Question: New Axolotl coming up for air occasionally

[Kempy78]

Hi all, got my new Axolotl this morning. He seems to be settling in well, bit I have noticed he is coming up for a gulp of air occasionally. Is this normal? Here is a picture of Greedo!

 

[Quentari]

All my axolotl's do that occasionally. I can't see any reason for it and it hasn't hurt them. I think it's like the floating, it's just something that they do.

 

[Kempy78]

He seems to be doing it quite a lot. My tank has been cycling 3 weeks with a filter that has been cycling in a guppy tank for 6 months, and I did a 20% water change last night before I got him with treated water. Just tested water again and all is fine. He is also eating blood worm from the pincers. I have an air bar in their too, so water should be
Aereated enough. Should I be worried?

 

[Kerry M]

Greedo is really cute, welcome to the forum.
What were the parameters when you tested the water? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH. And what is the temperature of the water? And how often is Greedo coming up for air?

 

[Kempy78]

Nitrate 10, nitrite 0, PH 7.2 ammonia 0. He is coming up quite often.

 

[Kerry M]

What are the dimensions of your tank? Just wondering if it is really deep. Sometimes mine come up for air a couple of times a day. I was concerned that I need to oxygenate my water a bit more so I put an air bar on one side and a sponge filter on the other. Initially I only had the air bar and was advised to put it on the other side of the tank from where my filter was placed. That way the oxygen would diffuse across the tank. I hope that makes sense, its midnight and my brain is falling asleep lol...

 

[Kempy78]

Just taken a sample to my LFS where I got him from. They confirmed my water parameters are spot on!

Maybe he is just getting used to his new home!

 

[Kaysie]

Axolotls have rudimentary lungs, and it's completely normal for them to come up for air. Is he doing it every minute or two? 3 times an hour? A couple times a day?

 

[Kempy78]

Every minute it two.

 

[Kerry M]

I love the second picture ☺

 

[Kaysie]

That seems a little excessive. But if all your water parameters are spot on, I would just wait to see if it happens less as your axie settles in.

 

[Kempy78]

He seems to have calmed down alot! It may be that he was on a small tank in the aquatics shop with another for Axolotls and now he has a nice 3ft tank all to himself and he likes exploring it. Thanks for your help guys!!!

 

[wandering]

Temperature? Warm water holds less oxygen than cold. Maybe the tank in the shop was at a lower temperature than yours? In which case he is breathing air while he grows the extra gill fluff needed for water with less oxygen? All ok as long as your tank is at an acceptable temperature....

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Kempy78]

Tank bang on 20c. Colder than the tank in the shop. He seems to have chilled out now!

 

[snuggly time]

What a cutie! When I got mine he came up for air really often, maybe every 30 minutes. He doesn't seem to do it much at all now. :happy:

 

[auntiejude]

Mine did that a lot in the first few weeks, not so much now. Axolotls absorb oxygen through thier gills in water, they have rudimentary lungs and can breathe air, as well as absorb oxygen though their skin and mouth. I think they gulp air when nervous or frightened - he should settle down after a bit.

 

[Tea Addict]

My Toothless comes up for air fairly regulary while Greebo, (who has larger gills), doesn't. Toothless comes up for air less ano and his gills have fluffed out. He's probs settling in and if he was nevous or exploring alot I imagine it would be like running for us and it would be quicker for them to gulp air than get it from their gills.

 

[Kempy78]

Thanks for putting me nerves at rest! Greedo has certainly calmed down alot now! This site is a mine of great information, I have read through alot of it the last few weeks, whilst my tank was cycling, ready for his arrival!

 

[Tea Addict]

Thanks for putting me nerves at rest! Greedo has certainly calmed down alot now! This site is a mine of great information, I have read through alot of it the last few weeks, whilst my tank was cycling, ready for his arrival!

No probs, I got all my information for my axies frm this site- theres always someone with an answer!

 

[Sir Kippy]

He might have just been looking for his tankmates? My Mudpie spent his first days exploring everything after he had been removed from his siblings.