Juvenile axolotls - pale and curled gills

[DeCypher]

Hi all these babies just came in not even a couple weeks ago. I’m noticing the gills are pale, and curled..not totally forward but just curled up? Otherwise there are no signs of stress, no curled tail, they are voraciously feeding on frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms. Temp is 65, there are 4 in here however I’ve never had so much as one nipping another. No water flow, daily water changes, water tests good other than the pH being a *little* on the basic side around 8. Tons of plants and several hides, bare bottom other than some rocks much larger than them. I do have an LED light for the plants, but I’ve kept it dim in case it’s too bright. Are they okay? I noticed the water testing kit doesn’t test for ammonia, but all else is in the clear. What would be causing this?

 

[wolfen]

getting an ammonia test is vital as they get bigger as the levels will become elevated.
as they become juveniles and start to exhibit hunting behaviour they may start to be more inclined to nip at each other, make sure they are well fed to reduce food related accidents.
you might find that the some of the rocks become unsuitable due to size (swallowing hazard) as they get bigger.

 

[DeCypher]

getting an ammonia test is vital as they get bigger as the levels will become elevated.
as they become juveniles and start to exhibit hunting behaviour they may start to be more inclined to nip at each other, make sure they are well fed to reduce food related accidents.
you might find that the some of the rocks become unsuitable due to size (swallowing hazard) as they get bigger.

Yes I understand these, to my surprise they’ve been very well with eachother. I expected to have to separate but there isn’t an issue. Yeah, unfortunately I didn’t realize my test strips test for all except ammonia. The tank was cycled and I do daily water changes, frozen foods are removed after feeding sessions to not rot. The rocks are temporary because they’re so small, it’s otherwise bare bottom. Temp is 63, all tests are good with the exception of not being able to test for ammonia. Consistent water changes, no filter or air lines. Could light brightness cause curled gills? Other than the curled gills they are eating a lot and no other stress symptoms. The copper started flicking his gills some, but the oxygen levels should be good. I’ll occasionally turn on a sponge filter for them, just an air line. What else may be causing this? I’ve noticed the 2 with curled gills have much larger gills, while the other 2 are not curled and have smaller gills.

 

[wolfen]

if possible use liquid test rather than stick as stick tests don't tend to be as accurate and can register as ok when there is an issue.
the muscle area of the gills is at the base which means that any curling of gill stems can be due to length rather than parameter issue.