Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

Question: Bare axolotl gills

megadoomed

New member
Joined
Jun 25, 2018
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Hey everyone,

So this is an issue I've been dealing with since I got my axolotl in early June. She's not a rescue, she's from a good breeder who I'm in contact with regarding this as well. She has little to no filaments on her gills, and I've tried everything.

Her tank has 0 ammonia and nitrite.
I've tried tubbing her.
I've tried airstones.
I've taken her to the exotic vet who said there was nothing wrong.
I feed her the recommended diet of Earthworms, which she devours happily.
She's not stressed, not giving signs of stress, anyway.

I'm completely stumped, and nobody seems to have any answers. According to my breeder, both her parents had big fluffy gills, so genetics doesn't have anything to do with it. I really don't know what to think, if I should just let it go and accept it as just a weird fluke thing or if this means something bad. She's still a juvenile, perhaps she's a late bloomer? Everyone else seems as stumped as I am.

fgek83r

eKFWe76

nLcgwWK
 

NidiaNz

New member
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Messages
57
Reaction score
1
Hi, for some reason the photos won't load on my phone, but what are the other parameters such as nitrate, pH and general hardness, what is the temp aswell.
 

Hayleyy

New member
Joined
Sep 25, 2012
Messages
1,240
Reaction score
17
Location
NSW
I can't open the pics either.
From memory too much oxygen in the water can cause their gills to shrink, do you have a dissolved oxygen test kit? How big is your tank and what is in there that adds oxgyen?
 

NidiaNz

New member
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Messages
57
Reaction score
1

Petersgirl

New member
Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Messages
965
Reaction score
20
Some of the babies I had went to a zoo, and the herp there did a little experiment. He changed their water differently and observed the effects - some he changed every day and others he changed less. He noticed that the axolotls whose water was changed every day had much bigger, fluffier gills, which sounds odd because you'd think there'd be more dissolved oxygen in freshly changed water.

For some reason, changing the water more often resulted in larger gills. Is this something you could try? You could change a little - maybe 10 or 20% per day - and see if it helps?

I also have some frondless axxies and I have no idea why some have them and some don't. Some are older and have been with me a while, so it could be age, having to deal with water issues while I was learning how to be a good keeper or genetics. It can be hard to tell with them, especially if they were previously frondy.
 

tammyaxie

Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
288
Reaction score
4
Location
FL
Some of the babies I had went to a zoo, and the herp there did a little experiment. He changed their water differently and observed the effects - some he changed every day and others he changed less. He noticed that the axolotls whose water was changed every day had much bigger, fluffier gills, which sounds odd because you'd think there'd be more dissolved oxygen in freshly changed water.

For some reason, changing the water more often resulted in larger gills. Is this something you could try? You could change a little - maybe 10 or 20% per day - and see if it helps?

I also have some frondless axxies and I have no idea why some have them and some don't. Some are older and have been with me a while, so it could be age, having to deal with water issues while I was learning how to be a good keeper or genetics. It can be hard to tell with them, especially if they were previously frondy.
I have found that this works. I clean poop from my axie's tank daily now because I have snails. Used to do it every 3 days. This takes out about 10% of her water. Her gills got so fluffy in a matter of 2 weeks.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top