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Illness/Sickness: Black gills

rlwooster

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Javier has been my pet for over 2 years now. This last month many of his gills started to loose their feathery appearance, turned black and fallen off. The nubs appear to be slowly regenerating. Otherwise he appears healthy. He is eating and I have not noticed any change in behavior or to his slime coat/skin. I have changed his water, changed his filter, put a plastic bottle under the pump to disperse the water flow. I feed him earthworms with an occasional salamander pellet. The poor little guy survived 15 days post hurricane Irma with out electricity- temps over 90 degrees and no aireator pump. I'm confused about why he's sick now. I haven't figured out how to post a photo.
Thank you for an help you can offer.
 

DSaxolotl

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Javier has been my pet for over 2 years now. This last month many of his gills started to loose their feathery appearance, turned black and fallen off. The nubs appear to be slowly regenerating. Otherwise he appears healthy. He is eating and I have not noticed any change in behavior or to his slime coat/skin. I have changed his water, changed his filter, put a plastic bottle under the pump to disperse the water flow. I feed him earthworms with an occasional salamander pellet. The poor little guy survived 15 days post hurricane Irma with out electricity- temps over 90 degrees and no aireator pump. I'm confused about why he's sick now. I haven't figured out how to post a photo.
Thank you for an help you can offer.

Hello,

Changed filter? Did you cycle your new filter?

What are your water parameters

PH
Ammonia
Nitrates
Nitrites

and current tank temperature?
 

rlwooster

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Hmmm, this is the rest of my reply. I must have touched a button too soon.
The well does not have any chemicals added to it, straight out of the ground, no chlorine.
I feed him earth worms and occasionally salamander pellets.
His color looks good and he is hungry, eating all he is fed.
I’d like to send a photo hoot but haven’t figured out how. Thank you for any advice, Robbie
 

rlwooster

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Looks like I lost the front of my message-I do not know how to test for ph, nitrates or ammonia. I put a new filter in the aquarium pump about every month, not sure how to cycle it? When the water is low I add some, when it gets a little cloudy I change it all. Water added to the tank sits out overnight as a precaution, but comes straight out of the well.
 

DSaxolotl

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Hello,

To upload pictures easiest way is to go www.imgur.com upload your file and copy the BB forums code and paste it here:
Ex:
MUvSXf6.png


Changing filter media new every month will do you just harm.

1. To test water you can get something like https://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=580
2. Please red up on Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle, it is basically making environment for beneficial bacteria to live in the filter media.
Short version:
cycle.jpg


You can google or search the forums for step by step how to. Or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWoiCqCvJco

What kind of filter do you have? Replacing the old media with new every month is bad idea. But we can figure that out once we know the model :)
 
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