Axolotl pacing

[crazyferret]

Hi everyone not sure if this is in the right place but i didn't know where to put it as i don't think he is ill.

We have 2 new baby axies they are around 8cm long which we got from a pet shop
i must ad that the pet shop did know there axolotls keep them right i was asked alot of questions about my set up from the young lad

Anyway they are in an holding tank its 2foot long fully cycled with sand hides plants the norn stuff.
only one seems to pace the front of the glass he does it most of the day, he is eating ok the tank isn't getting alot of light in it, i've tested the water everything is fine the temp is 18c.
his gills are quite small well they both have small gills think something has been nibbling at them,(there was no fish with them in the pet shop)

just wondering if anyone else's axie does this or is he stress?
I've had them now for 4 days, the other one is fine
thanks

 

[sek]

Hello,

Gill shrinkage is usually due to the water parameters, your tank is cycled so it is most likely from the pet shop. Make sure there are two hides for them as well, axies can get stressed and aggressive when there aren't enough hides (in my experience)

How often do you feed them? The temperature is a bit high but it should be O.K
I wouldn't worry about the tank getting a lot of light, axies prefer it darker anyway.

Some axolotls like to wander, they are all different. I wouldn't worry too much about his pacing.
As for the stress question, are his gills curled forward? Does he have a curled tail tip?
These are common signs of stress.

Hope this helps.

 

[crazyferret]

Hi thanks for the fast reply.

I don't think they have enough of there gills left for it to curl the one who pace's his gills are only a cm or so long there tails are fine not curled.
I'm feeding them twice a day as i think they are quite thin,
they have an hide each and plants they are only in there for afew weeks then they will go into a 4 foot tank which has an axie already in it thats why i didn't put the new guys in right away.

(my son picked them because of their colouring he had been after this colour for a while i didn't have the heart to say no and there gills didn't look that bad until we got them home in to the tank)

 

[crazyferret]

Here is afew pic there not that good as i didn't use my flash didn't want to stress him.
you can see he's moved all the sand away front the front of the tank with his pacing.
the round things are pellets i put some in before taking the pic.
he stoped pacing long enough to eat them.

 

[dragonlady]

What substrate was he on before? Maybe he's not used to the feel of sand under his feet or it could just be his way of settling in. His gills don't look that horrible in your pic from what I can see so as long as he continues to eat, I wouldn't worry. With proper care and time, his gills should grow out and he should be gaining weight.

Pacing may be his behavior as Sek stated. I have one who likes to dig in the sand until the light from the tank below shines up under him and that's where he sits most of the day. If I cover his "spot", he simply uncovers it again! I also have swimmers and pacers who are slowing down as they get older so yours may slow with age as well.

Axolotls are prone to many different, seemingly odd, behaviors. I would be concerned if he suddenly stopped pacing, stopped eating, and/or losing weight instead of filling out. If you see him swimming erratically, itchy, or hiding away then maybe start diligently watching him.

In the meantime, just provide them with nice, plump earthworms and you should be fine. If anything changes or if you have other concerns, you know folks will be here for you.

 

[crazyferret]

Thank you :happy:

He was on a bare bottom tank in the pet shop with quite afew tank mates.

He is eating, just gave them some bloodworms will get some earthworms for them tomorrow.

Thanks again i feel better now :happy:
(thought he may of been yet another pet shop story)

 

[crazyferret]

Hi quick up date.

Even after a week i think their gills are looking better added better clearer pic.

These are my sons axies which will go in to his 4ft tank in his bedroom soon its already home to a little gold which is round the same size.

He is still thinking on the names for them but as we got them from London he wants London names Big Ben and London Eye are what hes thinking of right now, he's 7 and changes his mind every 2 seconds

took them off sand as one didn't like it under his feet, will keep them on a bare bottom for afew more weeks then i will put i thin layer down see how he likes that.

They are eating earthworms daily

thanks for your help :happy:

 

[daremo]

oh they're looking good!!!

 

[bayhicoach]

Looks like they're doing well. Nice enclosure

 

[mickey1975]

They are doing great, got so much better well done you must have great water :happy:

I'm really liking their gold colouring coming throw the black, VERY cute little axies
wonder if they will darken up as they grow?

Keep the pic coming on these cuties and what ever your doing, keep doing it, they are looking so much better

 

[mickey1975]

Big Ben and London eye i'm loving the names, can you tell them apart?

 

[crazyferret]

They are doing great, got so much better well done you must have great water :happy:

I'm really liking their gold colouring coming throw the black, VERY cute little axies
wonder if they will darken up as they grow?

Keep the pic coming on these cuties and what ever your doing, keep doing it, they are looking so much better

Hi

Thanks everyone they are doing great grown so much since we got them.

and yes mickey they are a werid colour, i'm wondering the same :happy:

will post pic when they go into there bigger tank,

thanks for reading :happy:

 

[crazyferret]

Big Ben and London eye i'm loving the names, can you tell them apart?

LOL. at the moment its London eye that has the smaller nibbled gills, they are shorter then his brothers but they both have great fluffy frill (if thats what its called)

 

[Morrison]

I love the gold shine on the gills! They look great! The axies themselves also look great!
Sometimes my axie is pacing too but just for.... 30 minutes and then he's back to normal. Oh well, that also makes them adorable.