Newbie unsure if Axolotl is sick

Hello everyone,

Recently we were given an axolotl for a present.
As we know nothing about them we are unsure of their regular behaviour.

Barry seems to be really inactive.
He just sits in one place for hours.
Is he supposed to swim around alot?

Are there any tips or hints we should know?

We have him setup in a tank with no gravel so he doesn't swallow anything.
He has a pirate ship which has bubbles coming out of it.
It's a good sized tank (we think) for him!
The man at the aquarium store said it was fine..
We only turn the light on to look at him, we know he doesn't like it!

Thanks!

I am trying to upload some pics of him!

For starters, you're better off having a tank with more length as opposed to height He/she is bound to grow bigger and already looks to be half the length of the tank.
Secondly, congrats on not having gravel
Thirdly, keep an eye on when he/she is swimming around that ornament as it can injure their delicate skin with sharp edges etc!
Regarding the inactive behaviour - how long have you had the axolotl for? When I first got mine she was so inactive and 'shy' but after a few weeks she began to come out of her comfort zone.
They are also pretty lazy and will be more active at night. I'm sure your little one is fine, if it begins to show signs of illness or distress then you can begin to worry.

Hope this helps :happy:

Thank you so much for your response!
It has set my mind at ease

We were given him about 10 days ago.
He was in a tiny travel tank for 3 days, then we went to the aquarium and they recommended this tank and the ship.
I suppose it's not the most common pet so I can understand why he may not have given the best advice.

He also recommended handling Barry, but I tried to pat him and he freaks out and swims away. Perhaps I should wait until he settles in until attempting that again (Or was that more ill advice?)

Also we were told to feel him one pinch of thera a every 3 days.
Does that seem correct?

Thank you again, I really appreciate your reply

This is the thera a
Fish Food [New Life Spectrum Thera A 150g L]

Yep Axolotls are pretty stationary besides feeding time. Tis normal behaviour.

Tis a good start with low light and no gravel =D. Like jessica mentioned a bigger tank is needed. Also axolotls tend to just roam around the bottom... The ship is taking up alot of the tank. A cave would be better.

I have no idea why he reccomended handling, Im sure they would prefer if a big hand didnt bother them =D... If you hand feed they will eventually gladly swim around your hand.

Since your tank is new and its quite small i reccomend doing 50% water changes every 2-3 days. (If you read the link at the end it will explain why)

Becuase your completely new to this i reccomend doing loads of research.. There is tons of info on axolotls around this site.

After you do some reading and research you should ask questions here about anything you dont understand... Also search previous posts becuase chances are someone has already asked the question.

I reccomend you read this. Its a beginners guide to fishkeeping but its all the same.
Beginners Manual to Fish Keeping

I wouldnt go to your local petshop for advice.... Generally the staff working there wouldnt be as experienced as hobbiest on forums like these. I know some shops that a great but the majority or not... especially large pet stores.

Good look!!

No problem at all It's frustrating when you need answers (especially if you're new) and people don't reply.

Yeah most pet shops are only in it for the money and will guide you in the wrong direction, especially because axolotl's require slightly different care to most other fish. I wouldn't recommend handling them as they have a slime coat which protects them from bacterial infection and uncesessary handling will also just stress it out. Basically you should only handle them (with wet hands) if you need to transfer it from point A to point B. Even then, you're better off using a container to move them :happy:

I'm not sure about the Thera fish food. I have pellets that are specifically for axolotls by Aqua Master and I feed my little girl as many as she'll eat in about 5mins (every second day) and then every other day I feed her one cube of frozen blood worm. They also like earthworms but I'm yet to try them with mine Just remember to fish out any remaining food or else you'll have trouble with your ammonia levels, especially if your tank isn't cycled!

Again, no worries. I'm glad I could help considering I'm relatively new to this as well

Awesome information!
Thanks to both of you for helping me out.

I am planning on researching a lot, but it's also good to know there are forums like these where I can get some fast answers.

I'm not so paranoid that he is sick because he isn't running around!

Thanks again