Axolotls have the most fascinating gills with stunning filaments, with each axolotl having its own subtle unique look. But these external gills are quite fragile and exposed to all sorts of dangers and issues. There are numerous reasons why an axolotl might lose some, or in bad situations all its fluffy gills. This can then impact the health of the axolotl.
Damage to the external gills can happen because of stress, poor water quality, illness or nipping by a tank mate. Although the gills can regenerate the damage impacts the oxygen intake for the axolotl.
There are some simple and easy steps to avoid gill loss, so let’s take a look at the signs and what needs to be done to keep that unique and often stunning gill fluff.
Why Does My Axolotl Not Have Fluffy Gills?
When you see a typical axolotl it has wonderful fluffy gills extending out from its body. Different things can go wrong which can cause damage to the gills. But before looking at the problems it’s important to take a closer look at the complexity of an axolotl’s gills and how they work.
The fluffy gills we see are made up of two parts. Each gill is made up of three main gill stalks called rami situated behind the head and just in front of the gill opening. The rami have muscles and are able to move the other parts of the gill in the water. Lining the rami are a series of fine filaments which give the axolotl its distinct look.
These filaments are called fimbriae, and it’s these parts that contain a high level of blood vessels that absorb the required oxygen. As the axolotl fans, the fimbriae through the water with the rami can grab the oxygen. Therefore fluffy fimbriae are vital for the well-being of the axolotl. The more fluffy they are the better chance
There are three typical reason groups as to why your axolotl may have damage to its gills.
Chemical burns
Initially, that might sound a little bizarre, why would an axolotl be exposed to chemicals? But this problem can be very common if the owner isn’t careful. The two main culprits for chemical burns on your axolotl are ammonia and chlorine. If there is an ammonia spike or the cycling in the tank has crashed this will be enough to cause damage to your axolotl. Forgetting to add a conditioner to fresh water to remove the chlorine is another culprit.
Unwanted chemicals could get into the water in numerous other ways. Anything that is not aquatic safe could pose a risk, such as features and hides that have materials or paint that is not safe, Putting incorrect rocks or rocks from a high-risk area could leach chemicals into the water.
Fungus
A fungus infection is quite easy to spot as one or both of the gills will have an area of white fuzzy stuff. It can look a little bit like very delicate and fine cotton wool. This can also be on the body, so be prepared that once spotted it is likely to spread to other parts including the gills. It’s urgently important that steps are immediately taken to try to cure the fungus problem on your axolotl, as it can spread both externally and internally.
Stress which lowers the immune system, and poor water quality are the main reasons your axolotl becomes susceptible to a fungal infection.
Breakages
Axolotl gills are very delicate and can easily be damaged. This can happen accidentally, but more often than not it can be down to another tank mate. If there is a pair of axolotls in the tank, one could be bullying the other and damaging the gills. If there are any fish around they probably can’t resist the tiny wavy fluff as it can look like a cluster of tiny worms wanting to be eaten.
Will An Axolotl Regrow Its Gills?
There is kind of good news and bad news when it comes to axolotl regeneration. If the axolotl gills become damaged then they do have the amazing feature of being able to regenerate them. This can take some time and all the conditions which could have damage need to be resolved.
On the negative side, because the axolotl can regenerate it doesn’t mean that process trumps the overall care for the axolotl. If the gills are damaged that impacts the ability of the axolotl to breathe effectively. This creates stress and lowers the immune system.
So while it’s remarkable seeing the regeneration process everything possible needs to be done to ensure it doesn’t happen again, rather than making the assumption it doesn’t really matter.
The timeframe for regrowth varies from axolotl to axolotl, their environment, health and water conditions. This could vary from a couple of weeks to months to complete. This timeframe also depends on the severity of the damage.
It is possible that the axolotl may never fully regenerate badly damaged gills. It may be in the axolotl’s predisposition to regenerate, but there is no guarantee it will happen or complete successfully.
How To Maintain Healthy Axolotl Gills?
We have found out how the gills work for an axolotl and how vital they are for its survival and wellbeing. So with that in mind, it is so important to try and protect them the best we can and not let anything that could be avoided be the cause of damage.
- If your axolotl is sharing a tank with another axolotl and being bullied it might be a good time to separate them especially if there are signs of nipping, before it gets more serious and chunks of gill go missing.
- Don’t assume your axolotl will like a tank mate. Fish and other creatures may find the gill fluff irresistible. This is why sometimes pet stores have axolotls in poor condition because they are sharing a tank with something they shouldn’t be sharing with.
- Water quality is a major issue for axolotls. Their water needs to be clean with the correct water parameters, so regular cleaning and water testing is so important. Just as important is water temperature, as too warm will increase the risk of infection. The ideal for your axolotl is a stable temperature between 16°-18°.
- Avoid adding anything to the tank that you don’t have confidence is safe, and always remember to dechlorinate water before adding it to your axolotl tank. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, rather than add something that may release chemicals into the water.
Start Healing Damaged Axolotl Gills
If there are any signs of gill damage the important first step is to isolate the axolotl from the cause of the problem and move it into fresh clean dechlorinated water, which must be changed daily. Isolation should help to stop the problem from getting worse. Then depending on the cause, treat, or leave to start the regeneration process.
For a tank mate damaging the axolotl gills, being away from the source of the problem in clean water should allow the regeneration process to start. If the gill stalk itself has been bitten off there may be less chance of full regeneration in that area.
Summary
Axolotl gill filaments are not just pretty, they are part of the vital respiratory organ needed for the axolotl to be healthy and survive. Looking at all the common reasons this gill fluff can become damaged shows how some obvious steps can be taken to avoid this happening in the first place. There are also signs we can spot to make sure a little damage doesn’t escalate into a big problem.