Illness/Sickness: One white gill?

[milahoh]

I posted a few days ago about a couple of new axolotls that I rescued on Saturday. They seem to be doing really well, for the most part, but the conditions they were in were absolutely terrible. They are very undersized for their age, but what is concerning me at the moment is the little one has started to have an issue with the tip of one of his gills. I can't take a picture right at the moment (camera is dead), but it looks like the tip has turned white. He is leucistic GFP, and has pink gills, except the end of that one. It looked yesterday like a little white band around the gill, and the very tip was still pink. Now the whole tip and up to about half a centimeter of the gill has turned white. It does not appear fluffy like fungus, just like maybe the tip is no longer getting blood. Could it be an injury? I could salt bath him, but my instinct says watch him and clean water and time might do the job (he is also missing some toes, poor guy!). Any suggestions?

A word about his conditions until noon on Saturday:
1. 80 degree F water
2. Had been in with fish, currently had large snails in with them
3. Filthy filthy filthy!!! (I couldnt even see the sex of the third one until we pulled her out of the murk)

 

[auntiejude]

No salt baths, it would probably be too stressful right now. Keep it cool and clean - we know you'll take better care than the fish shop - and it will either fall off on it;'s own or recover.

Watch for fungus though, It might be an idea to add indian almond leaves as a prophylactic anyway.

 

[milahoh]

Okay, great. I will add a leaf tonight for the sake of caution. They are all eating earthworms now and seem to be getting more active. At first they were either so sickly or so stressed they didn't move much, but now they all seem happier. Fingers still crossed, though. Hope they all pull through.

 

[milahoh]

So the herpitologist my vet consults says NEVER use Indian Almond leaves because the pH changes can kill them easily. So that is information more people need because this treatment is commonly recommended on this forum. Also, no change so far in that gill. It's just the same, except it looks like it might fall off soon. No fungus yet, I don't think, so that's a good sign.

 

[milahoh]

So I think my little guy got a fungus, so I used the salt bath treatment, and now the bad piece of gill has dropped off and the stump looks normal. Fingers crossed, but I am hopeful he has kicked this. Everyone is eating well, so hopefully these three rescued little guys will be fine.

 

[xxianxx]

So the herpitologist my vet consults says NEVER use Indian Almond leaves because the pH changes can kill them easily. So that is information more people need because this treatment is commonly recommended on this forum.

The herpitolagist holds a minority view..... pretty much a minority of one. Almond leaves are a safe treatment for axolotl fungus, I even use them as food for dart frog tadpoles.

 

[milahoh]

Actually, on another thread on which I commented, one of the other hobbyists told me they had used the leaves and tracked the pH. The doses we are using do not move the pH enough to hurt them, so I stand corrected. In fact, to treat this little guy and to help them quarantine, I put a leaf in the tank. I did give him one salt bath, when a fuzz appeared on the gill. But 12 hours after the first salt bath, the piece fell off. Now the stump looks pink and closed. Thank you for taking the time to comment, though! I appreciate all the knowledge I can get. I had used the leaves for my bettas and other fish in the past.