Axolotl doesn't swim

[JulieVelling]

Hello

I have had my axolotl for about half a year now, and he is 2 years old.
Ever since I got him he has never been able to swim. It seems like he is to heavy.
Lately he got a new aquarium (180 L) with full water height instead of the old one (54 L) with only 30 cm water height. He has been in the new aquarium for 1 and a half week now.

I have never seen him swim but it looks like he's trying to. He sinks to the bottom everytime he tries though.

He lives in Danish tap water, which the old owner told us was fine.


Is it normal that some axolotls can't swim, or is it something he can learn?

 

[Skudo09]

Axolotls are generally lazy by nature but it is good to rule out anything else going on. Are you able to post the parameter readings for temperature, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH? What substrate is the axolotl on? What is he fed and how often?

 

[JulieVelling]

Unfortunatly i'm not really able to test the water right now, but I will try to find a way to do it.

He lives on sand (0,8-1,2 mm), and the water is 22 degrees here in the summertime.
He is fed every second day with earthworms, bloodworms, shrimps and pellets.

 

[JM29]

Maybe he ate some sand so that he's too heavy to swim well ?

 

[JulieVelling]

He swam today!
I guess the old aquarium was to small, and he just had to get used to the new one.
But I will check the parameters anyway.

Thank's for your responses!