Axolotl Guidance Needed =)

[Tongue Flicker]

Hey guys it has been a week since i got my axolotl and i was just curious about everything about it. My caudata.org acct was removed for some reason which is probably because i forgot to post anything a few days after i registered so i'll just be posting this here instead.


1. Is it normal for axolotls to float tail first? Much like a semi-head stand but mostly just the tail float. He does swim back down once his tail touches the surface though.


2. I did a partial water change yesterday and he seemed to scratch his gills? I'm pretty sure that this is not normal. I will see to it that water conditions are back to normal. Any thoughts why?


3. He seemed okay now but i notice that he kinda flaps his gills. I know they do shrug their gills to expel carbon dioxide but do they need to flap it that hard? Lol


4. His water was clear but i noticed what appears to be 'oil blots' on the water surface. I'm feeding it earthworms, chopped/boiled/skinned freshwater shrimps and cultured blue bottle flies. All are live/fresh/gutloaded upon feeding.

5. Should they be more on the slim side or the chubby side? I feel as if he should be much fatter. He is exactly 5 inches long


That's pretty much it for now. Thanks!

[Tongue Flicker]

Nada?!

[Mentat]

Hi Neil ! Don't keep them but was wondering about it's behavior after water change. You might want to test your dechlorinator to make sure it's working OK.

[Tongue Flicker]

I have a drum full of dechlorinated and aerated water specifically for my axolotl haha. I added a little aquarium salt and his behavior kinda changed. Guess most of his weird acts is just a normal spaz out behavior

[FeralStars]

The tail floating does not sound normal to me. Mine will sometimes just float randomly in the tank or with like a foot or their tail across a plant but if they are tilted in anyways its head up.

Worms should be a main staple to their diet, the other stuff is fine but not so often and more as a treat.

Their body should be about as thick as their head, they are chubby creatures.

My water sometimes has that oil slick look to the top too, for me it's usually when my filter needs to be rinsed out and media changed so maybe your filter needs a cleaning. Do you have any wood in your tank? They can leak/secrete stuff that can cause it to be a bit filmy as well for a while if you didn't soak it well.

I have not witnessed mine scratching their gills but they do flare their gills at me when I am feeding one next to them but not them and when I add more water.

[Tongue Flicker]

The floating is kinda tilted sometimes but when he spazzes out he floats diagonally tail first then upon reaching the surface the whole body levels along properly.

Yeah i got him some bloodworms, some tubifex worms (from my reputable feeder supplier to be sure), some feeder guppies and a few goby fish as a treat that he seems to love as they swim continuously making hunting easier.

Chubby. Got it! Kinda bulky now but not as wide as the head. He does eat but doesn't seem to bulk up. Are there such thing as a picky axolotl? He normally swims away when he doesn't wanna eat anymore.

Nope, no wood. Just a bare bottom and two ceramic bowls on both sides to contain and prevent the worms from being all over the place. Oil blots seem to have subsided now that i added new things on his menu.

No more gill scratching as well. The gill flapping however seems to be an excitement sign. I notice it happens more often when i start throwing in some feeders and he starts getting jumpy. Really fun to observe

[FeralStars]

Yes some are picky, my melanoid female is the worst she doesn't like worms pretty much at all other than the occasional baby red wrigglers (composting worms). She will eat blackworms which are a hassle to feed, because they want to go everywhere and my 5 others in the tank with her love them too so I have to nudge them away or her to a corner to feed her. She also gets frustrated easily and if she misses on her first strike will just give up and wander away or sit there and not try and eat. She loves minnows and ghost shrimp but pretty much that's all I can count on her to always eat so she is always a bit on the petite side. Also being yours is a juvenile they tend to be a little more on the skinny side until they mature or at least that's what I have noticed in mine.

[Tongue Flicker]

Yes some are picky, my melanoid female is the worst she doesn't like worms pretty much at all other than the occasional baby red wrigglers (composting worms). She will eat blackworms which are a hassle to feed, because they want to go everywhere and my 5 others in the tank with her love them too so I have to nudge them away or her to a corner to feed her. She also gets frustrated easily and if she misses on her first strike will just give up and wander away or sit there and not try and eat. She loves minnows and ghost shrimp but pretty much that's all I can count on her to always eat so she is always a bit on the petite side. Also being yours is a juvenile they tend to be a little more on the skinny side until they mature or at least that's what I have noticed in mine.

