Illness/Sickness: Axolotl has white gills and no appetite

Sputnya · May 11, 2018

Hello! I've had my axolotl Kirby for about a month or so. Unfortunately, something happened that, in short, makes my room very hot during the day, and yesterday the water of her tank had gone up all the way to 26C. Her gills have turned white and she has lost her appetite. Even after I managed to lower the water down to 20C, she shows no sign of improvement. Tank parameters are
PH : 7
Ammonia : 0
Nitrites : 0.5
Nitrates : 5

I hope someone can help me, I'm very worried. And thanks in advance!

Hayleyy · May 11, 2018

If the temperature during the day isn't something that can be fixed soon you will probably need to invest in a chiller. In the meantime a fan may work. She is stressed from the heat which is probably why she isn't eating and gills turned white. Get her into stable temp asap and you should hopefully see improvement. If you can't move the tank to a cooler room a temporary container will work as long as she can move around.

Sablette · May 11, 2018

My room is also one of the hottest rooms in the house and if you aren't willing to invest in a chiller then moving them to a cooler room is probably your best bet. If there is no other place to set up shop then there are alternatives like clip on fans. I'm using a 5 fan setup for my 20 gallon and its doing its job in keeping the water around 57-61f Using this one here.

I'd advise against dropping water bottles in because of the sudden temp spike possibly giving them a shock but if you can knock it down a bit beforehand by moving them or using a fan then it should be fine to put one or two in.

Sputnya · May 11, 2018

Thank you for the responses! I'll definitely invest in those fans, followed up by a chiller later on.

I also use natural wood in my tank, which I was told may not be good because of the tannin it releases. I also have volcanic rocks that have been thoroughly washed several times before being put in the tank. Could those be detrimental to my axie?

DSaxolotl · May 11, 2018

Fix your temperature first, that is your problem at the moment.

What kind of the wood do you have? Tannin are just tannin, if you use aquarium safe wood aka manzanita, mangrovane, spider etc...

Your ph is stable so your rocks should be fine i suppose too.

Sputnya · May 11, 2018

The wood is just called "horn" type wood, and was purchased along the rocks at a specialized store that sells nothing but fish supplies. Volcanic rock are ph neutral from what I've seen and been told.

Temperature is stable now and Kirby is no longer just floating near the surface, and her skin has returned to its natural white colour (she was pinkish when the tank was too hot). I've also ordered a cooling tank fan that should arrive in about a week, as for now I'll keep the temp as stable as possible.

Sputnya · May 11, 2018

I would also like to update with a picture taken a few minutes ago. I think she might have a fungus of sort? I'm not too certain, but from what I've gathered they can develop in just a few hours of the water being too warm, so I'd like confirmation.
The pink "fluff" on the gills also seems to be completely gone.... is it making it harder for her to breathe? Is it going to grow back?

Hayleyy · May 11, 2018

Where are you seeing the fluff? I'm only seeing the little bits of gill filaments, but that might be my eyes :uhoh:
I'm wondering if you may have an oversaturation of oxygen in the water as well? What kind of filter(s), any air stones, fans?

Sputnya · May 11, 2018

I mean in the sense the gills were much more feathery before the water's temperature went up. It feels almost as if they shriveled after that....
The filter I have is a Marina S15 power filter. However, I had a LOT of plants in my tank, to the point of overgrowth, so I removed a lot of them.

These pictures are from before, just to show what I mean by "feathery" and "fluffy".
Am I safe to assume the little one doesn't have any fungus based on the pictures I submitted previously?
Thanks a lot for the response!

Hayleyy · May 12, 2018

Unless anyone else can see it I don't think there's fungus there. Warmer temps absolutely can enable fungus to grow so it's always good to look for signs

The gills have probably shriveled because of the temp change, which is why they are not as feathery. They will grow back when conditions are good, axies can grow back pretty much anything

Do some water changes to bring your nitrites down to 0.

Sputnya · May 12, 2018

I've stabilized the tank's water to 20C, which is the average the tank was before the heat wave.
She's still not eating, but she's been swimming around a lot more. I've also turned off the light to give her a bit more privacy. I tested the water this morning and got the following results. My cycle has been compromised because of the numerous water changes... Hopefully the parameters should be back to normal soon!

Hayleyy · May 12, 2018

When doing water changes just change a little bit at a time so your cycle doesn't get disturbed.
Getting your tank down a few more degrees will do wonders. Have you been able to get a fan on it?
Good idea to keep the light off, you want to reduce stress as much as possible. Keep offering food.

Sputnya · May 13, 2018

I've managed to keep the temp down by opening my window at night when it gets cool and keeping the curtains closed and lights off. I'll order the fans linked earlier on one-day delivery monday to set them up as soon as possible.
And good news, this morning she ate the food I offered her! Her tail tip is still curled, but at least she's eating so I'm happy with that!

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