Illness/Sickness: Alarming gill movement

Boo Penguin

Boo Penguin

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Hi everyone

As I posted before I had a bit of an incident with my little guy today, he seems to be doing much better now but I have noticed that he is almost constantly flipping his gills back and forth. Something which he wasn't doing before, he'd occasionally flip his gills but not this much!!!

Is this a stressed reaction? I'm very cautious when it comes to my precious pets and I do have a tendency to worry a lot. After today thought I want to confirm that he's alright
 
Hey Boo!

When axies are sitting still they quite often flick their gills to flush water/oxygen over them. Quite often they'll do it constantly for a bit, then swim about and stop doing it. Unless it's constant and all the time, I probably wouldn't worry.

Did you say your tank is at 17 in the other thread? Thats good - colder water is better for holding oxygen.

If you are concerned about the oxygen, you could add an air stone - but you WILL need to get a clamp to reduce the flow right down, or else poor axie will get stressy about the extra flow of water.

Ours love their air stones, they sit on them and let the bubbles tickle their tummies ^_^
 
Hi Mewsie

Oh thats a relief, he is sitting rather still right now. Plus the movement is very comforting to me after what happened today :p

I think I will go and get him an air stone in the morning just in case.

I guess I'm a little freaked out still after seeing him all lifeless today. I bawled my eyes out till my dad came and told my that he was moving.


As a slight side note my mum was telling me that when she had her axi she basically treated it like a goldfish, like never checked any water parameters, never checked temp or anything! And he was nine when she gave him away to the aquarium! I am amazed that he lived so long. She also said that sometimes he would get out of his tank and take a little stroll on land... like down the hall! But he was defiantly an axi... its weird.
 
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