Axolotyl help

[AquascapeT]

Hello, my boyfriend has an 8yr old axolotyl and i was wondering if it looks healthy.
It lives in a 20 gallon with sand and a sponge filter. The water parameters are all stable. Its being fed axolotyl pellets by invert aquatics and hes about 7".
Currently we are preparing to upgrade him into a 75 gallon planted tank.
His gills have been small for years apparently, but they just look unusually small so its best to check.
His tank gets barely any light, little to none.

Any care advice or help is appreciated.

 

[MaloK]

From general observation between an healthy picture and this one. I kept amphibians in the past. But they needed a lot more out of the water space than axolots.

I'm not a biologist, but I have shown interest for everything that lives close enough to be observed, from day one.

And would say that the absence of bushy gills is "normally" an indicator of water quality problems, Whatever it can be. Also the form of it's body shows some kind of nutritional deficiency.

But, It already made it older than it normally do in nature. And nothing proves that it cant go much further.

If it's acting normal and go for food, etc... Why not upgrade... It's an old friend after all.

 

[Colin_T]

The gills are not right. They might have been damaged when it was younger but they normally grow back.

They don't need light. Aquariums have lights above them so people can see the fish and for aquatic plants to grow. The axolotls don't need light and generally shy away from bright light.

They don't need a place to come out of the water. Axolotls can live their entire life in the juvenile stage (what you have) and require certain conditions to metamorphose and become a land dwelling creature. When they do change they age very quickly and normally die within a year of metamorphosing so keep it in the juvenile stage.

It should have more variation in it's diet. Small earthworms, bits of prawn/ shrimp, frozen (but defrosted) bloodworms, brineshrimp and mysis shrimp can all be offered throughout the week.

 

[Herpin Man]

I agree that the reduced gills are probably an indicator of poor water quality. Excess ammonia levels, especially, can cause this.
I also agree that pellets alone are not a great diet. Earthworms, crickets, frozen shrimp, etc. would provide a varied diet and improve nutrition.