Jumpy axolotl

I have an extremely jumpy lotl. If I drop a pellet in front of him, he will frantically dart around the tub and try to swim up the sides and out, if I start to put the tongs into the water he freaks out. If there's a delicious wriggly worm in front of him he freaks out.

He's getting big so I placed him into the big tank last night and it's even worse, a tiny swoosh of one of the others' tail when they gently walk or swim sends him into a frantic spaz out even if they aren't even slightly close to him.

Has anyone else had a juvie like this? He hasn't had an injury since I got him 10 weeks ago. When I first got him he had uneven gills so he could've been chomped but he wasn't jumpy as a baby. It's been like the last few weeks. Help! I don't want to stress him out every time I feed him. Should I separate him again or should i just leave him?

HI Hayley,
Its funny you say that, I got a little Axy 3 weeks ago, he was also very jumpy, i used to put my hand in there slowly, just so he could see i wasnt a threat - and he is finally starting to warm up to me. He isn't as jumpy anymore because he can see that i wont harm him, maybe its a similar type of thing?

I would just leave him, do you hand feed him? by hand feeding you build trust. Put your hand in there for a couple of minutes, and then edge the food closer to him

I know i am really new to this, and there might be someone who can give more accurate advice, but i have also had very jumpy fish - and they too have calmed down when they are used to my hands being in the tank

I feed him by tongs.. usually his mouth is too small to take a pellet or worm from hand, my bigger ones do hand feed.

He used to recognize the tongs as food but now he swims away like a madman, so I try to gently drop them by hand and he freaks, drop them from the surface and he freaks. It's so much harder to feed him now because of the big tank and the piggy lotls in there already and will suck up whatever's left.

He also doesn't smell for food anymore. When he was small and on bloodworms he did for maybe 3 weeks and after that I would have to pick it up and drizzle it over him for him to snap. He could be really hungry however if they're on the floor he doesn't notice them or nuzzle at the ground to find them and they will sit for ages before I have to take them out.

He's never been accidentally hit by the tongs or got his mouth stuck around the tongs, no nipping, no injuries. The water quality is great ammonia nitrites are 0, nitrates 10, temp 19.

So something has obviously spooked him, the best course of action if you don't know the cause is to apply basic animal psychology.

If he's really not happy with tank mates right now I would separate him - you can always try to reintroduce him at a later date. It's not fair to stress him - or the other axies - by having him crash around the tank every time he gets scared.

Axies eyesight is quite poor, and he's obviously startled by something approaching him. To build his confidence and trust I think hand feeding with large pieces of worm he can take from your fingers without getting too close is a good approach. Axies can take worms as long as they are, and I find just letting it wriggle in front of the axie a good bet. You might also have more luck with live bloodworms, he may well react to moement more than smell. And obviously you need a little pateince.

I would also consider the water chemistry as an issue - not the quality in terms of nitrogen compounds, but the salts and minerals. If they are wildly different from water he was raised in he could be reacting to the change.

The other thing that occurred to me was the filter. Did he go from an unfiltered tub to a filtered tank, and did the behaviour start then? Some of my juvies had trouble adjusting to a filtered tank, I had to put several current-reducing baffles in at first until they got used to the moving water.

Just some thoughts, I'm not an animal psychologist.....

Those are some good points.

He's okay sometimes with the other two they occassionally lounge all over each other trying to share the one spot, other times he flips so I'll have to separate him when I get home.

The flicker of an earthworm, even baby earthworms, freak him out if it's too close. If it's blanched he won't eat them. I guess I'll just have to be patient. Also I can't find love bloodworms in stores and online stores that ship to Australia (I used to want some when they were like 2-4").

The council hasn't changed anything not any changes in water to affect it for months and I've had him for 10 weeks, only started playing up maybe 3-4 weeks ago. What tests should I get and what figures should I be concerned about?

He had a filter in his tub and there's one in the tank being on the lowest setting and plants are right under it anyway to disperse the flow.