Illness/Sickness: Treatment for possible fungus? Advice needed.

[Rumoi]

HELP! My axolotl (female) appears to have a small ball of translucent white fungus starting on one of her gill stalks (on the back of the stalk/feathery bits). It looks sorta like the type that would grow on food if left in the water.

I've been sick so unfortunately the tank wasn't kept as clean as it should have been!! I'm going to do a large water change and hope it helps.
I don't want to attempt salt baths if they can be avoided or are unnecessary and I will try to get a picture of her gill (She isn't being co-operative)

Does anyone know what sort of treatment options I have? and if I should separate her from my other axolotls.

 

[Rumoi]

Pictures of Lotl and her gills.

 

[AxolotlChris]

Doesn't look serious, can you test your water for Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates?

As long as your water quality is good then the fungus shouldn't last. I use a cotton bud to gently wipe the fungus off if it looks loose.

If you have other Axolotls in your tank it would probably be worth removing the affected Axolotl and placing it in a separate container in cool dechlorinated water, change this water everyday so the water quality is at its best. The fungus shouldn't last long!

 

[Rumoi]

Testing complete!

Ammonia was up between 0.5ppm-1.0ppm. I'll start small daily water changes to lower and control that.
Nitrite was reading as 0ppm. So it should be low. If the ammonia wasn't being converted to nitrite that might explain why.... or my bacteria culture is still converting nitrite alright.
Nitrate was around 40ppm so higher than I like :/
The water changes (and additional clean-up) will help the Ammonia, Nitrate (and Nitrite if it starts). Which will also help me maintain a cooler temperature in the tank than usual (though it hasn't been too warm at least)

I've done a complete clean-up in the tank and 40-50% water change to start. So things should quickly start improving I'll keep an eye on the water parameters and all of my lovely Lotls to make sure nothing else is wrong or develops.

I used a cotton swab to test how loose the fungus was (it wasn't for me) but the swab startled Lotl causing her to freak out and shake the fungus loose enough so that I could easily remove it.
Sadly she lost a few of her beautiful filaments with it, but barely any and it is off at least!

Thanks so much for your advice on that! I'm sure she will recover with some rest and clean, cool water now that the fungus has been removed!!

 

[HitmanSougo13]

I definitely feel for you when you said you were too sick to put in your 100% for them. I have gone through that too. Normally I would say salt bath but yah try the q-tip and you shouldn't have to scrub hard, if in about two days that q tip doesn't seem to pry that stuff off, hopefully you are well enough to give your axie a salt bath.