How much gill curling is too much?

Hey everyone,

I have only had my axolotl for about 6 months now, and I feel like I have a pretty good handle on how to care for him. However, I am in constant fear that the small amount of curling that his gills SOMETIMES exhibit is too much. The tank has a minimal amount of flow (plant deflection, low output setting on filter), and plenty of shelter is provided. When I wake up in the morning he has absolutely no gill curling, but it seems as the day progresses his gills curl somewhat, and that distresses me (because I feel as though he may be distressed!!) I have been looking at other axolotl pictures online and it seems like he has a little more curling than what is typical in some online pictures, but not by much. I would love some expert advice from all of you guys! I have attached 3 pictures that I took today!

Thanks for all your help,
Springee

Honestly it looks like your axie is perfectly healthy.

Your axolotl looks perfectly healthy and I don't see anything unusual about it's gills. Some axolotls gills curl forward naturally. When an axolotls gills curl forward in a really tight curl that is when you should worry. I've also noticed that the gills will curl forward naturally when the animal is smelling out some food that is one the bottom of the tank.'


Regards Neil