Axolotls make for unique and intriguing pets, but their stoic nature can make it hard to decipher how they’re feeling. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is my axolotl happy?” you’re not alone.
If you’re short on time, here’s the key to a happy axolotl: provide a large, filtered tank; keep water clean and cold; feed a variety of foods; add hides and plants. If your axolotl is active, growing, and has vivid colors, it’s likely content.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through all the signs of a happy, healthy axolotl so you can be sure your unusual aquatic pet is thriving.
Check Their Tank Conditions
Ensuring your axolotl’s tank conditions are optimal is crucial for their health and happiness. By regularly checking and maintaining proper tank size, water quality, temperature, and enrichment, you enable your axolotl to thrive.
Tank Size
Axolotls require a minimum tank size of 20 gallons for one axolotl, plus an additional 10 gallons per additional axolotl. This gives them adequate room to move around comfortably. Most experts recommend a tank size of at least 29-30 gallons for one or two adults.
Axolotls grow to around 9-12 inches, so they need sufficient space.
Water Quality
Good water quality is imperative as axolotls are sensitive to changes or impurities. Test water weekly with liquid test kits. Ideal parameters are:
- 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites
- Less than 20 ppm nitrates
- Neutral pH around 7.4-7.6
Perform partial water changes of 25% weekly, or more often if parameters exceed recommendations. Use a good water conditioner like Seachem Prime to remove chlorine and chloramines.
Temperature Regulation
Axolotls require cool water temperatures between 60-68°F (15-20°C). Temperatures above 74°F can be dangerous or fatal. Use a reliable chiller and calibrate thermometers regularly for accuracy.
Hiding Spots and Enrichment
Incorporate hides, plants, tubes, and other enrichments to reduce stress and mimic natural environments. Ensure decor is smooth and axolotl-safe. Give each axolotl adequate personal space and line of sight breaks. Change layouts periodically for mental stimulation.
By routinely checking and optimizing tank size, water parameters, temperature, hides, plants, and other elements, you enable your axolotl to stay healthy and thrive.
Monitor Their Behavior
Activity Levels
Axolotls are generally quite active creatures, especially when young. Here are some tips for monitoring normal activity levels in your axolotl:
- Healthy axolotls will explore their tank regularly by swimming around and poking their heads into decorations and plants. They are naturally curious!
- Young axolotls tend to be very energetic, darting quickly around the tank. This activity level may decrease a bit as they mature.
- Your axolotl should be most active when anticipating feeding time. You’ll see increased movement and excitement.
- A healthy axolotl moves effortlessly through the water using rhythmic tail movements and all four legs to propel itself.
- Your axolotl may become inactive and rest for periods of time. This is normal as long as it doesn’t last for more than a day.
Signs of abnormal activity levels include lethargy, loss of curiosity, and difficulty swimming. If you notice these, it could indicate a health problem requiring attention.
Feeding Response
Pay close attention to your axolotl’s eagerness and ability to eat. Here’s what to look for:
- Healthy axolotls will readily come to the front of the tank when you approach with food. They get excited to eat!
- Your axolotl should quickly gulp or snap food offered to them. Slow, uninterested eating can be a red flag.
- Ideally, your axolotl’s abdomen should be slightly rounded after eating, not sunken in or distended.
- Healthy axolotls poop regularly, 1-2 times per day. Constipation or stringy white feces are problematic.
- Loss of appetite for more than a few days may indicate illness or stress.
Monitor changes in feeding behavior closely. Consult an exotic vet if appetite declines for more than 48 hours.
Interaction with Tankmates
If housing axolotls together or with tankmates like fish, keep an eye on interactions:
- Nipping or fighting between axolotls is a sign of stress or aggression. Separate fighting axolotls.
- One axolotl consistently harassing another, even without injury, warrants removing the bully.
- Axolotls may harm or consume small fish. Monitor for missing tankmates.
- Chemical cues from stressed or injured tankmates can stress your axolotl too.
- Axolotls may bite or snap if surprised by active, nippy fish. Slow fish like goldfish are better tankmates.
Axolotls do best alone or with non-aggressive tankmates. Continual fighting or harassment indicates incompatible tankmates.
Assess Their Physical Health
Weight and Growth
An axolotl’s weight and growth rate can indicate whether they are healthy or not. A healthy axie should gain about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in length per month when young, slowing as they reach adulthood. Their weight should also increase steadily.
Weigh your pet monthly with a kitchen or small digital scale, tracking their progress. Sudden weight loss, failure to grow longer over time, or being underweight could signal illness.
