, here: Black cloaca on a leucistic and growing veins from his gills.

It's been suggested that the problem with Oxo's cloaca is parasites, which I'm not sure of, but now have a contact for a vet to check out, but in terms of his gills, his are starting to look a bit like your axolotl's went. Please would you let me know what the advice was that you got from Jane and I'll try it out? I've just ordered an ammonia test kit, to check whether that might be the problem, but your experience would be really useful too, please! Were oxygen levels part it? Where did you find that shark, please?

Thanks,

Beth