Question: New Axy family - healthy little weirdo?

[indipendance]

Hi all!

First time poster and recent axolotl owner over here. I have a quick question regarding behavior. We've had Halboy for about two months. He is happy healthy and growing like a weed! (He was just over 2" when we got him and now he's nearly 5"). He has a 10 gal tank that has been cycled, has no substrate, and an over the edge filter that is diffused by a large flat rock set close to the surface of the water. He eats bloodworms and feeder fish and LOVES to eat.

When we got Halboy (he came from a good pet shop here in town) he had big lovely fans on both sides, but his right fan was bigger than his left (hence the name Halboy which is a kid friendly take on Hellboy, the lopsided arm superhero). His fans have mostly evened out in length, but I have always noticed more mobility in the larger side (they flick more easily). The other day I looked in his tank and he was sitting on the big rock that diffuses the current, with his head right up next to the filter intake. It looked like his less mobile fans were even being pulled into the intake a little. I got really scared and unplugged the filter so the intake would stop and he could swim away (which he did), but then yesterday, my husband caught him doing it again!

Is this normal? Is it a little fill massage for him? Or does he not feel it because his fans are underdeveloped on that side? Like I said, he's otherwise in wonderful health and very sweet, I just don't want him to get hurt by the filter.

Thanks!
Rachel

 

[jburns2422]

Not really sure about the filter situation although I do occasionally catch my "trixie"(name) hanging out by the water flow even though its "mostly" segregated she's usually not there very long and it doesn't seem to affect her health so I just assume that she likes the massage on occasions lol. Those "fans" as you called them are actually the axolotls gills! And they "fan" them to disperse carbon dioxide that builds up around them, and that helps to allow fresh oxygenated water around them Pretty cool actually, just thought I would let you know

Sent from my SCH-R530M using Tapatalk 2

 

[auntiejude]

Well I assumed that axies don't like water flow - thats what all the text books say - but mine also like sitting near the inlet for the pump. Not the outlet so much, but I guess the inlet is a subtle flow. They also like playing in the bubbles from the aerator.
I have made an educated guess that they like gentle movement as it saves them energy in gill-flapping, and they must get an oxygen rush from the bubble surfing.

 

[mackinthebox]

mine is always hanging out in the water flow from the filter
he sits there for a little while then moves on
I think he likes it too, hehe
he doesnt like it when there is a strong current in the whole tank, he will flip out a bit and bang into the glass
I took that super powerful filter out and got a aquaclear in there now on lowest flow, thats where he hangs out sometimes, hehe

 

[indipendance]

Thank you all for the feedback. My little guy is still doing great, and seems to have stopped his hanging out near the filter intake. I will try not to worry about him too much... seems like this isn't too weird and wont really hurt him. We also caught him yawning for the first time this weekend! Too cute!

 

[E Mandragora]

My boy likes the flow of the intake too, so I wrapped and tied it loosely with a bit of foam, just to protect him from himself. ^_~ The flow isn't changed very much. Now it's an extra bit of biological filtration, too... I change the foam every little while.

 

[indipendance]

Aion, that is a great idea! What type of foam do you use? I worry about anything chemically treated going into the tank and even soaked his clay pot house for two days (changing the water four times) before I was willing to put it in there. I haven't seen anything like that at my local fish shop, but I'm sure I could get something on the lovely internet.

 

[indipendance]

Random update: Just caught him doing it again! He's a goober that's for sure. He's been super active today and I just watched him swim up, stick his gill right next to the intake, hang out for a sec, and then swim away! Clearly he can get away from it, so he's not getting stuck, he just must enjoy the feel or the oxygen high. Weirdo...

Aion, is this what you had in mind? Black Filter Foam Biochemical Sponge for Aquarium Fish Tank Airlift System Bio | eBay

I think this is a great solution so I stop fretting. haha.

 

[E Mandragora]

Indi, that is like the.... super-cadillac version of my little home-kludged intake cuff. lol. I just cut off a bit of foam from an old filter pad, rinsed it out completely, wrapped it round and tied it with some clean cotton string. X3

I think I'm gonna buy one of those, incidentally.... looks much less urm, shall we say, 'duct-tape and rubber bands'. XD

 

[Jboat]

One of mine loves to hang out on the intake. I keep the flow on my filter turned down low because he likes to climb on it so much. Enough water is still being filtered and I haven't had any problems.

 

[indipendance]

Hey Aion, I bought a cadillac tonight.

Got an intake cover ($3 at my local pet shop) and now I promise to calm the hell down while Halboy hangs out there. He already went over and headbutted the foam a few times.... goober...

 

[Sir Kippy]

He sounds adorable!! I am glad others' axolotls have been doing the same thing I catch Mudkip sitting by the intake or just plain on top of the filter