Axolotl Frillless Gills? Floating by Top?

[AxolotlLove327]

Hey guys, I'm just a little worried about my axolotl. He's 4 months old, and seems to be losing his frills on his gills. I just did a water change. After that, he seemed to float at the top, gulping air everyone once in a while. Is this a water quality problem? He is eating. He is a black melanoid, and seems to be developing small darkish green spots. Is this just coloring as he grows older? Please help, I love my axolotl dearly and am very worried. His diet is bloodworms and nightcrawlers.

 

[Daryna]

It does seem like a water quality issue please check the pH ammonia nitrates and nitrites.

 

[Margie]

I agree, it sounds like a water quality problem. If you don't have test kits, please get them right away. You need ammonia and nitrite test kits at the very minimum. I like Aquarium Pharmaceuticals liquid test kits.

 

[AxolotlLove327]

Ok. He ate all of his dinner last night, so he certainly hasn't ole this appetite. I'll check water parameters as soon as I get home!

 

[AxolotlLove327]

Here's the parameters:

pH: 6.9
Alkanity: 80
Chlorine: 0
Hardness: 75
Nitrite: 1.0
Nitrate: 15

Here's a pic of his gills, which seemed to have turned back! I know forward means stressed, but back?? But he ate the Nightcrawler but I offered him

 

[LSuzuki]

What were the ammonia levels? Since you have nitrite, you probably have ammonia too. It looks like the tank isn't cycled yet, or it crashed. How long has the tank set up? What kind of filter (if any)? How big of a tank? What kind of substrate?

If the ammonia is also high, start doing daily water changes to get it down to a reasonable level while the cycle completes. I'm not sure what nitrite levels axolotls will tolerate, but water changes will bring that down too.

I hope the little guy improves.

 

[keiko]

Nitrite needs yo be under 0.5 ppm at all times, just like ammonia.So right now you need to do a 75 % water change to get the nitrites down and after that daily water changes to keep them down until the tank is cycled. You also need to get a test kit for ammonia asap!

 

[AxolotlLove327]

The tank is cycled, has it crashed? I will try and get an ammonia test kit. The tank is an 11 gallon, and I will get a bigger tank once he gets too big. I have a filter, but it's not on because of the current. I have no substrate, just a bare bottom. As for the daily water changes, should they be 25%? Or more?

 

[keiko]

You need to test the water daily and do big enough water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite under 0.5 ppm at all times. Meaning that when you test the water right before a water change it can not be over 0.5ppm. If it is at 0.5 ppm it is good to do a 50 % water change to get it down to 0.25 ppm.

The tank is not cycled if you get a 1.0 nitrite reading. If you have turned the filter off then that is most likely the reason. Most of the bacteria lives in the filter. There isn't enough bacteria in the tank alone to take care of all the wastes so basically your tank is cycling again. Meaning you need to do daily water changes and test the water constantly to make sure the levels stay safe for your axolotl.

 

[AxolotlLove327]

Ok, thanks. So should I turn on my filter, even though there's a current?

 

[keiko]

You either should turn that filter on and find a way to block the water flow so that it isn't too strong or get another filter that is not as strong. If you can add a spraybar to your filter then that will work very well and maybe aim it to a wall too if it seems strong.

But before you do that you should clean the filter well because the bacteria in there is most likely dead already and it and all the other debris in there will just dirty your water. Then read about fish-in cycling.