Gill Damage

[Sparxalotl]

Hello,

One of my axolotls seems to have gotten in the way of one of the others and lost a large number of her gills in the process. I'm not too worried about aggression in the tank, the injured axolotl, Sparx, was attempting to steal worms from the others so much that I started hand-feeding them and it solved the issue as long as Sparx was fed first. For the last two weeks, there has been a nightcrawler shortage so I started feeding worms every other day to make supplies last with pellets on the off days. Since my axolotls won't eat pellets out of my hand (if they eat them at all), I've been tossing them in the tank. So I figure that either from hunger or a missed attempt at getting a pellet, poor Sparx was put on the menu.

So here's my question, should I set up and cycle a recovery tank for Sparx to help encourage her gills to grow back?

Sparx reacts horribly to being tubbed, she almost always immediately gets fungus every time. I have a basic setup for tubbing, an airstone, and a fan that keeps the temp low, in a room with little to no light. The tubs I use are 8.5 inches by 11 inches and I have a second one so I can have it set up with clean water so that when I clean her tub the water has been sitting in the same conditions so that the temp is the same. After I move her to the clean tub I scrub the dirty tub with a scrub brush and hot water, no soap. After the clean tub is totally dry I fill it with cold water and prime it.

Tank Parameters:
Temp: 62 F (chiller setting +/- 1 F)
PH 6.5
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 0-5 ppm

GH and KH - currently out of the testing solutions for this but I've been using modified Holtfreters soln for over a year with no issues.

Filtration: canister filter and 3 sponge filters, biweekly water changes.


I added two pictures, the healthy gill picture is from 2 weeks ago and the bad gills picture is from tonight. I drew lines on the picture where the gills stop becuase its hard to tell in the picture if its the lighting or damage but I've confirmed that 4/6 gills have become lunch.

 

[wolfen]

which modified holtfreters solution have you been using as the ph seems a bit low if using bicarbonate of soda.
because of the amount of time require to regrow her gills she would be spending quite a lot of time tubbed rather than just allowing her to stay in the tank.
how old are they? if they are still juvenile then they are more movement orientated then smell which would explain the lack of interest in pellets.

 

[Sparxalotl]

I've been using this one

4 tsp CACL2
1.5 cup table salt
1.5 tsp KCL
3 tbsp Epsom salt

The Ph was stable at 7 but I took out some driftwood (not sure what type) and other decorations and its been stable at 6.5 ever since. All the axolotls in the tank are just over 2 years old. I've had them eat pellets when tubbed before but that's been it, I really think that's just a preference.

I'm leaning toward setting her up in a hospital tank. I have an extra canister filter that's been running in my other tank for a few months and I have an extra chiller, I just need to find space.

 

[wolfen]

unusual for driftwood to increase ph instead of decrease.
looking at the ingredients you've put up its a form of modified holtfreters where epsom salts are used instead of bicarbonate of soda, unless you have a 80 gallon you are using 100% holtfreters.
bicarbonate of soda can be used at the same weight as epsom salt to improve ph and kh.

 

[Sparxalotl]

unusual for driftwood to increase ph instead of decrease.
looking at the ingredients you've put up its a form of modified holtfreters where epsom salts are used instead of bicarbonate of soda, unless you have a 80 gallon you are using 100% holtfreters.
bicarbonate of soda can be used at the same weight as epsom salt to improve ph and kh.

I totally forgot to reply to this. Thank you for catching my error on the holtfreters, I've switched to bicarbonate of soda and my axolotls have been super healthy and happy.