Illness/Sickness: Please confirm that this white stuff is fungus

[ashmor604]

Hi, I'm pretty sure my axolotl (7 inch golden albino) has a fungal infection on his gill caused by an injury to it. Yesterday I noticed that one of his gills was shorter and had just the tiniest white spot on it so I thought it might just be healing but this morning it appears to be fungus. My other axie had something similar to the tiny white spot I saw yesterday on a toe that looked shorter but it cleared up on its own in a day or two, so I was hoping this would too. I want someone to confirm that this is fungus before I start salt baths because I've read they're stressful. Also, can I use sea salt that does not have iodine?


Also the tank is 20 gallon long with two axies and a few ghost shrimp.
64F
Ammonia is zero and I only have the 5 in 1 test strips (I ordered a master kit but it's not here yet), the test strips appear to show that everything is fine but I know they're inaccurate.


Here are pictures.

 

[jAfFa CaKe]

Looks like fungus to me, also, you could try fridging him instead of a salt bath. Have you checked out http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...axolotl/72698-salt-bath-picture-tutorial.html and http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...ick-axolotl/85263-axolotl-fridging-guide.html they might help

 

[auntiejude]

Fridging is for constipation (and as a last resort to buy time), salt baths are for fungus.
Fridging is more stressful than salt baths, but salt baths can be irritating.

Yes, that looks like fungus, yes use non-iodised sea salt. Have you read the sticky? You can do it at room temp and you don't need to fridge him if he's otherwise healthy

 

[HayleyK]

I wouldn't fridge. Just do salt baths.

 

[ashmor604]

Thank you! I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing before I took any action. I will start salt baths tonight. I also read somewhere that drift wood is helpful for fungal infections because it leaches tannins. I have a smaller (5 and 1/2 gallon) tank that I keep running just in case something goes wrong with the big tank and I recently put my drift wood piece in there because it was turning my water yellow. Does anyone think it would be helpful to keep him quarantined in there while he's recovering?

 

[auntiejude]

Keeping a tank running is not the same as keeping it cycled - you need to feed the good bacteria in the filter with ammonia to maintain the cycle. The yellow colour leached by the wood is the tannins.

You shouldn't need to isolate an axie with fugus unless he's causing a problem with thrashing or if it's bad. Fungal spores live in the water and there's no way of getting rid of them - your axie won't infect other axies or the tank.
You can try Indian Almond Leaves in the tank (get them from ebay) but they colour the water too.

 

[ashmor604]

Yeah I have a few shrimp in the small tank to help keep it cycled but I guess I'll keep him in the big tank for now. Thanks for your advice! I bought Indian Almond Leaves from Ebay per your recommendation. Really hope he makes a speedy recovery!

 

[UglytheAxolotl]

How is he doing?

 

[ashmor604]

He's doing a lot better! He really didn't enjoy the salt baths, hid behind his plant for an entire day after the second one but the fungus fell off and hasn't come back (fingers crossed). His affected gill is still shorter but no white stuff so hopefully it will grow back. Thanks for all the help!