Illness/Sickness: Axolotl gone pale, gills laying back, floating??

[oceanblue]

74F is at the top of the temperature range: it will eat like mad and be very active. It really is too hot for the long term so try to get things cooler, otherwise ease off on changes, doing too much is disturbing!

 

[layna]

glad youve got the issue sorted and are trying to rectify it, the filter should help the cycle move along faster and the ice bottles will reduce the temp so he should be back to normal shortly

 

[ectini]

Hello again,

After 3 weeks I have a new issue I wanted to get some advice on
Kiwi got MUCH better after the addition of the filter, and using ice bottles. I moved his tank to the floor, so it is cooler. He is still in his 5gal as I am cycling the 10gal now and hope to move him in soon.

However, this past week starting last Sunday, I noticed his gills have gotten really curled forward and very red (total opposite problem from before). I read this is a sign of stress from flowing water, but the filter is not making a current. It has also been hotter than usual this week, but I've been doing my best to keep the tank between at least 62-68 F. Yet his gills are still curled forward for majority of the day (can he be in hunt mode all day?). His tail is not curled, he eats readily, pooping fine, and and not floating. I got a liquid test kit, ammo is .25ppm and nitrate/ite is 0. I did 25-50% water changes every day this week to keep ammo down.

Just wondering if I should be worried about the gill issue, or if this is "normal"?

 

[PatchworkClocks]

He looks fine to me, honestly. His gills look about the same color as my axolotl's, and mine isn't stressed from anything. Yours does have some pretty long gills, so that's probably why they're curled like that. If he's eating and acting fine, you don't have anything to worry about.

 

[ectini]

Thanks for the reassurance I'll continue to monitor him and see how he does.