Help with new axie please!

So I've spent months researching these little guys and I finally just got two of my own! My older male stein seems perfectly content so far, his gills are back and he's swimming about, but my other boy Halo has been real reclusive so far and I haven't seen him eating much... The lady I got them from said that neither had any problems eating before hand and I'm really concerned About Halo's behavior. He's been hiding away entirely ever since I got him and hes really stressed out still. If anyone has some advice or can just shed some light on this then I'd really appreciate it!

Celestial said:

So I've spent months researching these little guys and I finally just got two of my own! My older male stein seems perfectly content so far, his gills are back and he's swimming about, but my other boy Halo has been real reclusive so far and I haven't seen him eating much... The lady I got them from said that neither had any problems eating before hand and I'm really concerned About Halo's behavior. He's been hiding away entirely ever since I got him and hes really stressed out still. If anyone has some advice or can just shed some light on this then I'd really appreciate it!

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Could you share some pictures of your axies and their set up? That could help determine if theyre in the right setting to be healthy and happy. For how long have you have them? Water temperature? is your tank cycled? what are you feeding your little guys? Here are some links to help you along with proper care

Cycling & Water conditions
http://www.axolotl.org/requirements.htm
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml
http://sillyaxolotls.wix.com/sillyaxolotls#!water-quality/c1b5g

Feeding
http://www.axolotl.org/feeding.htm

Hope this helps!

This is the third time I'm typing this but thank you! I have the water changing down just fine, and Stein is eating but I'll look into to see if I can find something different for Halo! Every time I go to insert a picture my safari crashes and logs me out so...? I don't know but they've got a slate bottom with a sponge filter and another whisper filter that the pet store sold my mom! If I only need the one sponge filter then I'll take the whisper filter out because I do change their water every Friday! I've only changed it once though because I got them little over a week ago!

Slate at the bottom of the tank is fine. I have more than one filter in with my axolotls, so I wouldn't worry about those, just make sure that the outflow from the filters isn't causing too much water movement.
How long have you had your axolotls and what size are they? What are your water parameters - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, temperature? How many hides do you have in the tank and what sort? What size is your tank? What other decor do you have (plants etc.)? What do you feed them and how often?

I have to say that when I got my juveniles the wild type was much more adventurous than the two coppers, and they took a week or two to settle down, come out of the hides, and be out and about as much as the wild type.

As soon as we know about parameters and as much information as possible about the tank and feeding regime etc. we should be able to offer some more help. :happy:

Celestial said:

This is the third time I'm typing this but thank you! I have the water changing down just fine, and Stein is eating but I'll look into to see if I can find something different for Halo! Every time I go to insert a picture my safari crashes and logs me out so...? I don't know but they've got a slate bottom with a sponge filter and another whisper filter that the pet store sold my mom! If I only need the one sponge filter then I'll take the whisper filter out because I do change their water every Friday! I've only changed it once though because I got them little over a week ago!

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You didn't post your water temperature, or say if your tank is cycled. If your going to remove your current filter and just do water changes then I'd guess your tank is not cycled.

Post the test results for Ammonia, Nitrite, NitrAte, and PH.

A cycled tank is a healthy tank, and the safest environment for your Axolotls. If you spent months researching then you should have cycled your tank and have a liquid testing kit -Welcome to API Fishcare: FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT

Caudata Culture Articles - Water Quality
Caudata Culture Articles - Cycling
How to Cycle a Fish Tank
Caudata Culture Axolotl Articles
Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander

The tank is cycled, I made sure of that before I got them and I test the water daily before I go to bed just to make sure the amoinia isn't too high after I fed them. Their tank stays around 70°, which I know is a little high for them, but it's summer here and I do plan on getting a fan to blow over the top of the water. I feed them brine shrimp or blood worms once a day at 10:30 which gives them ten minutes to eat and then I siphon the left overs out of the tank. Halos started eating but he's still really reclusive and stressed out. Halo is around 4 inches and Stein is a little shorter at approximately 3-3 1/2. I have a large cave hide in Halo's side with a lot of plastic plants scattered to create other hides (he's taken to hiding under the more elevated slate pieces though). And Stein has a large log hide that he most enjoys laying on top of.

How old are your Axolotls? Or at least their length from head to tail?

Blood worm and brineshrimp isn't the best food source, earthworms are best but it depends on the Axolotls size if they can feed on these or not. How big is your tank?

What are the test results for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?

Pictures would be good of tank and Axolotls