New axolotl owner

[Florieke]

Hi everyone!

I'm new at this site too. I'm from the Netherlands and I'll get my 2 axolotls tomorrow. The tank is already waiting for them!! The person I'm buying them from is someone who's giving up his hobby, so they aren't babies, but both 1 year old. He send me pictures today and I saw that their 'antennas' were really small. Why is that and do you guys think that if I give those little guys a lot of good care they will grow back??

Thanks a lot!

 

[Greg31]

Re: Hi Y'all, Wannabe Axolotl Owner Here

They arent antennas, they are his gills. I dont really know the perfect answer for your question, but axolotls can regenerate limbs, and i dont see why he wouldnt regenerate his gills.

 

[Florieke]

Re: Hi Y'all, Wannabe Axolotl Owner Here

Ok thanks! I looked up the word gills and it is what I thought it was ;-) I couldn't think of the English word so I called it antennas, lol I can speak perfect medical English, but animal-related English...... ;-)

 

[Florieke]

Re: Hi Y'all, Wannabe Axolotl Owner Here

Picture the original owner made, the gills look small to me!

 

[ianclick]

Re: Hi Y'all, Wannabe Axolotl Owner Here

Hi Florieke,

Your English is fine, it must be hard for members for whom English is not their first language. The gills have 2 external parts Stubs and filaments. Stub length seems to be a genetic determination and the amount and density of filaments can be affected by the amount of available oxygen in the tank.

From the photo I would suggest that your axolotl has short stubs and healthy looking filament so it is not likely that they will grow into the lush long gills seen on some axolotls But it is still a beautiful looking albino axolotl

 

[Florieke]

Ok, thanks! I'm gonna pick them up tonight, I'll post a picture over here of the boys in my tank!

 

[Florieke]

I've got another question. I picked them up today, they're in my tank now and doing fine! The only problem is: I tried to feed them a live earthworm, it accidentily fell into the tank and it went into the sand immediatly. Should I trie to dig him up? He surfaces once in a while, even next to the Axolotls, but they dont give it any attention. Should I trie it tomorrow with a sliced one? Thanx!!

Edit: One of them caught the worm. I gave the other one a worm as well, he got it in his mouth, but then the head of the worm came out of the backside of his gills!!! It looked awfull, but in the end, the whole worm came out, he ate it again but now he took a bite and the worm was in 2 halfs, so he could eat it properly. Is this normal??

Salter sniffing his new environment

Salter and Harris, nozing around in the still a little bit empty tank. I will probably get more plants and some small rocks, but their previous owner had a severe alges infestation, so I was afraid the two little guys would take those with them.

 

[Fumi]

I'm afraid I can't answer your questions as I am also new to the world of axies. I got mine four days ago and it's taken all this time before I finally had her settled. It sounds a little worrying that the worm made it out through the back of his gills. That would concern me. Has he got a wound there? I fed my young female her first worm today and she seemed to love it. Although I did have to put it right in front of her before she took it. I'm wondering if she might be short-sighted? Please let me know if the trouble with the worms hiding in the sand becomes a real problem, as I was planing on getting sand for her next week and I don't want to stop feeding her worms. Saying that, I guess most live food is going to make a run for it. Can't say I blame it!

Your tank is looking lovely by the way. What plant have you used?

 

[Kerry1968]

Hi, it sometimes happens that axolotls 'lose' their food out through their gills. They actually have a permenant opening there, so don't worry. I would try to get your axolotls to take the worms directly from your hand, or feeding forceps, then you won't get the problem of disappearing worms!

Axies eat worms in lots of funny ways, so don't worry about them chomping it in half. Many times they will repeatedly 'spit' out and 'suck' in worms before the final swallow. They don't have good table manners, but it makes them all the more interesting to watch!

 

[Fumi]

Axies eat worms in lots of funny ways, so don't worry about them chomping it in half. Many times they will repeatedly 'spit' out and 'suck' in worms before the final swallow. They don't have good table manners, but it makes them all the more interesting to watch!

Er... yuck! Hehe! Perhaps we are mistaken and they are actually really little pigs. They're the right colour for it.

 

[pinkangel729]

he looks a bit skinny or maybe it is just the pic?

 

[Florieke]

Yeah, they might be a little bit skinny. The previous owner fed them 1 worm each every night, I don't know if that has got anything to do with them being a little bit skinny. They were originally in a 120 cm tank with 5 of them.