Spiky Gills

[J A M]

help! we had our axie for more than half year now and all seems fine.

then, i went overseas and I my bf changed the water every 2-3 days....
and now... there is these spiky black splinters looking things coming out from the gills and face.
The "splinters" are about 5mm, does anyone know what is it?
it also didn't feed for about 2 days.

 

[digger]

im sure it would help if you could post pics so people can see exactly how it looks

 

[J A M]

the splinters are coming out from near the head area, and some body parts and legs...
it is a bit hard to see, but can you see the forked splinter in this pic?
does anyone know what is it and what i have to do?

also, do you think it's losing it's gills? it used to have red gills... now it's all white

 

[kclinton]

Your baby has ancor worm! Has your axie been around fish? Need to start salt bath now>

 

[Jennewt]

Go to Google Images and search for pictures of anchor worm and see if that's it. I'm not sure from your photo. From what I have read, anchor worm is relatively resistant to salt baths. You need to go to a pond store and buy the medicine they sell for treating koi with anchor worm.

A sick or stressed axolotl will sometimes have gill shrinkage. Also, when the water is cool and well-oxygenated, the gills may get smaller, as less surface area is needed to get oxygen.

 

[J A M]

yes!!! i think that's it!

so does that mean salt bath won't work so I will go to ask for anchor worm medication....

and also, if I make the tank less oxygenated the gills will increase?

THANKS.......

 

[kclinton]

Sorry I don't know what the diff. is betwen the meds you buy at the pet store that you should not use and the stuff from the pond store for koi. It might be fine. My sefy and my mom bought some fish from the same pet store, and fought ancor worm for 6 weeks untell some one told us to try and add some salt to the water than they cleared up. I think you sould give the salt baths a try.

 

[J A M]

the pet shop recommended Ich medicine..... then don't change the water until next week.
is this right?
I just want to make sure.......

 

[kclinton]

I wouldnt do it. Most pet store don't know what they are talking about.

 

[J A M]

oh.......thanks......
how about the water?
change it all? or leave the water?
i'm a bit confused now......

 

[kclinton]

Just thought of this what if you put him in fridge and do the salt baths. Maybe ancor worm can't live that cold. Maybe the both of them would kill them off.

 

[kclinton]

I'am not shure about the water. I don't think chanding all of it would be a good idea.

 

[J A M]

treating

so i just put him in the salt bath now and then the fridge thing after......
and see how it goes......

how many days should i leave him in the fridge for.... to hope that the anchor worms die from the cold.......

 

[kclinton]

I've read that people leave them in for weeks. Make shure you change thw water every day. The salt baths sould be once or twice a day. You dont keep them in the salt bath all the time. Don't use table salt. You can do a search on salt baths and putting in the fridge. Dose he share the tank with ant body else. Have you feed him live fish. We need to try and figure out were they came from so he/she dose not keep getting them.

 

[J A M]

he wasn't sharing tank with other people BUT
a mystery snail, but the mystery snail has been in the tetra tank.....
and some plants that he is having now was from the tetra tank.....
do you think it's from that?

 

[kclinton]

Plants no. Snail maybe. Do the tetras have any? Might of come in on his food. What do you feed him? Check and see what your friend feed him.