Illness/Sickness: Unusual Energy

[laulen]

Hey guys, I may be just freaking out but...

My axolotl, Rosa, is about 9 inches long and kind of on the chubby side, so she hardly swims around. In the middle of the night tonight, though, she woke me up by swimming up for air. Ever since then, she's been swimming, landing on top of her plants, sitting there for a second, then swimming (or walking fast) around some more. Not only is this very unusual for her, she keeps running into the glass, which worries me. It's not frantic swimming, and she's not thrashing or trying to shake something off, but it's like she can't keep still.

Is this just normal, playful behavior or could she have a parasite?

 

[rachel1]

Mine get frisky when they're in the mood to breed. Is it possible she's just full of eggs and looking for a boyfriend? If she doesn't find a mate she will reabsorb the eggs. Other than that, I'm stumped.

 

[Elise]

I would check all of the parameters in the tank to rule out a husbandry issue. Often times constant swimming can be a sign of stress.

If the unusual swimming is continual for several hours to days or the swimming starts to include corkscrew spins, it could be an indication of something more insidious, like an infection. However this seems to be a fairly uncommon occurrence.

 

[laulen]

I ordered a testing kit, and hopefully it will be here by tomorrow (I go to school in the middle of nowhere so I don't have a pet store near by). Her water is a comfortable 62F, and the ammonia level is fine, though. I'm going to do a water change just to make sure.

She calmed down around six in the morning, three hours after she woke me up, and was pretty sedentary for the rest of the day until about 10pm, when she started swimming around a bit again. It wasn't nearly as much as last night, though.

Breeding would make sense, I guess. I've had her for about nine months now, and got her from a baby, so I don't know what her breeding habits are yet. She's been sexually mature for a couple of months now, though (by this I mean she's had the dark tips at her feet). Would her pushing around her sand into piles be another sign of that? Because she's been doing that for about two weeks, but I just assumed she was either hungry or being a weirdo.

That would be sort of funny that she's "looking for a boyfriend" right after we got my boyfriend a boy axie.

 

[tammyaxie]

I would check all of the parameters in the tank to rule out a husbandry issue. Often times constant swimming can be a sign of stress.

If the unusual swimming is continual for several hours to days or the swimming starts to include corkscrew spins, it could be an indication of something more insidious, like an infection. However this seems to be a fairly uncommon occurrence.

My axolotl swims across the side of the tank and does a divers flip at each end of the tank to turn around please post a thread link or mor info about a corkscrew spin. I'm now concerned that this is what may be occurring. He is always swimming back and forth but not frantically so I did not worry too much at first. Parameters are normal (0) temp is 20°C and there are 2 in a 20 gallon L.

 

[axiebeans]

I think 20 Gallons is to small for 2 full grown axies. I wouldn't use anything smaller than a 30 but id probably only use a 30 for a breeder. I have 2 axies in a 90 gallon (90 gallons is excessive) but I wanted mine to have lots of room to move and explore and swim around. I have a 3rd that's just waiting to finish growing to go with them in the 90 gallon I believe the Juvie is a he. Other 2 are girls for sure so im hoping I can one day mate my Golden albino with my Luecistic and Wild type!

 

[tammyaxie]

1 axie per 10 gallon is the appropriate ratio! In any case, my axies are 4" and 3.5"

 

[tammyaxie]

I think 20 Gallons is to small for 2 full grown axies. I wouldn't use anything smaller than a 30 but id probably only use a 30 for a breeder. I have 2 axies in a 90 gallon (90 gallons is excessive) but I wanted mine to have lots of room to move and explore and swim around. I have a 3rd that's just waiting to finish growing to go with them in the 90 gallon I believe the Juvie is a he. Other 2 are girls for sure so im hoping I can one day mate my Golden albino with my Luecistic and Wild type!

We can't all afford a 90 gallon tank but most of us know the appropriate amount of surface area needed to provide a humble yet sufficient home for our pets.

 

[axiebeans]

I understand that. Like I said the 90 gallon is overboard its just what I wanted. Also I only could afford it because I bought the tank used. My comment was not meant to be rude. I was simply saying I personally wouldn't do it, but one of my axies are a fat fat fat cake.

 

[tammyaxie]

Post some pics. We love pics and I love chunky axies

 

[BabySinclair]

Tammy, What defines a chunky axy? I can tell which of my cats is fat, Both!! Lol But all my Lotls look chunky! I just assume they are simply "big boned" like me lol
If they aren't sick and have a healthy appetite and the head is just as wide as the bellly. Is that good, or is time for all of us to go on a diet? I'm serious, I don't want one of my babies to end up with heart/liver/kidney disease because I couldn't say No to those cute, adorable begging faces! :wacko:

 

[BabySinclair]

Btw, my little chubbies (that sounds bad) anyways, everyone becomes active at around 1-2am and it goes on for about 2 maybe 4 hours and they Are noisy! When they wake me, I'll stay up and watch them for awhile. It's nothing frantic or anything and My water Parameters are 0/0/10, so the water is fine.
My question is:
Can they Not just become bored and restless? Kinda like how my cat gets a bug up his butt and walks through the house meowing at 2 in the morning for absolutely no reason? roud:

 

[tammyaxie]

They are fat I'd the tummy if wider than the head and if the legs can't function because they just stick out lol. Yours sound just about right. Don't fret.

 

[tammyaxie]

Btw, my little chubbies (that sounds bad) anyways, everyone becomes active at around 1-2am and it goes on for about 2 maybe 4 hours and they Are noisy! When they wake me, I'll stay up and watch them for awhile. It's nothing frantic or anything and My water Parameters are 0/0/10, so the water is fine.
My question is:
Can they Not just become bored and restless? Kinda like how my cat gets a bug up his butt and walks through the house meowing at 2 in the morning for absolutely no reason? roud:

They are normally active at night as that is their natural wake time. I have never heard an axie make sounds before what does that sound like??? I'm intrigued!

 

[BabySinclair]

It's that sucking sound when they go up for air. There are 5 of these little darlings in the temp 40 gal. It seems like every 10 minutes, someone is coming up for air. It's startling when you're just starting to drift off. Then again, they are only 2 feet from my bed. Every morning I have to put the upside down water lettuce, right side up. And every other day I have to re-plant live and plastic plants. They're destructive! But SO fascinating! it's a good thing they are contained inside the tank... I could just imagine the destruction if they were aloud to roam free lol


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When asked: Why?
Because I couldn't stop at just one dammit!!!