New Axolotl Health

Hello,

This is my first post on the forums and I have only had my first two Axolotls for two days now.

I had a brief read through this forum and website before I went and picked up my Axolotls from a local Aquarium and Reptile store but what I couldn't find on the forum or site was a basic guide on what to be cautious of and what to look for when buying your Axolotls. Not knowing I went off some of my experience I have gained from purchasing goldfish. A lot of these are just general for anything you buy, I read reviews online, inspected the tanks and health of the critters and creatures, how stocked tanks were and such.

Having only seen pictures of Axolotls online and at pet stores I don't really know what perfect health looks like. After watching them in the tank for a while I picked two of the healthiest (I hope) looking Axolotls of the group and took them home in my insulated cooler bag with a couple of frozen bricks to keep them cool. I floated them in their new home like I would a goldfish for a short amount of time before I began drip acclimating them to the water, then I gently picked them up (I don't use nets with anything where it can be avoided, I think it's to harsh on the slime coat) and placed them in the tank and got rid of the bag water.

So first of all.. Is this what you do? Was any of the above wrong?
The guy in the store didn't tell me and I was so excited, like a child I forgot to ask.

I really don't know what normal Axolotl behaviour is and how to be sure my Axies are healthy. One of them seems to pace up and down the tank a lot while the other moves around fairly little. Please, any help would be greatly appreciated.

The activity level of axolotl can vary between individuals but adults (older than 1 year and typically over or around 10 inches) tend to be more lazy. Younger ones can be very active. Axolotl tend to be more active at night and if the water is very cold it could slow them as well.

The main things to look for if you are worried about their move are their gills and the tip of their tail. Gills that are curled far forward typically show a mild stress from something like a filter that is creating too strong of a current. A kink or bend at the tip of the tail shows that they are under more serious stress.

If you want someone on here to verify that they look healthy feel free to post some pictures! Also, what kind of set up do you have (tank size, substrate, filter type) has your tank been cycled and what is the temperature?

I was told they are both still juvenile, although he didn't mention an age in weeks or months. They about 17cm or 6-7 inch. I have a wild type and a albino/something, I think I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the distinctions.

The water is around 18 degrees or 64 fahrenheit, I have a 3ft tank by 1.5ft by 1ft, around 185 litres or 48 gallons. I had goldfish in the tank previously to cycle it and the tank has been set up for nearly a year so it has a nice stable cycle.

I have a fine sand substrate, a piece of driftwood and some river rocks (all too big for them to eat), and about 6 small amazon swords, and a big java fern. I haven't managed to find any hides big enough for them as of yet so I plan on making a trip to the hardware store to get some pvc pipe tomorrow to use until I can make a replacement out of clay.

I have an airstone and a Aquaclear 70 HOB filter. I have no lighting on the tank, and I am currently still waiting on my fans to be shipped so for now I'm cooling the tank with big containers of frozen tank water (Aussie summer yay) which I rotate out every 6-8 hours. The tank they came from was at around 22 degrees (I asked the staff member) so I have spent the last 2 days dropping it down slowly from this so I don't shock them.

Having done my first water test tonight since adding them to the tank I can tell you the parameters are
ph; 0
Ammonia; 0
Nitrites; 0
Nitrates; 0.5ppm

They look healthy to me! Their gills aren't as fluffy as some I have seen but that might be due to genetics, a fast current, or their time at the pet store depending on what their set up is. Nothing to worry about. Both very cute! Maybe the one moving around a lot is looking for somewhere to hide?

I know nothing about fish (and you have probably already heard this) but many people suggest not having any in the same tank since they might bite or if the right size pose a choking hazard to the axolotl. If you are confident that these won't happen your tank sounds pretty amazing especially once you get some hides. I'm actually jealous of how awesome it is.