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Axolotl Fungal Infection

Tw33dy

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Hey! New axie owner here.

In the span of one day, I noticed the development of a cotton-like, stringy fungus appearing on my 3 in axolotl gills. I've begun treatments as (s)he is currently being fridged and I am giving salt baths once a day. I tested my parameters with flying colors and the temp is around 62 degrees F. I can't seem to pinpoint a cause and it's making me nuts. (S)he is currently housed in a 10 gallon tank with 4 cherry shrimp (they've become friends) and there haven't been any signs of stress from the axie as far as the tail or gills! I do keep noticing that there's a white filmy substance (looks like flaky fish food) on the bottom of my tank that is nearly impossible to clean although I keep trying with my turkey baster. While Trixie is being treated, I've begun my Accuclear treatment of the tank.
As far as other details, the tank was cycled for two months before I got Trixie, I use live plants, driftwood, river rocks, two terracotta hides, a small airstone, and the biowheel penguin 75 filter which I recently added floss and bio-medium to as the biowheel stopped spinning.
Please help! I'm afraid that as soon as I finish her treatment, she'll get sick again. I even recently cleaned out the tank because the filmy substance on the floor!
 

Cloppy

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That film on the floor of your tank is probably in my opinion why your axolotls got fungus. I think that when the fish food just sat there, it started decaying, which in turn, caused fungus to grow on the fish food, then I suppose the axies rubbed against it or the fungus somehow attached to their gills.
 

Cloppy

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So maybe clean up the fish food before it causes the fungus to grow on it?
 

Tw33dy

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So here's the thing, obviously I clean up all uneaten food. This white substance isn't fish food... it just looks like it. It also looks like an algea bloom. I've cleaned the entire tank and everything in it about a week ago so I don't understand why this could be happening again. I'd prefer to find a root cause instead of needing to continually clean it.
 

blushed

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@Tw33dy

It seems like your axolotl got the fungus from whatever is on the bottom of your tank. I'd use a siphon and stir up the substrate while your axolotl isn't in the tank, and do a large water change. If that doesnt help to remove it, I'm not sure what else you can do.

Also, what type of substrate do you have? That could also play a part in it. Or do you have no substrate at all?

10gal is a bit small for an axolotl imo. How often do you do water changes? And what do you feed your axolotl/cherry shrimp?


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