Gill size

[HayleyK]

I was wondering if not having an airstone will make babies gills longer/fluffier/ generally nicer. I know genetics, food etc okay a part also. Or will the airstone be better for the axolotls health?

 

[HayleyK]

Play* sorry I'm on my phone, damn autocorrect!

 

[auntiejude]

An airstone supplies more oxygen, and so the axies don't need big fluffy gills to collect it. No airstone generally means gills grow bigger.
But yes, you have to consider genetics, temperature, and water quality too, not to mention that fluffy gills are damaged more easily.

I am of the firm opinion that it's also dependent on the size of your tank and the surface area - a long shallow tank with plenty of surface area will have lots of gas exchange, a deep narrow tank won't.

I have no airstone in my 60L tanks for my babies, but the filter adds a little oxygen. My babies' gills are long and fluffy - I'll post some pics later.

 

[HayleyK]

Damaged? Like they get caught on things or other lotls like the look of them..?

They have doubled in size since I got then, one is 10cm, the other 9cm. They share a 50L tub but the actual water volume is 30L. There's an internal filter but it's only small. I'm also getting a slight oil slick is that okay?

Please do post pictures of your babies

 

[auntiejude]

Gills are often chomped by others, and if they are big it's just a bigger target. But they grow back

If you've got a slick that's usually a combination of waste and lack of surface movement - does your filter disturb the surface at all? If you can get the outlet to trickle down the sides of your tub it may help break it up.

 

[HayleyK]

I think both of them suffered gill chomping before I got them. They both have unequal sided gills. And it hasn't changed even though they've grown

Nah my surface is hardly disturbed, the filter is completely submerged and I've lost the spray bar. I have a fan on it but it doesn't break the surface much, if any.

I'm not sure where the oil is coming from as waste is low, and I suck it out pretty quickly. Nitrates sitting at about 10. I make sure there's no make up or oil on my hands, I don't even use moisturizers anymore.

Is the slick harmful?

 

[auntiejude]

The 'slick' is not oil, it's protein from waste, uneaten food, bacteria and probably some slime coat too. It's only harmful because it's reducing gas exchange at the surface - it's not toxic as such. You can try wiping off your ornaments and the sides of your tank next time you clean, that may reduce the bacterial part (they'll probably feel slimy), and if you're clearing up poop and uneaten food that's about as much as you can do.

If you've lost your spray bar you can make one from an appropriate size of pipe with holes drilled in it - check with you LFS for the right external diameter for your filter or just buy a length of acrylic pipe from somewhere like ebay. Or move your filter closer to the surface so it creates little waves to break up the surface.

If your axies' gills have grown back wonky or uneven it's just the way they were made - IMHO it just adds character! One of mine has particularly lop-sided not-very-pretty gills, but I love her just as much as the others!

 

[auntiejude]

OK, here are some pics. The albino is provisionally called Tweedle-Dum (his twin Tweedle-Dee has already moved on the the LFS) and wildtype is Hatter. (their other tank mate is Rabbit!) Both have beautiful fluffy gills, both have had them chomped at some point. I have another 60L with 3 more babies (named Porthos, Athos and Aramis) that are a little smaller but just as fluffy in the gills, and I have another albino on his own called Han (Solo) who got a bit stressed in the big tanks and had to have some TLC. His gills are coming along nicely too.

 

[HayleyK]

Oh wow! Hatter and tweedle-dum have amazing gills!! Beautiful axolotls

Yeah I kind of like the lopsided-ness, makes them look a little crazy at times heheh

Thanks auntiejude!