Bald gills :(

[MyLittleComet]

I posted a while back about my Axolotl's gills having no fluff, and even months later they're still the same

I check his water regularly, and right now the pH is 7.6, ammonia is just slightly higher than 0, not even .25 ppm (i have yet to do his weekly water change as of this post) Nitrite is 0 ppm, and Nitrate is looking to be about 30 ppm, no matter what I do I cant seem to get it lower. He has one large live plant, and a 39 gallon tank with some snails. I feed him Hikari sinking carnivore pellets, about 4 a day as he's not even a year old yet, so still growing (he always eats all of them and he doesn't ever seem to be impacted or anything from them, so I dont think I'm overfeeding him?) He has a sponge filter as well.

I dont know what I can do to help his gills grow back they were very fluffy and red when I first got him, and I think the fish I'd had in the tank may have bit them off (as soon as I saw them doing that I returned them to the pet store. They were supposedly compatible with axies but apparently not ), but the stalks are still there. The tank was fully cycled before I put him in.

Edit: after checking back on old pics, his gills remained fluffy even after I removed the fish, they dont seem to have damaged them, rather it looks like they deteriorated a few months into owning him. And since taking better care of the water they haven't gotten better...

 

[MyLittleComet]

I posted a while back about my Axolotl's gills having no fluff, and even months later they're still the same

I check his water regularly, and right now the pH is 7.6, ammonia is just slightly higher than 0, not even .25 ppm (i have yet to do his weekly water change as of this post) Nitrite is 0 ppm, and Nitrate is looking to be about 30 ppm, no matter what I do I cant seem to get it lower. He has one large live plant, and a 39 gallon tank with some snails. I feed him Hikari sinking carnivore pellets, about 4 a day as he's not even a year old yet, so still growing (he always eats all of them and he doesn't ever seem to be impacted or anything from them, so I dont think I'm overfeeding him?) He has a sponge filter as well.

I dont know what I can do to help his gills grow back they were very fluffy and red when I first got him, and I think the fish I'd had in the tank may have bit them off (as soon as I saw them doing that I returned them to the pet store. They were supposedly compatible with axies but apparently not ), but the stalks are still there. The tank was fully cycled before I put him in.

Here's how he looked when I first got him.

 

[John]

That's usually what they look like after prolonged periods of stress, usually strong water flow. I know you said you have a sponge filter, but is it turning over the water a lot? If it's still eating, you should be OK if you remove the source of stress. What are the temps like?

If you're not sure what's going on, try keeping it in a tub of water for a few weeks and just change the water completely every few days.

 

[MyLittleComet]

That's usually what they look like after prolonged periods of stress, usually strong water flow. I know you said you have a sponge filter, but is it turning over the water a lot? If it's still eating, you should be OK if you remove the source of stress. What are the temps like?

If you're not sure what's going on, try keeping it in a tub of water for a few weeks and just change the water completely every few days.

Nope, hardly moves the water at all. The temp tends to be around 65°F. I tried getting a fan to make it cooler but it didn't do a thing :/

 

[John]

How long ago did you move the fish out?

 

[MyLittleComet]

How long ago did you move the fish out?

About a week or two after I got him. Looking back at my pics of him it looks like the fish didn't actually damage his gills, but that they deteriorated over time. Pics i have of him after getting rid of the fish his gills still have plenty of fluff. They didn't go bald until June, I got him in April.

 

[axolotl nerd]

About a week or two after I got him. Looking back at my pics of him it looks like the fish didn't actually damage his gills, but that they deteriorated over time. Pics i have of him after getting rid of the fish his gills still have plenty of fluff. They didn't go bald until June, I got him in April.

i suggest upping the food intake and more frequent water testing. also, highly recommend a sponge filter or a bubbler for oxygenation purposes

 

[MyLittleComet]

i suggest upping the food intake and more frequent water testing. also, highly recommend a sponge filter or a bubbler for oxygenation purposes

He does have a sponge filter! i also check the water every week.
More than 4 pellets a day wouldn't be overfeeding him?

 

[Dr. Phil]

I also have an albino axolotl that lost her gill filaments; they've been bare for some months now and are only now just starting to come back. In all other respects she seems quite healthy. I thought the gill filaments are there for extra surface area for oxygen absorption. If the water is very well oxygenated, I wonder if they may not need the extra surface area and this could slow/inhibit growth of the filaments?