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