Aeration, filtration...how much?

Forgive me if this post already on this help board. I tried to post yesterday, but I don't see it this morning....

I've read the disappearing gills post and some mentioned something to the effect of "if the water is heavily oxygenated, the axos' don't need their gills so much and will shed them".

Is that true? If it is should a person cut back on the aerating of the tank? I love the feathery gills of my axos' and would be upset to see them disappear, waste away, drop off, or whatever.

Last question.

Can they breathe by going to the surface? I searched the caudata site about aeration, but I didn't see anything that mentioned the axos' ability to breathe at the surface of the water. I see these little guys going to the surface and they seem to gulping air.

I have 3 - 5 axos' per tank, the new axos' were put into quarantine tanks to get them acclimated to my water and the new water temps. I was going to drop an airstone in for aeration, but haven't yet. The acclimation tanks are in PITA areas, and running electrical cords to them, um, isn't the easiest thing to do. (i.e. they are sitting on the tanks of my toilets and bathroom counters.) Today they are going to be transferred to permanent tanks.

Ok, I lied. One more question.

I bought 6 axos from Michael Shrom (awesome guy, great shipping and packaging by the way! ) Firstly his 4 - 5 inch axos are much bigger than the other group I purchased. However my question concerns their tails.

Michaels' axos have these glorious fan like tails compared to the other group, which seem thin and narrow. In consideration, the new group, is about half as wide and about a full inch shorter than Michaels'.

Will the newbies, tails "thicken" up? Is this a strain differentation? Diet? Or age?

Ok, thats it for now!

TIA!
Sharon

They don't shed them. The excess gill tissue is absorbed but the gills remain.
As far as I know it is normal for them to gulp air but if this occurs frequently I would suspect low oxygen levels.


Ed

Well, the little guys are now in permanent tanks but I'm still concerned about potential gill loss.

Does anyone know if high levels of oxygen will cause the axos' to lose their feathery gills?

And will these smaller axos' tails ever develope into the "taller" tails like Michaels axos'?

Sharon

High oxygen concentration leads to the need for less gill surface area and they will be less feathery, but will not disappear entirely.