Axies are just crackers!

[mik]

Ok this isn'ta problem just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this type of behaviour at the moment.

My four-foot tank is kept in my garage and holds 6 adults. The filter is under-gravel and there are two lifting pipes one at each rear corner.

The temperature has dropped over the last couple of weeks to 15 deg C and is holding there. The five in one test i check water quality with gives me no cause for concern.

Every time I have been to check on my charges, this week, they are playing a game of who can bully the way into the small gap behind the right hand side lifting pipe. There are typically two winners who stay in the vertical position for the duration until the action starts again and they are usurped. Then the remaining 4 sit on top of each other at the base of the tube.

When they are contesting it looks like eels mating. It's that fast with bodies twisting all over each other. No mating behaviour/no s'phores/no eggs just madness. Oh yeah, food intake has finally dropped and appetites are satisfied with feeding every other day.

My 3 young'uns inside the house (temp 18-20C typically) are behaving normally. Well normal for axies anyway.

It's quite entertaining but i end up thinking what's so special about the RHS lifting pipe, why not the left one?

 

[jenny]

What is a lifting pipe?

 

[katy]

this sounds similar to what my two have been doing, but its been nosing their way into the tiny corner behind the round filter. aztec usually wins, but only because juju has 'better things to do'

i did get a little worried when she was hanging out there a lot, but cant find any problems with water etc either. *shrug*

 

[mik]

Jenny, lifting pipe is merely the tube that connects to the plastic plate beneath the gravel. An airstone is placed at the bottom and the bubbles rise through the tube. The action causes water to be accellerated up the tube thus causing the circulation the powers the under gravel filter. take a look at the tank set-ups thread of a few weeks ago you'll see a couple of examples.

 

[kaysie]

Its a game, Mikki. I was worried when mine were constantly swimming into the airstone, but they do it intentionally, and repeatedly. The drop in temp could be the explaination for drop in food consumption. Think of it as "king of the mountain", axie style!

 

[mik]

Seems they've been playing this game for a week and half now without let up. Marathon king of the mountain session.

Not worried about it only curious to others experiences.

Got them to break off this morning for a worm breakfast...lol

 

[kaysie]

Some times my axies would rather play on the bubble coaster than do anything else. They're weird.

But mine always take turns curling around the filter intake.

 

[kim]

Mik,

When i had my under gravel filter my axies did the same!

But at the moment the game is to bit me everytime my hand is in the tank! My new baby had hold of my finger so hard i could nearly pick her out of the water!

They still play the bubble coaster tho!

I know they dont like fast running water... but mine seem to sit under the out put for my filter! lol

 

[katy]

i think they may actually enjoy the vibrations. a friend of mine had an axy that loved it when the tank was put on a speaker, i'd assume because of the sound waves.

 

[kaysie]

Like an axie massage

 

[benjamin]

My axie likes to sit under the intake of the filter I think its because it sucks of dead skin.

 

[mik]

Well just to be different they separated into two groups today. 3 on one tube, 3 on the the other.

I'm not sure what the reason behind it is. It's new behaviour for my group but the vibration thing sounds plausible. Don't know why they've started doing this but as long as they are happy & healthy I don't care.

 

[kaysie]

Its because they're weird, just like all other axies in the world.

 

[clarence]

My big one, Pete, likes to sit under the cascade of the filter output, just below water level, while my 2 subadults like wrestle for who gets to sit in front of cornerfilter intake.

It's like watching 12-year-olds argue over who gets the front seat!

 

[kaysie]

Mine most recently have started to fight over who gets to sit under the new shelf. One will be sitting there, and another will come up from behind and bite its tail and then take its place. its funny.

 

[kim]

Well at the mo mine are trying to see who can catch the new toy first. lol its a plec leave it alone i tell them!

 

[kim]

Talk about crackers... Its feeding day today.. bloodworms i thought.

SO i got them out the frezzer put the axies in their tubs and offered the bloodworms.. they at first didnt seem interested.. so i left the block to float about above Crumbles head. i was sat there watching and next thing i know the block of bloodworms comes flying out! She had head butted it right out of the tub she was in... bloodyhell!

Any one else seen anything like this?... LMAO!

 

[clarence]

yup. I've watched them get so ambitious in pursuit of their food that they've over-shot it, pushed it into filter intakes, or popped it several inches out of the water.

 

[mik]

Yeah, I take care not to drop worms when they are all bunched up. They can get confused. Tweak overshot last week and ended up with Psylocke's leg in his mouth. She was not amused and promptly whipped her tail and shot away to sulk...until her worm dropped right in front of her nose.

No harm done.

 

[charlie]

Snork likes to sit on top of the filter and curl her tail over the outlet - I keep telling her that Lotl's don't like flowing water, but she's not convinced - her other favourite place to be is on the coral pillow....this might take a bit of explaining.....the water in Birmingham's very soft, so i put crushed coral in to harden it up a bit - but then got worried about her swallowing bits. so i sewed a net bag to put it in and Snork likes to rest her head on it like a giant bumpy pillow!

Muff makes friends with things! usually inanimate objects that have been left near the tank. he'll hang about for weeks just looking at an old trainer or tube of Pringles