Question: Why would my axolotl be hanging out right on filter outlet...

Hi all! I am a new axolotl owner ( a few weeks) and my little buddy Pepito has been pretty great so far. He's become more active and responsive since I got him, and since his tank was getting clouded pretty readily I bought a small water filter and set it on low. After a couple days with the filter he now started sitting right on top of the filter outlet, letting the water flow through his gills. I am planning on getting a water test kit tomorrow to check the ammonia level, but does this seem like something that might mean a need for fresher water? I am a bit mystified since I read they don't like flowing water and thought maybe someone else had seen this before. Thanks!

Specifics:
10 gal tank, half-filled and with two live plants. Temp around 68. Axie eats mostly worms but some shrimp pellets. Pump is Hagen Elite Mini underwater filter ( http://ca-en.hagen.com/Aquatic/Filtration/Internal/A130 ). Every couple days I suck out waste with a turkey baster and replace about a quart of water with new water.

One of my axolotls did this as well, he would sit in the bubbles of the filter, right on top of it. I'm still not exactly sure why he did that either, but I do know that at the time, the ammonia levels were very high, so that could have been the cause.
Have you noticed any shrinkage of the gills? My axolotl's gills shrank after a few weeks of just sitting on the filter.
It's a bit puzzling, though, and I hope someone else posts who knows a bit more about why.

Thanks! somebody else in the Sick Axie forum had the same thing, but there wasn't much response yet. I haven't had the filter on for long, so I'm going to see if this changes in a few days, and I'll report any water quality issues. He's gulping air, too, so I might try a bubbler int the corner if this doesn't resolve otherwise. His gills haven't shrunk since he started doing this, but they are a bit small on one side. I think it was like that when I got him, or happened from the stress of moving or shortly thereafter. I put some new plants and sand in, and his gills look fluffier already. we shall see!

I would agree, check your ammonia/nitrite levels. With fish, one of the most obvious symptoms of nitrogen poisoning is gulping air and going to the surface, because the ammonia directly damages their gills.

Filter or not, your bioload will take a while to build up...and your ammonia levels will rise. Look up cycling (there will be more info for aquariums, but it's similar for aquatic amphibians).

If you are having water quality problems, you could try filling the tank more. More water volume helps with stabilizing the water once the tank is cycled.

If your water quality is good, it comes down to lazy axolotls. Sadly, many of us are burdened with these lethargic creatures. See, they're so lazy [how lazy are they?], they'll lay right in front of the filter output so they don't have to flick their gills to get fresh water.

Ha ha! thanks for the ideas. I got a test kit and my ammonia was pretty high, so I changed about 30% of the water, added some more to a higher level, and added a couple more plants. Now my axolotl only spends a small part of the day on his filter. maybe that's his lazy time.

Anyone have a good starting out website/thread about cycling? thanks!

You can use the search function, which is located just above where you log in. There are literally thousands of threads about cycling. Take your pick!