A Few Questions...

Hi everyone

I got 2 axolotls yesterday (named Blacky and Pinky), and Have got a few questions after watching them. I'll just say them all straight away..

1. I fed my Pink axolotl (Pinky) a worm, which was as small as the other's I have fed him/her, And He/she swallowed it down fine, Then I went to feed the Black axolotl (Blacky) and Pinky started wretching upwards, He/She would contract all the muscles on one side , then the other, so He/She was kind of jerking into a C, then into a reversed C shape. He/She fell down after 2-4 seconds of this, and burped, then acted normal and did her/his usual " " face... Can anyone explain?

2. When Pinky is lying happily in the tank, Blacky will suddenly swim over and lay on Pinky, I know they arn't mating but wth? lol

3.When I feed them pellets, they'll happily accept them, But they'll wait for me to not look and then they spit them out. I only find out about them when its too late, and the pellets have absorbed too much water and started breaking into tiny pieces... Does this mean I can't feed them pellets?

4. I'm not too sure when they are full or not, I don't what to under-feed them, but I also don't want to over feed them, as this could be worse (or at least in my eyes, it is)

5. What does their poo look like?

6. Last night at 3am when I was gaming (Yes, I do game ), I turned on the light to go get food, and noticed that Pinky was floating at the top of the tank. I remember reading about this in another thread 5 months ago when I didn't have axolotls, So I wasn't alarmed, But i'ld like to know whats happening. I also found my Black axolotl floating up the top of the water in the morning.

7. My axolotls "like" to hang out on top of my filter/ fake log / fake plant. Are they doing it just for enjoyment or is it because of my sand?

Here is a picture of Pinky Chilling on his fake plant :3


8. Is it okay to have a current in the tank, as I'm trying to keep the tank clean with a filter that is meant for tanks half the size of mine, But because I have the jet of output water facing the right side of the tnak, the axolotls only stay on the left side... Is there any alternative filters I can use that wont create a Current?

9. My axolotls occasionaly bang their heads into the corners / sides of my tank, Is it just because they are REALLY blind or are they trying to escape? D:

10. Whats the youngest age for me to be able to tell the sex of them? I've noticed that the black one has a much larger "clockea"? Or what ever the name of the lump between the hind legs and tail is, The Black one has a much larger one than the pink one, Compared to the pink one's almost "non existant" lump. My axolotls are still young and quite small (only around 15-20 cm)

11. Does anyone know what "type" of axolotls my axie's are? Heres 2 pics of Pinky and Blacky (names arn't trick questions. Pinky is the pink one, Blacky is the black one )

Pinky :

Blacky (note that he is actually alot more darker, You can bearly make out any of his spots:

I'm trying to make my axolotls enjoy life with the least ammount of stress possible. I have grown so attached to them in the past 2 days hahahaha.

Cheers Guys

Edit: Here is the results of testing my water

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ph Level = 6.6 - 7 (Very slightly acidic)
Nitrate = 0- 3
Ammonia = 0 - 0.25
Nitrite = 0
________________________________________________________________________________________________

I'm not sure if nitrate being 0 and nitrate being 0 - 3 is a good thing, I know I want ammonia to be where its at right now, and the Ph level seems fine (unless the water MUST be neutral)...

It seems I can no longer edit my original post, But I have two more questions...

12. My Black axoltol has a "spike"/ lump on the right side of his tail, near the top, There is no indent on the other side, and I'm wondering if this is just his little defect?

Picture of ... THE LUMP (And no, It isn't the end of its tail.)


And to save you all time, The letters say "FinePix" which is on the strap of the camera i'm using

Sorry... ugh tripple post, I wish I had the ability to edit them but it seems that one a post becomes older than 1 hour I can no longer edit it.

Would I be correct in saying that the pink one is leucistic and the black is a wild type?

Another Question, Is there any way I can add lighting without disturbing the axolotls too much?

Hi there Shannon has given you good advice and has answered your questions. My axie Mo Mo floats in his plants, like Shannon says they are so comical when they do this.

Sorry that the pictures arn't that great, I haven't the slightest idea on how to use my camera settings OR what settings they should be.

Btw what do you mean by "2. Very creative names I consider no aggression, no problem."
Why would they be aggressive?


The pellets are small half - sphere shaped, around 3-4mm big, and fall to the bottom. I just tried feeding one to my Black axolotl and as i dropped it, he missed at hit his nose on my finger :< ow! (for him/her).
The brand that the pellets are Aqua Master Axolotl food... to be specific... http://www.truebluepawz.com.au/image.php?path=prodImages/AquaMaster-Axolotlfood.jpg

Here are the best photos I was able to come up with...THE LUMP.




Edit : ugh i probably should of pointed it out, its the spike on his right side. :<

Hi,

Sorry, I was teasing a bit about the names. Some people choose very elaborate names (Me for one) for their axies, so it's kind of nice to see somebody keeping it simple. Mine vary with Egyptian and Aztec themed names, requiring a little research as new ones are added.

By no aggression, I meant that you have nothing to worry about with them lying on one another. Sometimes, tank mates may take a nip out of another, I believe mostly by accident. So if you are not seeing any problems, you don't need to worry. Axolotls are pretty lazy creatures by nature, so you will see this kind of behavior where they kind of stack up on one another. I have 3 in one tank who all decide to share the same pvc tube despite having other options available. I should have been more clear - I hope this helps.

As for your axolotl pellets, they look like they are "hard", axies prefer soft foods so they may not want these at all. Some manufacturers make products just to make money, they don't have the animal in mind at all. They create an inferior product, put a cute pic on the label, and we buy it. I would suggest trying to find another type, I use Rangen sinking salmon pellets. They are soft and pretty smelly so mine will "hunt" for the ones that they miss during my dropping them in the tank. They have to be removed as soon as the axies stop their hunt because they will foul the water. I don't know that they are available where you are (sorry) but there are many other members here who live in Australia so hopefully one of them can assist. This is what they look like:

http://www.edsflymeat.com/DSCN0297.JPG

Maybe you have seen a similar product.

I cannot tell very much about the bump on the side of his tail. I understand about camera problems but if you are concerned about that bump, you could have it checked out by a vet just to make sure it's nothing to worry about. My best guess is that an old injury may have healed strangely but it's difficult to tell for sure.

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Love to see a pic of your whole setup when you are ready and it's nice to see how much you obviously care about your new pets! I wish you the very best with them.

Hello again, Egyption and Aztec names sound cool, But I have trouble naming things as it is going to be their name for the rest of their life, and usually the first idea that seems good sticks ;p.

Anyways, I was actually recommended by the owner to buy this exact brand, and they even fed another baby axolotl one. I'm not blaming her though, She was a nice lady and probably was just demonstrating that axolotls "like" pellets, and how to feed them.

Heres a picture of the set up, it is VERY basic, I dont want to over crowd it... But i will be getting lights soon.




Also, Today i was cleaning my axolotl tank as a result from pellets being spat out over night, and becoming a giant mess. And found out that my pink Axolotl has a shorter (Left?) gill, and my Black axolotls right claw's toes are shorter OR his toes are webbed. Would this be caused by inbreeding? I might ask the owner of the parents if they were brother + sister?

O god, I think i've been UNDER feeding them. I just found out a week later that they eat alot more! I feel so cruel :/

I'm glad I found out now then later