Axle behaviour

Hi, I'm curious to know what is considered normal behaviour for these little guys. Most of the time when I like to sit and watch them they barely move, but the other night staying up late I kept hearing a noise like two stones knocking together coming from the tank. I disregarded it until I remembered that I'd changed from rocks to sand 2 days previously and they had nothing in the tank that could make that noise! Creeping over there in the dark so as not to disturb them I discovered my male juvie swimming back and forth along the front of the tank and repeatedly knocking into the glass thermometer (which I had forgotten about) which knocked against the glass of the tank making that noise - mystery solved! But he does this every morning now, just swims/crawls laps up and down the front of the tank. Is this normal? He seems cheerful enough and they're both eating fine. What do other people's axles do? I'm guessing it's just down to their character, when they last ate, the temp etc. (?)

Hahaha, sounds about right!

I don't know if axolotls have 'moods' or if it is just my perception, but they can behave completely differently one day to the next. Each of my three has his/her own distinct personality.

There have been times were something was visibly 'wrong' with them, for example, Chester darting about the tank in fear when the light is too bright is completely different to his/her darting about the tank for the fun of it. Do you think your axie is just playing, or does he seem upset?

But they are random, surprising little critters, I love them dearly for all their weirdness!

very true! I know he's not actually freaked out - he goes crazy and churns up all the sand if I take him by surprise. It was quite funny watching him pacing about determinedly as if he had an important meeting to get to

He's late, he's late, for a very important date.

Mine is very active too, which is generally the opposite of what most information says. He likes swimming and will just swim straight up and float down repeatedly lol. I don't care what anyone says, he has moods. He'll get cranky with me, especially if I move anything in the tank. I was cleaning and moved all his rocks around. After I was done, I heard something clanging together, and it was him moving the rocks back because I didn't have them exactly right.

forester said:

Mine is very active too, which is generally the opposite of what most information says. He likes swimming and will just swim straight up and float down repeatedly lol. I don't care what anyone says, he has moods. He'll get cranky with me, especially if I move anything in the tank. I was cleaning and moved all his rocks around. After I was done, I heard something clanging together, and it was him moving the rocks back because I didn't have them exactly right.

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lol that sounds about right! I like the way mine will swim up for a gulp of air then lazily hang there for a while

My axolotl is very active at night, and just chills under the plants during the day.

My axolotol "kicks" the airstone that I have hanging in the tank against the glass, so I hear a little "tap tap" every now and then at night.

he also has a habit of swimming to the surface poking his head all the way out, taking a gulp of air, then swimming back to the bottom, and every so often he "burps" the air out again.