Acting funny and very red gills. Breathing out of water?

[Allyt30]

My axolotl who is maybe a year or two old and is normally a light pink color just started acting really funny. His gills are a dark red. I read somewhere that means he's getting ready to poop but I'm not sure. I saw him sitting on the ground and almost like he was taking deep breaths underwater. Then he went up to the surface to take a little breath of water. I'm going to change their tank water right now to try to keep the amonia down but I'm not sure what's wrong with him. And I just looked up and saw him take another breath! This is in two minutes of the other breath.

Please please please help! I don't know what to do!

 

[Olivia97]

Some photos would help, what the parameters?

 

[Allyt30]

I think he's doing better now. The water change helped.

 

[nicolelawton]

sometimes their gills become more red according to the blood flow. so when they are active, you will see red/bright pink gills, when they are dormant and lazy, they are light pink/white