No appetite, very dark gills.

Hi guys,

Came home this afternoon and saw that aristotle (the axie, obviously) has very, very dark gills. He's gold so usually his gills are a nice red colour, but now they've gone really dark. I tried feeding him some fresh meat, but he didn't want it.
His companion, Socrates, is fine and eats just like she always has.
Aristotle is always hiding away in one of the pipes we have in the tank and he's moving much slower than usual. I was thinking of putting him in the fridge or giving him a salt bath.
Any ideas?

Cheers,
-Emily.

Sometimes darkened gills can be when they get active, warmer temps or when they feed, IME. What is your tank temp and Have you checked your water parameters - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate to be on safe side?

Have checked the water parameters and it's all normal and balanced.
I put a few ice blocks in there over the night and Aristotle seems to have fixed himself up a little. It's leading into summer so the weather's getting a little warmer - that's probably what it was.

I'm just puzzled as to why Aristotle got it and not Socrates.

Thanks for the help,
-Em

You shouldn't use ice blocks (is it dechlorinated water or just water) as they can cause fluctuating temperatures which can in turn stress your axie. Better to use fans blowing across the surface of the tankwater (pedestal fans are great if you have one, they can be adjusted by height and angle). Alternatively, the use of ice bottles of dechlorinated water rotated before ice completely melts so as not to cause fluctuating temps. (dechlorinated because if the bottle bursts it the water could kill your axies).

What is your tank temp? If you don't have a thermometer invest in one especially with summer round the corner. A good temperature is below 20-22deg cel.

What type is Socrates - golden, leucistic, albino or some type of wildtype?


(Message edited by kapo on October 06, 2006)

(Message edited by kapo on October 06, 2006)