Illness/Sickness: White Gill Fillaments

Hey all!
So my roommates' axolotl is extremely stressed. His tail is severely curled and his gill filaments are turning white. It's not a fungus because the white is not fluffy, it's just the filaments that are now pure white. I have no idea what this is nor how to deal with it. We have put him in the fridge for now in hopes it will help the poor guy. Does anyone know what to do?

Can you post pics of the white gills... before & after if possible

Also post the parameter test results
Ph
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Tank temp

Substrate: sand / bare / gravel / stones?

Water Changes: how much (%) & how often do you change the water - what brand of dechlorinator do you use & is it within its use by date?

Feeding: what do you feed & how often? Has the axolotl been eating pooping regularly?

Also a pic of the tank may help to identify an issue

Without the above information it's hard to get accurate answers.




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Hey Nikki, thanks for your fast reply!
I'll post some pics the soonest possible time that I can.

Temp is at 65 F, Ph is around 7
The nitrates, nitrites and ammonia are extremely low to none because she's cycling her aquarium and has been keeping him in a smaller container doing frequent water changes.

Bare bottom, no hides or anything which I've been trying to convince her to get to keep him happy.

Like I said before, she has been doing 100% water changes every day/every other day. She uses the aquasafe turtle and amphibian dechlorinator.

I just found out she's been feeding him every 3 days one earthworm. She's not switching to every other day.

I forgot to add one thing. When she did water changes in her axolotls container she would move him into a container that had dried spots of non-aquarium safe paint on the inside of the container. Could this have anything to do with what is going on?

Do you mean the paint is non-aquarium safe? if so then yes he got sick of it.. And also please post a picture as soon as possible

You need some coverage for the axolotl. It could be stress from having nowhere to hide or get away from light. Is it in a dark room at the moment? If it's looking stressed I would keep the water clean and leave it somewhere dark to recover. It's the basic principles of keeping pets.

5 Freedoms
1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst – by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.

2. Freedom from Discomfort – by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease – by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.

4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.

5. Freedom from Fear and Distress – by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

What are the exact parameters of the tank? If the ammonia etc is very low the axolotl should be fine in there as long as it's getting daily water changes to keep it fresh and clean.

Jeromeetabuzo, yes that's exactly what I mean. I had to leave the room before I started yelling at her.
Beks, telling her to get a hide for him has been repeated over and over again. At this point I'm thinking of taking him back since I gave her the axolotl.
The pictures here are first what he looked like before, when he was in my care, and the two after are what he looks like currently. The red coloration on his skin is a new development.

I think you should repo the poor guy >.< If shes only feeding him once every three days (as a juvi, which isnt enough) with an earthworm (is she cutting it for the axxie? He probably has trouble eating it) and refuses to feed him more, thats an issue. Likewise with the refusal to get hides.

He's an adult, about 10 inches long and is able to eat full sized worms. But she's been feeding him salmon pellets I gave her and leaves the extra that he doesn't in the tank to decompose
If he's kept in clean, cool water will his gills, tail and red skin get better? Or is the red skin a skin infecting from all the stress?

I would do a tea bath to soothe his skin. Will post directions I found in a second.

I would be very tempted to take the axolotl back. The red skin is probably from being in bad water conditions. The pellets tend to foul water quickly, most people suggest only leaving them in the water for a couple of minutes and then remove if they aren't eaten. I've tried mine on pellets in the past and he won't eat them. I take them out after about 30 - 60 minutes.

Can you find him a hide? Even something like an old plastic tub lying around. I've even see people put terracotta plant pots or even cups/mugs in for coverage!

It might be a good idea to add almond leaves or tea to the water to help soothe the skin.

Caudata Culture Articles - Illness Part 2

Tea bath for axolotls

Contributed by Daniel Weiner, August 2007. I mainly use teabaths for minor skin problems. It may also be used with fungal problems but on that account I prefer salt baths. Tea has a slightly antifungal and antibacterial effect (resulting from tannins) and additionally it closes the pores in the skin a little bit (mainly resulting from tannin and caffeine). The skin tightens and gets some kind of protective layer, making it harder for fungi and bacteria to intrude the body. On the other hand it makes it harder for salt or medicine to reach pathogens which are already inside the body - that is the reason I do not use it on fungal infections, although a tea bath is sometimes recommended as a cure for fungal infections by some people.

The medication is as follows: I take one bag of black tea without any additional aroma (it is important to use black tea because this kind of tea is fermented and so it has tannins) for every 10 litres of water (preferably used in a quarantine tank). This tea gets dashed with boiling water in a seperate bowl - I leave it there for at least 10 to 15 minutes so the tannins are resolved into the water. The tea has to cool down and is finally added to the quarantine water. After a week I make a bigger change of water (60% at least), the rest of the tea is removed over time by normal water changes. If you have to make more regular water changes (f.i. in a small bowl or tank) the tea concentration can be refilled. As far as I know there are no negative effects even for long term treatment.

A similar effect (although not as strong) may have the addition of dried oak or beech leafs now and then as a precaution.

Thank you all for all your help!
I'll try the tea bath and find a cup for him to hide in. I can keep anyone up to date who wants to be updated on his progress.

So that's the reason she places it in non aquarium safe paint and your axolotl absorbed some into his body and poisoned it and stressed

gfsward said:

Thank you all for all your help!
I'll try the tea bath and find a cup for him to hide in. I can keep anyone up to date who wants to be updated on his progress.

Click to expand...

Definitely keep us updated & don't hesitate to ask any questions if you have any problems.

Good luck I hope the tea baths help



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How's he doing?

It sounds like she's trying at least
Hope your/her axie gets better!

Hey everyone, I've got some sad news The poor buddy died last week. I hope he's in a better place with big juicy worms and millions of places to hide. Thanks for everything you all did to help.

So sorry to hear that
You tried to help but sadly
it's the flat mate that failed him!

I hope you don't buy that flat mate
any more pets!

From now on pet rocks only!

RIP little buddy



<3 >o_o< <3

Thanks

I don't plan on entrusting her with any other pets. Not even a pet rock!

Thanks for the help and the kind words. You said it. RIP >'-'<