Thanks for easing my mind. When you said earlier that they should be in the chubby side, i panicked and bought all possible and available worms, soft-bodied bugs and a variety of slow-moving fishes for him lol. (Just referring to it as him for now lol)

[Elliriyanna]

1. Is it normal for axolotls to float tail first? Much like a semi-head stand but mostly just the tail float. He does swim back down once his tail touches the surface though.
Sometimes they do this when they have to poop, My girl does it regularly but if she is not pooping it could be impaction or constipation

2. I did a partial water change yesterday and he seemed to scratch his gills? I'm pretty sure that this is not normal. I will see to it that water conditions are back to normal. Any thoughts why?
I have never seen gill scratching, Did you use water conditioner?


3. He seemed okay now but i notice that he kinda flaps his gills. I know they do shrug their gills to expel carbon dioxide but do they need to flap it that hard? Lol

Dont worry they flap their gills sometimes ... it looks like an elephant flapping his ears lol


4. His water was clear but i noticed what appears to be 'oil blots' on the water surface. I'm feeding it earthworms, chopped/boiled/skinned freshwater shrimps and cultured blue bottle flies. All are live/fresh/gutloaded upon feeding.

I would recommend only earthworms and there is no need to gutload. earthworms provide all nutrients they need although I understand adding variety sometimes.

5. Should they be more on the slim side or the chubby side? I feel as if he should be much fatter. He is exactly 5 inches long

The rule with lotls is their body should be a little chubbier than their head or at least around the same size. I have two 4 inch babies and man do they look lean compared to my 11 inch girl. Don't worry too much as long as your little one is eating and pooping


That's pretty much it for now. Thanks!

[Tongue Flicker]

Earthworms are not sold here and bait stores are a thing of legends here as well.. My earthworms come from my own backyard, dug up from my leaf litter compost for my millipedes. So i could only give a couple of earthworms a day. He's perfectly fine now though. Just does the flapping every now and then and is getting chubbier now. The thickest part of his abdomen is almost as thick as the head. I'm so happy

[AnimalEnthusiast]

So, axolotls only need earth worms, and nothing else to eat? I've read that there's salmon pellets, or something like that, that people feed to them. But, earth worms sound easier to come by possibly.

1. Is it normal for axolotls to float tail first? Much like a semi-head stand but mostly just the tail float. He does swim back down once his tail touches the surface though.
Sometimes they do this when they have to poop, My girl does it regularly but if she is not pooping it could be impaction or constipation

2. I did a partial water change yesterday and he seemed to scratch his gills? I'm pretty sure that this is not normal. I will see to it that water conditions are back to normal. Any thoughts why?
I have never seen gill scratching, Did you use water conditioner?


3. He seemed okay now but i notice that he kinda flaps his gills. I know they do shrug their gills to expel carbon dioxide but do they need to flap it that hard? Lol

Dont worry they flap their gills sometimes ... it looks like an elephant flapping his ears lol


4. His water was clear but i noticed what appears to be 'oil blots' on the water surface. I'm feeding it earthworms, chopped/boiled/skinned freshwater shrimps and cultured blue bottle flies. All are live/fresh/gutloaded upon feeding.

I would recommend only earthworms and there is no need to gutload. earthworms provide all nutrients they need although I understand adding variety sometimes.

5. Should they be more on the slim side or the chubby side? I feel as if he should be much fatter. He is exactly 5 inches long

The rule with lotls is their body should be a little chubbier than their head or at least around the same size. I have two 4 inch babies and man do they look lean compared to my 11 inch girl. Don't worry too much as long as your little one is eating and pooping


That's pretty much it for now. Thanks!

[limnologist]

So, axolotls only need earth worms, and nothing else to eat? I've read that there's salmon pellets, or something like that, that people feed to them. But, earth worms sound easier to come by possibly.

Axolotls will eat slugs, roaches, worms, grubs, water animals of decent size, fish, and baby mice. Try to vary the diet a little.