Axolotl Guidance Needed =)

[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)