Update/questions on Tank & Kickstand

[cdazley]

Good Evening & Happy New Year to all, I am happy to say my 2 new axies are growing their legs in fine, when they arrived here back in November there was only one leg between the two of them & it was just so sad to see them try to "stump" their way around....the boy is "Tank" & the little girl is "Kickstand".
I was wondering if anyone could take a peek at my photos?? The tank/water is in excellent condition & they both eat very well but I worry about "Tank's" gills. They are so vibrant & red & growing longer all the time but there is a white coloration along some of them. It is not fuzzy or fluffy, just a shiny white on them. "Kickstand" does not seem to have this...I can spot a little on hers if I search & search...but his is very apparent.
They have also been trying to breed since the fourth or fifth day here, at first it was just a staged little breeding dance (so very cute first thing in the morning) but this last week Tank has started dropping his little "spermacones" around the ground....was not really looking for that to happen but I guess with the conditions being right I should have known this could start happening. I have been sucking them up with a turkey baster as soon as I see them but who knows what happens when I am asleep
I hope the pictures are clear enough...
Thank you! Christine

 

[kira]

The white spots look totally fine to me; they appear to just be markings. In relation to Tank's red, long gills, this is nothing to be worried about. The gills can appear to be very red just after a feed or if your axie is being active. Likewise, the gills can completely lose their colour if they are inactive etc. This is nothing to worry about.

I am glad to see that your axies are recovering nicely. They look great!

 

[Kerry1968]

Hi there, great photos and lovely looking axies!

Are you not wanting them to breed? If so, the only way to stop it completely is separate tanks. I put a divider in my four foot tank to separate male and female but she still managed to get through to him and two days later I was greeted with eggs! She managed to get through the hole I made for the spray bar. I've now lowered the water level to try to stop her escaping.

 

[cdazley]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses. I am glad to hear the little white on his gills are ok...
When the pair arrived less than 2 months ago I knew they were male and female but had no idea they would get to breeding so soon. I figured it would take a while....they were born October 2007 so that makes them 15-16 months....I had never imagined they would breed before they even had their little legs back.....much less breed before I can catch my breath from getting them settled in
I attached some more pics!! I am just ate up with my 2 little love birds...

 

[Neke]

They are so adorable with their tiny little stumps! I love your axies, and your tank as well. Nice job on the set up, it's so lovely you can hardly blame them for getting all excited!