Question: Worried new axolotl mum...

Hi everyone, I got my first axolotl, Bean, just over a week ago now (she's around two years old), and I might be worrying too much, but I'm a little worried about some things:

Although I've only had her for a week and I know it can be normal for them not to eat while getting used to a tank, but she hasn't been eating the sinking pellets I've been trying to feed her. I just even dug up some earthworms and she completely ignored it, even when I waved it in her face.

She's quite active, which I know can be normal, or a sign of stress. My water temperature is always around 16-19ºC and my pH is around 7.2. She'll settle down in the morning and (probably) during the day, but in the afternoon and night, she's pretty crazy (I've had to take the thermometer out the water at night because she'll swim into it and will knock against the glass, making quite an annoying sound). She'll swim around a lot, often getting very interested in the top corners of her tank, swimming into them and waving her tail a lot (I'm not sure if she'll just playful or stressed).

(TL;DR: My axolotl hasn't been eating sinking pellets or earthworms for the last week since I got her, and she's quite active, which I'm not sure is just being playful or stressed out.)

It could be nothing, but I thought I may as well ask here. :happy:

My axolotl acts the same in the afternoon. It's probably their circadian rhythm, being more active once it gets darker (in the wild). I know exactly the sound you mean, I hear it as I sleep haha. I would say it's playful unless you notice her gills turning forward or tail curling.
As for feeding you are right that they can stop eating while they are getting used to a new tank. I would recommend ordering some nightcrawlers. The earthworms I encounter are the ones that emit a nasty smell/taste which my axolotl hates. If you google around there are a few companies that can ship them to you. Also most chain pet stores carry frozen axolotl food, which I use to supplement when I run out of worms or Bucky is still hungry.

As an axolotl loving worrywart (incidentally tripling the number of axies in the house does not cut down the worry. You heard it here first. But axolotls make me happy, so I still call it a win) I find it helpful to really get to know them....kind of be a student of their behaviour, i know my three all have their own quirks. Gives me a better idea of what's something I need to worry about and what's normal for them. Them specifically, I mean. How likely they are to gulp air, what freaks them out and how they are likely to act when it happens, unusual physical attributes, that sort of thing. it helps me know if there's a legitimate cause for concern or if it's just them being them.

As a followup to my previous comments, there's nothing wrong with being cautious. Today while I was at work my texted to tell me that Vita was floating, which is not unheard of but she's usually more of an up and down type, so not unreasonable to wonder about. When I got home she was hanging out on the bottom with her gills back and her tail straight and SOMEBODY had pooped, and she was even excited to see the guy who feeds her come in, but I still tested my parameters, found the nitrates were not bad as such but up there and so I've got some water getting dechlorinated for a partial change. Nothing wrong with being cautious.



(Incidentally my other results were no ammonia, nitrate and PH tests came back with results of " Clean your test tubes better", the second tests were fine, and Virginia says I never feed her and she's calling the humane society.)

Have you checked your parameters to make sure they are ok?

Thank you everyone,

tundrabadger, I know what you mean about it being good to be cautious I think it's just because I've never had an axie before that I wasn't used to different quirks.
and NindaNz, my parameters are all good.

Sorry, I just had to ask as you only mentioned the pH.