My axolotl won't stop looking at himself

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mooflakes

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So, there's no backgrounds to my walls and all the time he's staring at himself or bumping into the walls. I recently added a light (which hopefully isn't too bright) so that might increase his narcissistic tendencies, but he was doing this before.

Is it a problem? It makes me want to get background(s?) but I have a 40g and it's hard to find one that's 36" long, y'know.

Sidenote, I got a hidden LED marineland light and I'm reaaally hoping that's not too bright. There's a weird night mode that's blue.
 
What I did for a background was I use some shelf liner. The kind I got was plastic or vinyl, very slightly adhesive, and cheap. I used dark green on my tanks. (I don't much like most of the backgrounds anyhow.) It is a lot easier than painting the back of the tank, but has a similar look. I also use it on the bottom of my bare bottom tanks (either directly on the glass or on a piece of cardboard under the tank) to make the bottom dark. I don't know what brand I used - my most recent tank used the last of it and I need to buy more.

What do you mean by looking at himself?
 
Ooh, thank you for that! I'll jump right on it.

In the glass. Unless, of course, I'm incredibly misinformed and the glass isn't reflective.
 
It isn't all that reflective from the inside, if I recall correctly. He is probably just looking out and wondering why he can't get there too.

A background might not change things ... my axolotls sometimes sit with their noses in a corner (the back and sides are covered) and I don't have any idea why. Silly axolotls. :happy:
 
Oh man, alright! Thank you. :happy:

On a note on the sidenote, do you think my light looks too bright or nah?
tumblr_nivc0tQnIm1r8oot5o5_1280.jpg
tumblr_nivc0tQnIm1r8oot5o1_1280.jpg

iPhones have a bit of contrast but I'm thinking it's okay because there are a decent amount of shade.
 
Well, he is out and about, not cowering in his hides, so it is probably fine. Does he act OK with it? If so, all is good.

I think I will buy one of those lights. :)
 
I can't really tell how he acts because he's still freaking out about his new tank. :eek: Hopefully he'll stop being so stressed and get adjusted then I'll be able to properly see how it works.
 
He doesn't look stressed in the pictures. I think the easiest way to tell if light stresses them out is just to watch them as you turn a light on. My axolotl doesn't have a light right now, but his tank is across the room from a window and gets light when I open it. I watch him to make sure the light hitting him won't stress him out but he doesn't even notice it. In his old tank I had a regular light and a blue LED for night time and I used to find him perched right under the light at night.
 
Well I learned that tanks are super reflective like mirror quality when there's a light on the tank and the room is dark. (my betta nearly had a heart attack in this situation lol..) so he might be looking at himself! I have to leave the light in the room on when the betta's light is on now and he doesn't seem to have a problem
 
allied123 said:
Well I learned that tanks are super reflective like mirror quality when there's a light on the tank and the room is dark. (my betta nearly had a heart attack in this situation lol..) so he might be looking at himself! I have to leave the light in the room on when the betta's light is on now and he doesn't seem to have a problem
Click to expand...

You are right! I forgot to consider that many tanks are better lit on the inside than the outside, so the reflection won't be overwhelmed by incoming light.
 
To tack onto above, it resurfaces the original question of mine. Is it bad that it's reflective? :p
 
I sure hope not! :p
 
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