not to sure whats wrong please help

Hi all

I have one male and one female Axolotl. The other day I took a look at the female Axolot and she had lost two gills (or they had shrunk to two stubs) she also has a small gash in her tail. It appears to have happened over night. There is nothing sharp in the tank that could have caused it.

The male Axolotl has white specks on the top of his gills, however, he has always appeared to have specks like this and I am unsure if it is colouring or if it is a fungal infection. He appeared to have gained them since maturing.

They are both active and eating nicley and do not seem stressed at all but I am concerned.

The water temperature is 21 and sometimes reaches 22 but never any higher. I know that this is not the best temperature for them however I am unsure of how I can reduce the water temperature. I do not believe that this is what is effecting them as they have always been happy and always eat well.

The tank is just shy of three feet.

The water conditions are fine and there is not a lot of water flow from the filter.

I would like some advice regarding what could have caused the loss of gills. I am unsure if it is because they have both been fighting as I have not witnessed it or if it is something that needs treating? I would also like to ask if you believe from the photos the white specks on the male are just colourings and not anything I need to worry about.

Any ideas would be appreciated thank you.

Picture one is of the Male taken today
Picture two is of the female with her missing gills-she does have a lot of red frills just seems like less due to the lighting.
Picture three female is at the back of the tank and the male is at the front where you can see the white markings again. This picture was taken about three months ago.

Sorry for the picture quality, there is only that much light so I could take a good picture.

Hi Moominaxie,

One of the gills looks as if it may have been bitten off by her tankmate - the edge of the gill looks jagged. The white gill tips look natural to me.

If I may, that blue plastic hide you have in the tank - is the edging rough or smooth? If rough it may be a point of concern if the axolotl swooshes past.

For the temperature, as long as the water conditions are good and the temperature does not go any higher I would leave it be.

A constant temperature of 21 occasionally creeping to 22 is better than the temperatures bouncing up and down like a 'Jack in the Box' in attempts to cool it. Fluctuating temperatures will stress an axolotl and make them sick.

Are you cleaning under those large rocks? A lot of muck can accumulate under there and wreak havoc with the water quality. Unfortunately the only way to clear the muck out is to move all the rocks around - adds a lot of work to the schedule.

Water quality issues can also cause the axolotl's gills to erode.

Hi Havelock

Thanks for the reply!

The blue plastic hiding space for them is smooth and I do not have any big rocks/pebbles in the tank any more. That picture was taken a good 3-4 months ago. I now have sand as it is so much easier to clean the tank with sand rather then the rocks. The three or four individual pebbles left in the tank on the sand I move when cleaning the tank/sand.

As the water condition/temp is ok I guess i'll go with the assumtion that they have had a bit of a `ruck` or a case of mistaken identity between the Axolotl and a piece of food. I'll keep an eye on it and if it gets worse or the male Axolotl starts to lose his gills then i'll post back and/or try to do some more research.

I wanted to gain other peoples opinions as I wasnt sure and would hate to be missing or ignoring something obvious.

Those white marking on the gills are fine. Did you notice how the female also has white flecks on her? It's just their colouring.

As for the gills, I agree with Jacq, that one on the left looks like it has been bitten off or damaged when the axolotl swims around. Just check the water and that hide. Remember, axies have very delicate skin, what may be smooth too us, might not be for them.

If they are not showing any signs of stress or illness they should be ok.

Thanks for the replies , im a bit of a worrier, their my babies and i've probably gone a bit ott on thinking something is wrong lol but i'd hate there to be something that I should be doing that i'm not!

moominaxie said:

The blue plastic hiding space for them is smooth and I do not have any big rocks/pebbles in the tank any more. That picture was taken a good 3-4 months ago. I now have sand as it is so much easier to clean the tank with sand rather then the rocks.

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Yes, I bless the day I replaced my large rocks with sand.

I thought the blue plastic was a long draw of the bow myself but thought 'better safe than sorry' as they have such delicate skin.

moominaxie said:

As the water condition/temp is ok I guess i'll go with the assumtion that they have had a bit of a `ruck` or a case of mistaken identity between the Axolotl and a piece of food. I'll keep an eye on it and if it gets worse or the male Axolotl starts to lose his gills then i'll post back and/or try to do some more research.

I wanted to gain other peoples opinions as I wasnt sure and would hate to be missing or ignoring something obvious.

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I don't think there is any such thing as 'obvious' with axolotls lol

My heart jumps every time my axolotls wander past one another wondering if this will be the last day I see that gill or limb for a while...

I would keep a close eye on that injured gill for fungus.

Please keep us posted and don't fret about posting if you notice something...odd...we've all been there with axolotls.

Cheers Jacq.

Thanks for the support. I have seperated her into another tank that has been set up ready with sand and a hiding space. Its like a home from home. I thought it would be a good idea as it means I can keep an eye on how much she is eating and if it gets infected or anything it wont spread to the male. I will carry out regular water tests on her tank as I have been the normal tank and they have been fine and the water current seems to be fine in her new tank...no signs of stress.

She is eating fine and is still active. I was thinking of leaving her in her own tank until her gills grow back..is that advisable or am i being over causious?

moominaxie said:

She is eating fine and is still active. I was thinking of leaving her in her own tank until her gills grow back..is that advisable or am i being over causious?

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It may take a very long time for the gill to grow back - it depends on the axolotl. Younger axolotls tend to regenerate more quickly than adults. But the gill may never grow back to the original state.

* that was meant to be cautious lol its late (uk time)

Thanks Jacq. i'll see how she goes and introduce her back in a few days once i've made sure she is still eating as she usually does.