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Illness/Sickness: I think my baby is sick please help

AbrahamAxolotl

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I woke up this morning and checked in on my baby like I always do. But I noticed that his gills on the left look messed up. I check on him multiple times a day, and every night. He didn't look like this yesterday. At least, not that I noticed.

He's still eating (he seems hungrier than normal? like every time I check on him he thinks my hair is worms or something so he runs toward me - but I feed him every 4/5 days and he eats what he pleases and leaves the rest), he last ate on the 12th and he pooped a day or two after (I can't remember exactly). He's still active, last night he was playing and sitting in one of his plants. This morning he was sitting out front (which isnt abnormal but usually he sits in the back where there's no sunlight shining in) and thats when I saw his gill.

33wtjkm.jpg

16ks4u8.jpg


The second one I shined a light in.

I can't tell if it looks like fungus or not. If it's fungus I know how to give a salt bath. I'm worried that it's something worse, I've never seen fungus this bad before?

I checked params - the ammonia was at 0.50ppm but this usually happens right before water changes (he gets them once a week on Sunday's, which is tomorrow) and the nitrite was 0 (I was worried it was that but gladly, it's not) and the nitrate was either 10 or 20 (the two colors for 10 and 20 look identical to me). I've not introduced anything new, I've not even been feeding him any new food.

The only thing is I've been having some mulm on one side where the water doesn't move as much and he's been kicking his food around if he doesn't eat it and I've noticed during water changes that I may not be getting it all out when I scoop up the left overs because it's ending up behind decor.

I think it might be fungus or an injury since it looks localized to those two gills. I was panicking thinking it was the params (I know I'd notice burns or something all over his body and not just white curved gills) or something outrageous like metemorphosis (I jump to extremes I know, I'm sorry I just worry about him so much).

The rest of his body looks perfect. No redness, no other white patches, his other gills, while a little curved (I am assuming from stress with whats happening with his other gills?) don't look that way (like you see in the pics) and his face and tail look fine. It's just those gills.

Talking through it I think it's a really bad fungal infection and I intend to give him a salt bath, I'm just hoping for a second opinion just in case.

Please respond, I'm really worried about him and would like to do the salt bath ASAP.
 

Hannahlotl2987

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Look very carefully, do you see any blood coming from that set of gills?
It could be pale from bleeding but if the gills aren't bleeding constantly, than I wouldn't worry as much.
However, someone with more experience than me should see this. I hope the community can give you answers. Best of luck.


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