Weird gills... is he old or is something wrong? (Update: Morphing?)

[Binditheaxolotl]

Sorry if it’s out of order, if it’s easier, look up, What To Do If My Axolotl Morphs where on Caudata, and go to the second page, it’s titled what I wrote above. Don’t click on the questions

 

[KOsika]

Steve is doing ok today, he isn’t shedding anymore and he excitedly took an earthworm. I haven’t seen him get out of the water yet, but he did gulp air once this afternoon.

thanks for that resource Bindi! I’ll read that when I get home!

 

[Binditheaxolotl]

Steve is doing ok today, he isn’t shedding anymore and he excitedly took an earthworm. I haven’t seen him get out of the water yet, but he did gulp air once this afternoon.

thanks for that resource Bindi! I’ll read that when I get home!

Np! You might be better off finding that thread glad to see he’s doing well!!

 

[Calgarycoppers]

Okay - I was sure he was morphing originally but I wonder if you have a highly sensitive lotl.

I would change water as soon as you hit 20ppm but 50-75% keep the water as cold as possible and make sure you are using prime.

If your axolotl is not fully morphed and wanting to be out of water in a week or 2 its not morphing - it generally happens quickly once it starts.

Keep your husbandry on point for axolotls for the next 2 weeks and see what happens.

 

[KOsika]

Okay - I was sure he was morphing originally but I wonder if you have a highly sensitive lotl.

I would change water as soon as you hit 20ppm but 50-75% keep the water as cold as possible and make sure you are using prime.

If your axolotl is not fully morphed and wanting to be out of water in a week or 2 its not morphing - it generally happens quickly once it starts.

Keep your husbandry on point for axolotls for the next 2 weeks and see what happens.

you got it! I checked his water today and it was already getting dirty so I did a water change. I have plenty of clean water now so I’m going to make sure he has the cleanest water possible. I checked on him just now and he was up on the first tier of the rock pile to the right, so not totally out yet but at least he’s checking out the rocks.

Knowing the expected timetable helps a lot. I’ll keep you guys posted. thank you all so so much. Moving home was already stressful for me so having something unexpected and scary happen to a beloved pet didn’t help and I panicked. Luckily Steve has you guys to guide me lol

 

[KOsika]

Update! So it’s been about a week and... he looks exactly the same. Still eager for food and very excited when people come up to the water. I’ve been changing his water daily to keep it clean and monitoring him but he hasn’t really shown much interest in going into the land areas I built... any ideas?

 

[Binditheaxolotl]

Update! So it’s been about a week and... he looks exactly the same. Still eager for food and very excited when people come up to the water. I’ve been changing his water daily to keep it clean and monitoring him but he hasn’t really shown much interest in going into the land areas I built... any ideas?

He definitely still looks like he’s morphing. I think he will go up on land in his own time

 

[Bellabelloo]

I don't think he's morphing. Keep a really close eye on the water quality and temperature. Having reduced the water volume, it'll be harder to maintain both. He is looking a lot better from when you started posting

 

[Otterwoman]

Here is a care sheet.

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Tiger salamander

 

[KOsika]

I don't think he's morphing. Keep a really close eye on the water quality and temperature. Having reduced the water volume, it'll be harder to maintain both. He is looking a lot better from when you started posting

Does he? I really can’t tell honestly. His water temp is pretty consistent and I’ve been changing the water every day.

I don’t know what’s going on and I’m getting a lot of conflicting info now and I’m overwhelmed. Is he just sick? Everyone seems to think he’s morphing. Idk what to think anymore..

 

[Bellabelloo]

That is the biggest problem with forums, you'll get conflicting advice.
I may well be wrong as I've never had an axolotl morph. I have however seen my tigers morph. The reason I say I don't think he is morphing is that I don't think his gills are absorbing as quickly as a tigers does, his gills look a bit abnormal, but that could be due to water conditions, as you stated at the start of your post. With the shrinking , once they start to shrink, it was over around a week.. Their eyes became more bulged and the legs became more solid and the tail more rounded..
Try not to stress As long as you keep the water parameters good and the water temperature as cool as possible below 20 degrees, you and Steve will be fine. If he starts poking his head above water, then provide a place.for him to haul out onto if needed

 

[Helloworld]

Hello,
Nice to meet all of you!
I saw this and must say this axolotl doesnt look like its morphing. It actually may be stress. There’s also a possibility he is morphing, but its visible he is not gaining eyelids, which are a sign of the morph. I’d recommend you watch him and try to make sure he isn’t stressed out. The loss of gills may be a result of an ammonia infection. Good luck! I hope he gets through all of this and either becomes a salamander or goes back to being a unmorphed lotl Have a great day!! I hope everything goes well!!

 

[KOsika]

If he's not morphing, and just keeping the water clean is enough, will his gills and dorsal fin eventually come back? He has lots of place to get out of the water if he needs, but I had noticed he wasn't gaining eyelids. Is an ammonia infection something that doesn't go away? The time he got dosed with ammonia was nearly 2 years ago. Since then it's just been a constant battle to filter enough clean water to keep the nitrates down and my battle with mental health getting in the way of that. Is having his water level low like it is ok for him? Or is that going to stress him out more? It feels like the "prepping the tank for him to morph" and "keeping his stress down" are two very different options.

