Adding Axolotls

[mroli123]

Howdy,

I have two axolotls, one larger probably about a year old probably about 20cm head to tail, and a younger probably about 6 months old 13cm from head to tail, I was keeping the younger one in a container until it was big enough to go in with the older one

Last night I noticed that the younger one (albino) gills had gone from bright red to very pale and it wasn't moving very well at all (usually its very active!) so I decided it was time to move it to its new home (I knew it was getting around the time when it was out growing the container it was in!) I added it last night and they seem to get on alright, this morning though they seem to have forgot that they now have a tank mate and keep bumping into each other then swimming around like crazy axolotls! I was watching them for 20 minutes before I went to work and they did this 5 times! Is this normal? Are they just getting to know each other, they don't seem to be fighting, just scared or confused!

I haven't fed them yet, I figure that might be what makes them fight, I will try this tonight though

Does anyone have any advice?

Also gills fading is a sign of lack of movement or not enough oxygen in the water right? Its gills have got a bit more colour too them but not as much as they did have

[Mojo]

Faded gill colour can just indicate that your axie is asleep They don't have eyelids, so it's difficult to tell.
Not sure about them spooking each other, as I haven't introduced new axies to my guys yet, but I guess it could just be that neither of them is used to having someone else moving around in the tank with them?

[mroli123]

It had faded gills for a day, it may of been having a long snooze though! I didn't want to risk it so decided to take the plunge, or rather it did! I really need to find out what sex they are so I can give them names....

And I would of thought after a couple of times they would realise another play mate is in with them, alas they may be out smarted by my goldfish!

[Eric]

The faded gills occurs when the animal is not being active. This occurs during sleep, but also when the Axolotl has just been still for a while. The blood is not flowing through the body as much, so the color is muted. As for bumping into each other..Axolotls are very clumsy and far from genius. How large is the tank you are keeping them in?

[mroli123]

My tank is 5ft x 1.5ft and about 1.5ft deep, not full all the way to the top though, probably about half that at the moment - I didn't want the little one to be too out of reach from the surface as the tank it was in wasn't very deep

Maybe the royal wedding bored it as much as it bored me and he decided a days sleep was needed!

[Eric]

How dare you say that about princess catherine!!!!

[Mojo]

Ha Ha! I avoided the wedding altogether, except for my MSN homepage
As for being outsmarted by your goldfish - they can be trained + DON'T forget withing 8 seconds as people seem to believe (they remember where their food comes from if fed in the same place each day, so they must remember for at least 24hrs!)
Sounds like you have a wonderfully spacious tank for them - bet it won't take too long to gain more inhabitants

[mroli123]

I always think of them as pretty smart creatures (even my goldfish remember that I am the food god and swim up to plead for fish flakes when I walk past!) but they often stand up on their back legs when they see me, and if i drop some food in they swim after it, try to munch it, miss, but still know that there is food there somewhere, probably more to do with the smell rather than the brain....I was still surprised how they took to each other, they are both scared of each other and hiding in pots, they have been there for hours occasionally coming out for food before diving back in - they don't seem to be the bravest of predators!

I always get tempted to get another one for the tank, I did have another baby the same size as my albino one but it died for some reason, I also tried to raise some eggs last summer but they all died about 2 weeks after hatching - because my wild type is quite big now I don't think it would be a good idea to put smaller ones in with it, after the past couple of days I could probably put loads in if I had enough pots for them all to hide in!