Question: Why are my axolotls gills are smaller than when I first got her?

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Cauliflower

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When I first got my axolotl about 2 years ago she looked so healthy and happy and her gills were long and red and now she's skinny no matter how much i feed her and her gills are tiny like so small and they're so incredibly pale. What should I do? I do tapeworm treatments when she's looking too skinny but is it just the water? :confused:
 
Hi ya, Have you got a pic of her? The first thing I'd do is test the water for nitrite and ammonium/ ammonia. Which should both be at 0. It may be you need a large water change and some live filter media. When I first had my tanks I acidently killed off my filter media by cleaning out the filter too often. But it's easily fixable and adding excess live media won't hurt your axolotl.
If the water quality is all okay. Have u got a filter? Is the current too strong? Axolotls can get easily stressed by strong moving water. And often the signs for stress are losing weight and gills curling and depleting.
What's her diet like, Is she on earth worms?
I've never heard of doing tapeworm treatments on axolotls? I generally wouldn't be adding any chemicals to the tank other then chlorine treatment for tap water.
 
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  • AxieCrazy:
    Hello. I’m looking for some input. My axolotl is about 7 months old. I came home and her gills are completely white. I was reading that they do shed around this age. Could this be why her gills are white? The ph is 6.5-7. Nitrates are 80 Nitrites 0.5
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  • AxieCrazy:
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  • Anlucero:
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    Anlucero: I believe my axolotl is constipated. I got him 8 days ago and have not seen any poop in his... +1
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