Question: is it normal for my axolotl to want to get out of the water?

my axolotl quite frequently tries jumping out of his tank, i dont think its because of lack of oygen as he dosnt swim up and gulp in air. I put in a makeshift ramp and he swims up it and sits out of the water for about ten minuites then crawls back into the water. I was just wondering if this is normal, and also why hes doing this.

Hi Kaiserquill,

Axolotls do have the ability to jump quite a distance, thus the need for a secure tank lid/ mesh netting to prevent them from jumping out of the tank onto the floor.

There are several reasons why an axie might struggle out of the water. I will list some of the main causes and what you should do to prevent/resolve the problem.

1 - Water parameters - Should have ideally 0 ammonia, nitrites and <60 nitrates. pH ideally around 7 although a range of 6.5-8 is tolerable. Invest in a good colourimetric solution type test kit and test your water parameters regularly. Perform regular 20% water changes with clean declorinated water. A good filter will help substantially. Remove uneaten food and detritus.

2 - Water temperature - High temperatures above 22 degree celsius, especially for a prolonged period. Cool the tank down to a comfortable stable range of 16-18 degree celsius. http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cooling.shtml

3 - Aggressive tankmates. Axolotls should only be kept with other axolotls of a similar size. Small feeder fish after minimum 30 day quarantine is also ok. Even with axolotls, some axies are more aggressive (such as wildtypes) and can cause other axies to be traumatised and hence struggle to get out. Monitor for aggressive behaviour. Separate axies or use tank divider.

4 - Parasites. Some types of ectoparasites notably flukes and anchorworms can cause severe skin and gill trauma to axies, causing immense discomfort. Axies would become frantic and writhe to relieve its discomfort. Refer to a vet if suspected.

5 - Excessive vibrations and light. Excessive noise, heavy footsteps (ie running kids) and intermittent bright light exposure can all startle axies. Position tank in a dim, cool, quiet area of the house with minimal interference from household appliance or human/pet traffic. Provide minimum of 2 hiding places per axie.

6 - Spontaneous morph (rare). Axolotls morphing into the terrestrial form will undergo apparent physical changes and would want to leave the water. Provide a floating platform such as a turtle island just in case. Morphed axies will require a vivarium setup and can no longer be fully aquatic.

Cheers.

Hi

What you describe is definately not normal axolotl behaviour. The gulping and swimming to the surface are but climbing out of the water is definately not.

Ten minutes out of water is quite remarkable for an axolotl. If you were in the States I would suggest you have a Tiger Salamander but to the best of my knowledge they are not available for sale by legal means in New Zealand. Unless you are an expat kiwi living abroad.

A lid or mess covering will prevent it from exiting the tank or lowering your tank water level.

If you are in NZ and acquired your axololt from local stock then I would suggest that you may have one of the rare spontaneous morphs in which case it will need the ramp as it makes its transition from water to land. Are you able to post some photos?

hi, thanks for your responses. ive added photos. i got him from a pet shop in nz, so am quite sure that he is an axolotl. he is kept in a tank all by himself, has a good filter and gets a 25% water change each week with water tonic and declorinated water. i hand feed him so there is not any left over food. i check his ph levels every week and it stays at a range around 7, i havnt tested amonia or nitrate levels though. he only ever seems to want to get out of the water at night, usually early hours of the morning, so its completely dark and nothing that i can think of that could cause vibrations, except for his filter. his tank temperature at this time is around 14 degrees celcius. I will try and find a hiding place to put in his tank and see if that solves the problem. getting out of the tank dosnt seem to stress him, he seems more stressed if he cant get out, and hes still happily eating.

What a pretty axolotl you have. My first thought from looking at the pictures is the substrate, whilst it looks attractive is not suitable for him. Axolotl have a habit of snuffling through the substrate, and tend to consume it...this can potentially cause a blockage inside and this in turn may prove fatal. Sand or even nothing will be far better.
You also mention water tonic..what is this? Also I would advise you to test your water for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite. If you don't yet have the tests, your aquarium/ pet shop should be able to test a sample for you.

hi, thanks for telling me about the substate. the tonic i use was sold to me by the pet shop, it says its a general water conditioner but dosnt say what it contains. its aquarium science aqua tonic, but cant seem to find a list of contents. I will try and get a ammonia nitrate/nitrite testing kit in the next week.

Hi there,

Great looking axolotl, It is not showing any of the other signs relating to morphing ie; shrinking gills etc so I would suggest that you may have a water quality issue perhaps too much ammonia.

This is a very informative post. Thanks to you all. I am being advised axies are best off in shallow tanks with large stones that allow them to “relax” outside the water. Is it so? Thanks again

Axolotls are fully aquatic unless they have morphed , which is pretty rare. If an axolotl is trying to get out of the water its probably due to poor water quality. Their natural habitat is up to 5ft deep, idk why shallow tanks are recommended for this species when a higher water helps maintain water quality. Ive kept them in 2ft deep tanks with no probs.

My pair aren’t trying at all to get out, but someone who bred & raised them said elevated basking stones that allow them to get out are healthy & beneficial. So I am wondering if I should offer mine that opportunity.

That somebody is a clueless muppet ......

That’s what I’m concluding. But he says he had a pet shop for 40 years in New Zealand. I’m wondering if he confused the axotles with some salamander. He is on a fish forum.