Illness/Sickness: "Clumpy" Gills?

[sassypuff]

I'm worried about my tiger salamander larva, Mr. Mochi. The feathers on his gills seem to have curled up over the last 48 hours. What's wrong with him? Is he getting enough oxygen?

Recently:

How he looked before yesterday:

Details:
-His diet is mainly red minnows.
-Tank setup is a 10gal (10"x20") aquarium with two marimo balls, pebble gravel, a regular side-of-the-tank filter, a pagoda house thing for him to hide in, and a little soldier statue decoration.
-Temperature in the tank is ususally 68º-70ºF
-I've had him since February 4.


ETA: Also, his gills aren't curled forward like that most of the time. He just really hates my camera.

 

[Kaysie]

He's probably starting metamorphosis and the gills are starting to atrophy.

 

[sassypuff]

Oh good! I was hoping that's what is going on, but I couldn't find any close-up pictures of the gills in that phase. I'm glad he's not likely sick. Thanks!

 

[sassypuff]

Mr. Mochi doesn't seem to have made any further progress toward metamorphosis. His gills are still lumpy and ugly, and they're more tattered-looking on the left side than the right. They're turning black. What is wrong with him?
His head shape, tail, and eye placement don't seem to have changed at all!

ETA:
It's not just the little feathers clumping up. The edges of the "branches" are shriveling too, rather than shrinking.

 

[sassypuff]

Newer pics:

I'm terrified that he has a fungus.

 

[Kaysie]

There's no fungus in those pictures.

Again, it looks like his gills are starting to receed. The body is absorbing some of the nutrients in the cells, and the waste cells will just shrivel up and die. Sometimes the gills in this kind of state break off rather than get 'absorbed' back into the body.

If your water conditions are good, morphing can take weeks. Sometimes they go into a neotenic state for months or years. Don't be alarmed if he doesn't morph right away. That's actually a good thing.

 

[sassypuff]

Man, I feel kind of dumb. I really appreciate you helping me out. I think I worry too much.

 

[Kaysie]

Don't think that! If it's something you've never experienced before, how would you know?

I would keep an eye on his left side gills though. They look extra-ratty, and it could develop into fungus.

How's your water quality? Temperature? And how's his appetite? If he were mine, I'd feed him extra to fatten him up. Sometimes after they morph, it takes a bit before they start eating again, so the heftier he is before he morphs, the better (within reason).

 

[sassypuff]

Thanks.
The water has been a little cloudy, but it is clearing up today. I changed too much water recently, so the bacteria re-bloomed.
Temperature is the same as our apartment- roughly 70-71ºF.
We put 15 rosy minnows in his tank on Tuesday the 8th, and he ate 13 of them on Wednesday, and one last night, so his appetite seems normal/healthy. Should I give him something more fattening for a few days, like earthworms?
I'll definitely keep an eye on the ratty gill!

 

[Kaysie]

It could be that the minnows are nibbling at his gills, making them look rattier than normal.

Offering a variety of food is always better than offering just one type. Once he's eaten all the minnows, try offering earthworms too. I don't recommend minnows as food normally, since they can carry diseases, and will nibble at gills. They're not a natural food source for most salamanders, either.

 

[sassypuff]

Ahh, thanks for the advice! I'll definitely vary his diet more, and cut out the minnows.

 

[sassypuff]

Well, somebody finally decided to metamorphose! Over the past 4-5 days, his tail, gills, head, and body have drastically changed.
I set up a nice terrarium with coco fiber, and set a shallow dish of his water in the center, at "ground"-level, so he can climb out when he's ready!
Here's a picture of my handsome Mr. Mochi, (almost) all grown up!