Axolotl extremely active after entering new tank

[ThiccDucc]

Hi,

i have recently finished cycling a 25 gallon tank and introduced an adult of maybe 2-3 years old axolotl in, and he has been extremely active and swimming/walking in one spot - against the glass

his parameters are good:
ammonia = 0
nitrite = 0
nitrate = 5

is this normal? i heard that if an axolotl is too active it isnt good because they are naturally lazy, but his gills are fluffy and not curled at all so i dont really know whats happening, does this count as scratching? is he stressed? should i tub him?

 

[ThiccDucc]

okay nevermind he just erratically sprinted into the corner and then started swimming madly and hitting his head everywhere


i have put him in a tub again but i dont understand, i tested his ammonia again and its at 0 so what could be the problem?




please help!!

 

[wolfen]

your axolotl has damaged limbs so has very little grip so the flailing around is trying to move, add some caves/hides etc.. right now it is like a skating rink so he will become panicked.
axolotls don't understand glass and are also easily spooked, so when moving around and then hitting something they can't see they then panic and start shooting around looking for somewhere to hide.

 

[ThiccDucc]

this is what his tank used to look like, now without sand as i have changed it to a barebottom

 

[ThiccDucc]

is there any other reasons he might be so erratic? it would be good if its just the decorations coz thats easy to fix

 

[ThiccDucc]

he has also started swimming erratically every once in a while, but he immediately calms down after that

 

[wolfen]

having somewhere to hide and rest during the day is a must for axolotls, also make sure the water outlet pressure isn't to high on the pump (might require a spray bar)

 

[ThiccDucc]

urgent please help!!!

just caught him doing this. not sure why at all




no signs of ammonia and he was doing great before this
actually just had a massive poop in the morning

he was quite active today and i thought it was just because he had a poop


what should i do???


does it count as forward gills??

 

[wolfen]

what are your water parameters ie.. temperature, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and if possible kh and gh.
the gills aren't forward facing although in the video her tail is flushed although this can be due to increase activity.
the water inlet (not sure if it is a chiller or filter) should be at the opposite end to the outlet, also find a means to reduce the force from the outlet ie.. spraybar, slightly raised near surface etc..

 

[ThiccDucc]

Ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - around 0 maybe a little bit higher, the tank has been cycled for around 6 weeks though so i dont think that's the problem

the inlet and outlets are connected to a chiller and the flow is turned to very little

he has two filters, an air pump and a sponge filter

he has stopped moving though and his gills and tail has returned to a normal colour

maybe he is normally like this and i just didnt see it? it just feels so erratic

he has sat in a 25L tub for a few weeks prior to this due to emergency cycling since the tank has crashed before, maybe that could be a reason?

 

[ThiccDucc]

temperature is around 17 degrees permanently

 

[wolfen]

how was the tank cycled?
if the nitrates are zero then there is an issue somewhere.
even with the outlet being on the same side as the inlet there can a lack of water circulation.

 

[ThiccDucc]

it was cycled with dr tims ammonia chloride

there was about 40ppm of nitrate before and i did a 40% water change prior to put the axolotl back in

it is a bit weird how there is none left but there is definitely beneficial bacteria that is getting rid of the ammonia in the water

 

[wolfen]

because of the reduced nitrates make sure that the filtration and oxygenation is spread throughout the tank to prevent any dead zones (stagnant water with low oxygen)
if possible test kh gh, also test tap water ph, if the tap water ph is higher than the tanks ph then the kh is low.
it may be that your axolotl isn't comfortable enough, ie.. water too clear, not enough dark places, water not hard enough etc..
using almond/catappa leaves, black tea, humic/tannic/fulvic acid, will give the water a brown/yellow tint as well as any benefits from using the individual items.
using blacked out jars (safest way is by wrapping with either black carpet tape or black good quality insulating tape) to give a dark place to hide.
holtfreters, limestone, crushed coral, can be used to increase the mineral content of the water to make it more suitable/comfortable.

 

[ThiccDucc]

due to two different air pumps and the chiller i think there's definitely enough flow, there are spots where the axolotl will sit and his gills will get pushed around, but the current is not strong enough to budge him at all so i thought that was good enough

the ph between the tap water and tank water is identical, sitting at around 7.6

can water too clear be an issue? he originally had a sand bottom so his cave was a lot darker, but now since light can enter through the bottom it might not be dark enough for him anymore, can too bright be the reason hes so erratic?

ill look into getting him a darker cave

 

[wolfen]

it can be that during the day he can't find anywhere dark enough to rest.

 

[ThiccDucc]

the room is usually only bright for about 3-4 hours a day, other than that its completely dark and the curtains are permanently drawn,

is there any hide/cave you recommend? im currently using a reptile cave but light is still getting in

 

[ThiccDucc]

im also considering frogbits and duckweed for some light coverage but im scared theyll just straight up die to the cold temp

 

[wolfen]

I have lights that are on 12 hours and off 12 hours to regulate rest patterns.
I use mainly blacked out jars as hiding places, normally 500g coffee jars rinsed and covered with insulating or carpet tape (carpet tape gives a white interior due to the colour of the adhesive)
frogbit and duckweed are pond plants and are quite happy growing in cold water although frogbit doesn't tolerate salt where as low levels only slows duckweed growth rate down.

 

[ThiccDucc]

okay okay i understand

thank you so much for your help i really appreciate it!