Small Gills

[casey]

Hi everyone,
I have 3 axies and they all seem to have small gills.... I was just wondering if anyone knows what this could mean... Do they grow as they get older? Mine are about 6 to 7 months old.... Is my air stone the problem?.... Is it something i should be worried about?...
If you know please help me out,
thank
oscar+fifi

 

[brian]

Are their gills shrinking, or have they always been that way? Have you checked your water quality? What kind of filtration/aeration do you have (besides the air stone)?

 

[casey]

They seemed more fluffy when I first got them, So they did shrink but they have not shrunk more for about 3 months...
I have a filter that hangs on the side of the tank.... Im not sure if its big enough as I am doing alot of water changes....
The ph seems fine and i check it all the time... Could it be the amount of light they get on their tank? Is that a factor?..

 

[brian]

Gill size is linked to dissolved oxygen. If their gills are shrinking, they are probably having oxygen and/or ammonia problems. Test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. If any are too high, you need to correct that. If the tank is getting direct sunlight, it could be raising the temperature of the tank, which would lower the dissolved oxygen. What kind of filter are you running, and what kind of media do you have in it? How often are you changing the water, and how much do you change? Did you cycle it properly when you first set up the tank?

 

[elisheba]

are all three housed together? i suspect nibbling before oxygen problems if so. this may not be a huge problem, but it's hard to tell without seeing pictures or knowing more.

-e