Do lotls "need" air??

[Brainiac and Lex]

Hi everyone, I recently noticed a strange habit that Lex has really done a lot before but recently its more deliberate and seemingly pointless...
he`s healthy and all and his water has the right cycled levels but over the last few months he`s been intentionally and spontaneously swimming to the surface and taking a bite of air...???

Before I just assumed he's just a nut who swam up too high lol and was either surprised/ testing his limits and maybe the odd time trying to escape when his levels weren`t right which wasn't for long. A couple times recently though, he was just chilling on the floor, then fairly quickly and yet very leisurely swam up and bit the surface, face dead set on it and apparently for no reason XD he does a lot of funny things but idk if he actually needs air or something?

Just very curious now cuz when I think of it he often bites his bubbler tho I usually try to keep it out of his way/ I try to distract him if he starts. Is Lex just a weirdo or what is happening??

 

[fishkid]

totally normal, all axolotls gulp air. I'm not entirely sure why they do it but it's completely normal

 

[Brainiac and Lex]

totally normal, all axolotls gulp air. I'm not entirely sure why they do it but it's completely normal

Ah so it`s not just Lex, good to know! Lotls truly are a strange species guess its why we like em so much

 

[John]

Salamanders develop lungs around the time they develop rear legs, while still fully gilled. So they're quite capable of supplementing their oxygen intake by taking a gulp at the surface. Axolotls retain their rudimentary lungs all of their lives, despite remaining gilled.

Salamander larvae will sometimes gulp air prior to developing lungs. This may be an attempt to exchange gas through the mouth or throat - even lungless salamanders can do that, or they may actually be swallowing the air.

 

[JM29]

Ok with all that has been said.
I'll add : the amount of air in their lungs can help them to equilibrate themselves in the water
(less air, they sink, more air, they float)

 

[AMurry24537]

What kind of filter do you have? I do agree with above comments that it's a pretty normal axolotl trait, but I have one who really only ever did that when I was having problems with my filter, so the water wasn't as oxygenated as he would have liked, so he was going up to the surface to supplement his oxygen. Once I got it fixed, he immediately stopped doing it. Just something to look into

 

[Brainiac and Lex]

hmmm thanks a lot for the comments guys, useful and cool stuff to know! I know Lex sometimes floated after gulping too much air, though he hasn`t been floating for at least a couple months now, maybe hes just heavier I dont know. (he rarely "wiggles" mid water range anymore, not sure why...he used to do it every night maybe he just changed his schedule haha)

AMurray, I have a larger cylindrical sponge filter, coarse with those 'divets', you probably know what I mean. Made for 30 gallons+, which is my tank size. I replaced it recentish but maybe I could change or fully clean it soon, thanks for the suggestion!