He also keeps getting his left front leg stuck behind his gills. He tries to turn to look at me and stumbles because his foot is tucked up under his gills and stuck in his jaw. It's really scary to watch and he's never done that before. That's something that's started happening within the last week.

 

[Helloworld]

I’m pretty sure they may, I’m not an expert but if he isn’t morphing after all, they may have just deteriorated and will probably come back, It’s awesome that your trying your best to keep the water clean, so no ammonia come, and the platform is great, because no ones sure yet, if he’s morphing... I’d say try your best not to startle him, I guess! Also have you seen a vet yet? None of us on the forum are experts, I’m just an axolotl lover, but my axolotl had some gill deterioration and so I gave him a salt bath and took him to a vet, he started gulping for air, after all. I’d say if he doesn’t progress in morphing onto a further stage or doesn’t start looking a bit healthier, you should take him to a vet Wish you the best of luck!
p.s. I’m sure it’s going to be okif you take good care of him he’ll make it through and either return to normal orbecome one of the few metamorphosed axolotls!
Your axolotl is gorgeous, he’ll do great, don’t worry!

 

[Helloworld]

For the gills they may hurt, or itch I have never heard of an axolotl doing that, though it may just be the gills itching when they’re disappearing for metamorphosis, or they may hurt due to some infection, please post updates, I’m quite curious, but also worried, I’d say fridgeing, but due to his situation you should be careful, and maybe contact a specialist, before doing anything that may be stressful to him! Is he eating well, and is he active?

 

[KOsika]

I have no way to take him to a vet at the moment because of COVID. He hasn’t been gulping for air (only one time and I haven’t seen him do it since). He still paddles up to you when you approach the tank and he’s eating normally.

I wish I could take him to a vet because I’m at a loss for what to do. I know it shouldn’t be about me at all but I’m dealing with so much other anxiety and depression that having to check and change is water daily and just hoping for the best is getting to be a lot. I know you guys can only do so much and I appreciate the advice I’ve gotten so far. I guess I can’t do anything else but just change is water daily and keep an eye on him..

 

[Bellabelloo]

I'm sorry about all the added stress, anxiety makes things feel so much worse. I'm a stress monkey and brilliant at getting anxious over just about every thing. I'm currently worried about stressing you
Anyway in really feel water quality and temperature are so important. Out of interest have you ever tested the water from the tap? Also do you use anything like Prime before the water changes? Sometimes older axolotl do not regenerate gills so quickly or at all. The gap behind the gills will most likely always to have been there, though I don't remember mine getting feet stuck.

 

[KOsika]

I'm sorry about all the added stress, anxiety makes things feel so much worse. I'm a stress monkey and brilliant at getting anxious over just about every thing. I'm currently worried about stressing you
Anyway in really feel water quality and temperature are so important. Out of interest have you ever tested the water from the tap? Also do you use anything like Prime before the water changes? Sometimes older axolotl do not regenerate gills so quickly or at all. The gap behind the gills will most likely always to have been there, though I don't remember mine getting feet stuck.

Well so I tested the water after I posted last weekend and my mom’s tap water is dirty. I was throwing 80ppm of nitrates in there every water change. I feel like a dumbass because that’s exactly the mistake I made when I moved out of my dad’s house. I should have tested my mom’s water. I blame the stress of the move I guess.

This past week I’ve been using bottled distilled water with a very small amount of roright until I can get my ro/di filter back up and running (I have to get new filter canisters for it because it got messed up during my move and now the mail is slow).

 

[Murk]

Oh, that sounds like a very plausible cause!

It's not really your fault. If your tap water is dirty, you're fighting a losing battle with every water change. Bottled water and the ro/di filter sounds like a perfect short term - long term plan.

I'm also of the opinion your axolotl is not morphing. I didn't speak out because, honestly, it doesn't really matter for now. Either he's morphing and you need to fix the water quality, or he's not morphing and you need to fix the water quality.

For me, it's a strangely comforting thought when I'm faced with conflicting information: if my response would be the same either way, then knowing the exact cause is less important, right?

If you can get the water quality back to OK (which you are doing!) and give him as much good food as you can get him to eat (which you are doing!) that should solve most problems.
If I'm wrong and he is morphing, eh - same solution.


(Also, yeah the hole behind the gills is normal. They all have that - you usually just don't see it because there's fluffy gills in front of it.)

 

[KOsika]

Oh, that sounds like a very plausible cause!

It's not really your fault. If your tap water is dirty, you're fighting a losing battle with every water change. Bottled water and the ro/di filter sounds like a perfect short term - long term plan.

I'm also of the opinion your axolotl is not morphing. I didn't speak out because, honestly, it doesn't really matter for now. Either he's morphing and you need to fix the water quality, or he's not morphing and you need to fix the water quality.

For me, it's a strangely comforting thought when I'm faced with conflicting information: if my response would be the same either way, then knowing the exact cause is less important, right?

If you can get the water quality back to OK (which you are doing!) and give him as much good food as you can get him to eat (which you are doing!) that should solve most problems.
If I'm wrong and he is morphing, eh - same solution.


(Also, yeah the hole behind the gills is normal. They all have that - you usually just don't see it because there's fluffy gills in front of it.)

I guess the only thing I worry about is that his current tank setup might be causing him stress. do you think I should keep his tank in this deconstructed state just in case he’s morphing? Or do you think he would be more comfortable if I return it to normal? I know I can’t do anything else for him at this point otherwise; just water changes and food until something changes.