Weird axolotl behavior

We have had our axie for about a month and the past 3-4 days he has acted weird. He likes to swim at the top of the tank. Not like he has bloat because whenever we take out our phone to take a picture of him he swims down to the bottom and will most likely stay there for a while or after we feed him plus the temperature of the tank is 20-21 on most days but has got as low as 18 and high as 23. Its hard to keep the temperature really low. We have tried everything except fans because we cant get fans anywhere here. On top of that we have caught him playing in the filter. He aint stuck because he swims out of it just fine. the filter is a fluval c3 with the trickle chamber and we have a plant under it so it doesn't create to much current and sometime he just gets on the plant and let the water flow over him or he will swim under it and in places that water is being disrupted. On top of this he is very active. But shows no signs of stress at all. No loss of appetite, no curved tail, all the correct color. So I don't know what he is doing unless I just have a very active axie.

I'm no expert but it sounds like normal behavior to me.

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From what I read, they aint suppose to like current and it causes them stress. The on top of swimming ain't my concern so much. Its his love for the filter that makes me curious. But its just me being a cincerned axie lover!

I'm the same way. Anything odd I freak out. Hope someone else can help! But does he gulp at the air? He might hang out in current because the water isn't oxygenated enough elsewhere

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No he dont. He just does it at random. Just a boredom thing I guess.

from my research axolotls don't have swim bladder so they can't really control their floating the best. my will rest on the intake of my filter sometimes too, I think it's probably just because it lets them stay in one place. I freaked out the first couple of times thinking he was dead but he would swim right off of it when I touched him. my other one is not so adventuress. so I think it just has to do with they personality and them not being scared, I wouldn't worry about it if I was you because mine does the same thing and has for a long time haha


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This sounds like my Galaxy - s/he is around 7 inches and has always been very active, but not in a 'zooming around the tank' kind of way, more a 'likes to swim around' sort of way. Gally also loves to hang out by the filter inlet and bubbler, and sometimes snaps at bubbles (probably thinking it's food). S/he also loves to cling to the top of the filter.

If your axxie isn't constantly going up for air, then I don't think it's odd at all. Gally has always done this, and s/he has also always floated on the surface, but I know they aren't bloated or floating because s/he can change direction and swim anywhere, even straight down, without issues. If it was floating air bubbles would prevent either axxie from getting to the bottom.

I think some axolotls enjoy the feeling of the water moving and will occasionally seek it out as a bit of a change to still water. Hope he's still okay

Nope! Super normal! Your Axie is getting a little buzz off the extra oxygen being pushed around in the water current. Halboy does the same thing. I had a complete panic attack when he first got big enough to swim up the to filter intake and stick his gills IN the little holes. I even bought one of those filter intake covers. He was still all about it, so we got a little bubble bar to put in the rear of his tank and get a little extra aeration going. Little weirdo sticks his face in the bubble stream at least once a day. *shrug*

If he's freaking you out by hanging by the filter, try a bubble bar. Full set up is less than $20 and most are adjustable so you can provide a slow bubble stream.

Mine love lounging in the current.