Damaged gills?

[Dreamcatcher]

Hi. I don't know whether I should be concerned or not but this morning I noticed that on on one of the fronds on her gills there is no smaller fronds covering it. She is alone in her tank. I recently did a water change and checked the quality. She is showing no signs of stress, what exactly is happening and should I be worried. I've attached a photo

 

[Dreamcatcher]

I read on the health page that deteriorating gills can be a sign of stress but i can guarantee that there is nothing to be causing stress to her. Please help!

 

[LSuzuki]

Unless that picture is misleading me, that is a very underweight axolotl. If so, the reason for it being underweight could be the cause of the lost gill filaments.

 

[birdsong]

Yes that axoltl looks very malnourished unless it is a bad camera angle . There body should be about as wide as there head

 

[Dreamcatcher]

I guarantee that it's just a bad angle as her stomach is as wide as her head. She eats blood worms but normaly spits a lot of them out after I've fed her. Would adding more variety in her diet help?

 

[LSuzuki]

Yes, a change of diet would be good. Blood worms are not considered nutritionally complete for larger axolotls.

Earthworms are considered excellent (avoid red wigglers - too many axolotls won't eat them).

There are also high-quality carnivore pellets that are more convenient than worms. Look for pellets with a high level of animal protein, not plant protein. Axies are obligate carnivores - plant protein is of no use to them.

A varied diet is best - you can search this forum for all sorts of treats people feed their axies. :happy:

 

[Kaosu]

Can we get more pics?

 

[tammyaxie]

This axie looks way skinny

 

[Dreamcatcher]

Well guys. Last night my axie passed away. She had a fungal infection that had only just healed and she was eating again after having gone off food for few days after my last post. She was recovered and looking complety fine when I left the room and went to get more food for her then when I got back she had passed away. I knew that getting a juvenile Axolotl would be a challenge especially because I've only ever had and adult. But I didn't expect it to be so sudden. I'm not sure of what the cause may have been.

 

[LSuzuki]

I'm sorry to hear that. sad:

You being in Australia, the cause of death is more likely to be genetic in nature. If I have the story correct, one of the early, prolific breeders there spread a gene that can cause sudden death (heart attack).

 

[Bette]

I'm sorry for your loss. That axolotl was probably ill before you acquired it. It really did not look well.... I also just noticed that the eyes seemed to be bulging a bit.

 

[tammyaxie]

So sorry to hear. I too lost my babies this week. Im babysitting my friend's sick axie and she seems to not want it anymore because she thinks it will die as well. We bought them from the same store and she thinks they are a bad batch. Its a wild type. DM me if u want a new baby. I am already in the process of getting two of my own and have no room for hers which may not be the same size as the ones im getting.

 

[tammyaxie]

Im sorry. Just realized you are in Australia. I am in the US.

 

[Dreamcatcher]

Thank you everyone for your support. It really does mean a lot to me. I have heard that diseases and stuff are more common in Australian axolotls. I believe that she most likely would've been unwell when I first got her.
And as (LadyAquarius) noticed, her eyes were always quite bulging.