Illness/Sickness: Gills becoming less feathery

I have 2 axolotls they are about 1 year old. I just noticed that one of them has much less feathery gills than the other one and I'm sure they used to be the same!

I've also noticed lots of little white worms on the glass and was wondering if they could have eaten his gills??

I have a sand substrate and feed them on pellets, occasionally little bits of fish or meat. He has a healthy appetite and I can see no fungus or any other signs of illness, I hope that i'm just being paranoid!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

on the photos the one with white eyes has the shorter gills, they used to look like the one with black eyes.

If they are kept together, the most likely cause is one axie biting at the other. I had this happen, and it didn't take long for the gills to redevelope once I segregated them. I doubt the worms have anything to do with it.

The white worms on the glass is probably planaria and can sometimes irritate their gills (do you see your axie scratching with his back leg?)

I also have an axie that's losing the 'feathery'-ness of her gills and I don't know why, because she's alone in a bare bottom tank (after some illness) and I don't have planaria anymore.

Another thing to consider is water toxins. Are regular water changes done? Is there something in the new water that could be problematic (rust, chlorine, chloramine, sulfer... the list becomes endless if you're using well water).

Consider how sensitive the skin is. Now consider that the gills are just like the skin, but with a massive increase in surface area. They are the most sensitive external area.

I had necropsied some tiger salamander larvae after the pond was "bleached" for a local triatholon. Under the microscope the gills were severely damaged; pretty much mush. The rest of the skin was also quite inflammed looking. I would expect that if the animal survives the initial insult, and the problem is fixed, then it might first have to drop or shed the damaged tissues prior to rejuvination.

Ian

I'm having a similar issue. The hair-like strands are disappearing on one side of the Axolotl's body. Once the underlying problem is fixed, do they regrow/redevelop?

The best food for axolotls is earthworm, could you start feeding him worms?

My leucistic used to have really long gills but since moving him into the big tank they have become a lot shorter.
There are no problems with the water or his diet etc I think its just one of those things.

Keep the water levels correct and the temp and feed him the best food you can and they should be fine.

Mel

Thank you for the advice, i've checked the water ands it is fine.

Maybe it could be because I used to have 4 axolotls in the tank and have recently sold 2 as they were getting too big, maybe they're getting more oxygen than before?

His gills are looking the same they definitely aren't getting worse, I haven't seen him scratching. I don't think that one has been biting the other as the gills look like they have evenly been trimmed!

Thanks for the help i'll keep an eye on him!

mine's gills also went less featherly when I transfered her to a bigger tank...

and she lives alone

They will grow back I think. My axie had less fluffy gills a week or 2 ago and now they look like their back to normal...?

mine never grew back

besides she's missing half her two bigger left gills, she was like that since a juvie, probably some sibling bite her gills off... she was also missing her left arm but it grew back in a month

I have one that has almost no feathers, and im sure he used to have some, his gills are basically just down to the main part... :sad: Im not sure what happened