Axie floating/blowing bubbles?

[Ninja4H]

Hi, my buddy Jax has recently started showing an odd behaviour, usually at night, where he'll float or rest on a plant close to the top of the tank, with his head just under the water,
then he'll periodically gulp air and start blowing bubbles. This will go on for awhile.

Is this an early sign of sickness, or just weird Axolotl shenanigans? The tanks PH levels are good, tempreture a-okay, and he's eating regularly. I'm just a tad worried about the little bugger.

 

[Caesar]

Hi, my buddy Jax has recently started showing an odd behaviour, usually at night, where he'll float or rest on a plant close to the top of the tank, with his head just under the water,
then he'll periodically gulp air and start blowing bubbles. This will go on for awhile.

Is this an early sign of sickness, or just weird Axolotl shenanigans? The tanks PH levels are good, tempreture a-okay, and he's eating regularly. I'm just a tad worried about the little bugger.

Is he a juvenile? Axolotls tend to stay at the top/gulp air like that.
Also, read this:
"The terminology for axies going to the surface to gulp air is called buccal pumping. The lining inside the axie's mouth is a mucous membrane tissue that is specialised to also allow gaseous exchange as well as excretion of metabolic wastes. Occasional surfacing to gulp air is normal.

In addition, surfacing can also allow them to expel gases trapped in the alimentary tract, much like burping or eructation. In both instances, the axie should then sink back down to the bottom of the tank. You would suspect a problem if the axie appears to be floating all the time or stuggling to get out of the water.

You can increase the oxygenation of the tank by aerating the tank. Filters and air stones are examples. In addition, cold water is able to hold more oxygen per unit volume compared to waters at higher temperature. Thus you basically have higher oxygen levels in waters at 18 degree celsius compared to 20 degree celsius."
from this link: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...ral-discussion/61283-axolotl-gulping-air.html

It seems helpful!

 

[Ninja4H]

Thanks for the quick response!

No, he's not a juvenile. I've had the little bugger for 6-7 years now, and I've got a filter going, and the waters cold (winter season here in Aus). For some reason he just loves being by the top of the tank at the moment.
Yesterday I found him standing upright on his log, once again head just hitting the top of the water, and that's where he stayed for an hour or so.

Hopefully it's just a phase he's going through.

 

[Hellvetica]

With the conditions your axie is in, as well as how long you've had him, I second the idea that your axie is probably fine. Sometimes my salamanders have done this in the past, though usually it was just a phase.

I will say when it did eventually become a concern for me (though in all honesty it was probably just me getting anxious), i found that re-arranging the tank gave them more to explore so they weren't... bored? or at the very least they were occupied with their new surroundings. Maybe add a new hide, change up the positions of things, add a floating plant or two, etc. etc. Usually solved the "problem" overnight.

Makes me wonder what goes through their head sometimes, haha.

 

[Ninja4H]

Thanks for that. I may rearrange some of his furniture, mix things up a bit. Then I'll see how that goes!