Just a few questions.

Hello, I am new to owning an axolotl. I have had him for just over two weeks and have been attempting to do as much research as I possibly can and luckily I have come across this forum. I have been reading past threads and most of my questions have been answered but I still had a couple left (if they are repeats still, then I apologize). I am a biology teacher at a high school and we had just finished our unit on animal development, featuring a section on axolotls and neotenic development. I was at the mall shopping when I saw one of the kiosks selling axolotls! I had a 10 gallon tank still in the box at home and have thought they were adorable for a while. I asked the man selling them what went into taking care of them and he didn't give me much except use dechlorinated water (duh). My axolotl, named Toothless, is in a 10 gallon tank with no substrate, I have 6 freshwater tanks up and running and test the water in them all regularly with my API master kit, he has a low-flow filter that disperses the filtered water over the surface rather than straight down into the water. My questions are:

1. I have two aquatic turtles and use a water conditioner (in addition to the conditioner for dechlorination) that supposedly helps to break down waste and keep their skin healthy and parasite-free. It is "All Living Things" brand Water Cleaner for all aquatic and semi-aquatic reptiles and amphibians. I didn't know if I should/could use it in my axolotl tank?

2. In my research I have been a little confused about salt baths. I understand the process but some have said to use table salt and others have said to use aquarium salt. Which one is best?

3. The other day I noticed that he was fairly close to the filter intake, with his left side middle gill (stalk? fringe?) up against the holes for water intake. I know their gills are somewhat fragile so I unplugged the filter and gently moved him away from the intake, then replugged it. A few minutes later I noticed he was shaking/thrashing his head to the left side. I know this can be a sign of irritation. There is no sign of fungus that I can see and he stopped yesterday. He seems back to normal now but should I give him a salt bath or fridge him just in case? I would not like to put him under any unnecessary stress.

Thank you for reading! I know it was long. Any input is very helpful.

Hi looks like you've done your research. The water conditioner states semi-aquatic amphibians so it may not be suitable as axolotls are fully aquatic. You may have to check the ingredients on the bottle and see if they are axolotl friendly.

Salt baths should be done with caution. If your axolotl is sick and having signs of an infection then they can be done. However, if it's healthy then it's not worth putting it through the stress of a salt bath. If he seems OK now it's best to leave him where he is. Many axolotls sit by the filter as it's an easy and lazy way to get more oxygen flow through their gills. I've put an air line into my tank so he is drawn to that instead of the filter.

Ok thank you! I may look into getting an air line as well so that he won't scare me again with the filter. I appreciate your help.