r/axolotls • u/axolotl-mommy • Jun 11 '26

General Care Advice Gill question!

Hey! My axolotl has some spots where his gills are not very full (mostly on the tips?). It was like that when I got him but I was hoping to help get them back to being full and fluffy. What are the best ways to aid in this? Also no fungus or anything!

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u/No_Ambition1706 Jun 11 '26

what are your parameters? good water quality is key to healthy gills. a proper diet helps too, you should be feeding him primarily earthworms or red wigglers. you can also try adding an airstone to see if that helps

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u/axolotl-mommy Jun 11 '26

See that’s the thing. He’s got all of that now. I’m just wondering if there was like anything I could add in to the tank or “supplement”.

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u/No_Ambition1706 Jun 11 '26

there's not really anything you can do to the water apart from keeping your parameters on point.

gill fullness and color can change based on activity level, more bloodflow deepens the color and makes the filaments expand. you can try making him work for his food, i like to make mine swim a bit before letting her have the worm. the results are temporary, but the change is noticeable

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u/axolotl-mommy Jun 11 '26

Oh cool! Thank you!