What does a healthy axolotl look like?

Hi there,

I'm kind of a beginner axie owner and I see plenty of threads about things wrong with people's axolotls but I am having trouble finding out what a healthy one looks like!

So pretty much, how do I make sure that my axolotl is healthy? What are the signs of a healthy, happy axolotl? Also are their gills supposed to get really huge because mine don't have gills that big

Cheers
Hayley

An axie can be healthy if it has small gills. As long as the gills aren't SHRINKING, it's fine. Very small gills tend to be a sign that it was kept in sub par conditions, but it's current conditions are adequate, it should be fine.

Here's a basic list of signs of an unhappy axolotl.
-Gills curved forward (constantly. Sometimes during feeding axolotls will curve their gills forward, but will go back to normal soon after.)

-Tail curved in a "U" shape back towards it's head.

-Floating and not being able to stay on the bottom for extended amounts of time (sometimes they will hold a little air in their mouths to float, if they release the air and get back to the bottom, they are fine)

-And unusually large stomach

-Redness on their skin, fungus on their gills, or their slime coat coming off.

-Being overly active.

-Eyes popping from their faces (a sign of morphing)


Here's a good website that goes into more detail... Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander

thanks a lot