Question: Sitting in plants?

[sunchyne231]

During the day, my Axie spends most of the time in a hide or just hanging around on the sand.

In the evening though he seems to spend most of his time sat in the plastic plants. He also swims more than I expected him to. Sometimes doing a kind of mad dash around. He occasionally gulps a bit of air but not constantly. He's kept on sand.

Is this normal? He's eating very well, alternating earth worms and bloodworms. Is he ok or am I just fretting? He's a leucistic, I keep saying he as he has quite a distinct bulge in the vent area. 5.5 inches long, around 5 months old and has put on a little 'weight' since he came to live with is, was definitely on the skinny side when he first arrived.

Also I notice that when he is being quiet, his gills are fairly pale, they seem to flush, or go darker when he eats. Is this normal?

Sorry for all the questions!
Thanks,

 

[iSuzie]

Yes that's normal the reason he is most active in the evening is they are actually nocturnal.
The extra swimming may be him getting excited, looking for a mate and that would be why his gills go darker.
Also earthworms are the best stable diet for axolotls and blood worms should be more of a treat

 

[danchristopher]

Axolotls gills are lighter when they are not really moving about very much, I have a white/pink albino whose gills turn almost the same colour as her body when she's been sitting around not doing anything for a while. My axies also like to hang out on the plants sometimes.
When they start moving about again they tend to go a deeper red colour due to increased blood flow, kind of like when we run about and get flushed and our cheeks go red.

From what you've said he sounds like a perfectly normal, healthy axie