According to axolotl expert sites like Caudata, average weights for healthy axolotls are:
- 3-4 inches: around 5-10 grams
- 5 inches: 15-30 grams
- 6 inches: 40-60 grams
- Adults 7+ inches: 65-250 grams
Skin and Gill Condition
Check your axolotl’s skin and gills regularly for any signs of damage or disease. Their skin should appear smooth and clean, while their feathery external gills should be red and blood-filled. Discoloration, inflammation, sloughing of skin, white filmy patches on the gills, or “curling” of the tip of the gills can all be problematic.
According to amphibian vets like Exotic Direct, common skin/gill issues are:
- Fungal infections – look like white tufts/patches
- Bacterial infections – redness, inflammation, pus
- Poor water quality – shedding skin, gill curling
Color Vibrancy
While color changes are normal for axolotls, especially younger ones, their vibrancy can give clues about their health. Dim, faded colors or unusual darkening is not a good sign – it may indicate stress or illness. Compare their current tone to past photos and look for any dramatic shifts.
Ensure lighting, nutrition, and water parameters haven’t changed and consider a vet visit if colors seem “off.”
For example, experts explain on websites like Axolotl Central that darkening can signal:
- Elevated stress hormones suppressing pigment cells
- Liver or kidney dysfunction impacting pigment metabolism
- Problems with pituitary gland signaling color change
Watch for Signs of Stress
Keeping a close eye on your axolotl’s behavior is crucial for spotting early signs of stress or illness. Some key things to watch out for include:
Lethargy and Hiding
Axolotls that spend more time resting or hiding than usual may be showing early signs of distress. Healthy axolotls are normally quite active when awake, exploring their habitat and looking for food. Increased lethargy or hiding could signal poor water quality, inappropriate habitat conditions, injury, or the onset of disease.
According to the Axolotl Central Care Guide, sudden lethargy is one of the first and most obvious symptoms of stress or sickness in most cases. If you notice your axolotl resting on the bottom of the tank more than normal, investigate possible causes right away.
Loss of Appetite
A healthy axolotl has a strong appetite and gets excited at feeding times. Loss of appetite or disinterest in food over an extended period can indicate physiological or environmental problems.
Caudata.org notes that appetite loss may result from poor water quality, incorrect water temperature, tank bullying, parasites, or other health issues. Monitor water parameters closely and isolate the axolotl if needed while troubleshooting the cause.
Color Fading
Stressed or sick axolotls sometimes exhibit fading or paling of their skin pigment. Normally vibrant golds, olives, albinos, leucistics and wild-types will appear washed out or dull.
According to Axolotl Central Care Guide, such color loss is often one of the later symptoms of prolonged or severe stress. Quickly improving tank conditions and examining the lotl for injury or disease is recommended when fading is observed.
By routinely observing activity patterns, feeding response, and coloration, keepers can detect problems early and take steps to relieve stress and restore optimal health.
When to Seek Help From a Vet
As caring axolotl owners, it’s important to know when your pet may need medical attention from a qualified exotic veterinarian. Signs that your axolotl is unwell and needs a vet visit include:
Lethargy and Loss of Appetite
Axolotls are normally active and have a healthy appetite. If your axolotl is sluggish, laying on the bottom of the tank, and not eating for multiple days, it likely needs medical care. Loss of appetite and lethargy can signal illness or improper water conditions.
Skin Lesions and Infections
Axolotls are prone to fungal and bacterial skin infections. Look for white patches, redness, swelling, scratches or abscesses. These skin abnormalities need treatment as they can spread and make your axolotl very sick.
Buoyancy Issues
Healthy axolotls should sink to the bottom and not struggle to submerge. If your axolotl is floating or unable to stay under water, it may have swim bladder disease. Swim bladder issues require vet diagnosis and treatment.
Gastrointestinal Impaction
Axolotls sometimes swallow gravel or other tank decor. If they pass feces infrequently, seem constipated, or have a swollen belly, they may have an impaction that prevents waste passage. Only a vet can relieve obstructions.
Difficulty Breathing
Watch for your axolotl tilting its head back to gulp air at the surface. This suggests oxygen deprivation from low water quality or respiratory infection. Labored breathing merits an urgent vet visit.
Injuries
Axolotls can suffer injuries like bite wounds if housed with other axolotls. Lacerations, lost limbs, or trauma need professional medical care to prevent fatal infections.
If your axolotl displays any of these symptoms, promptly contact an exotic veterinarian or aquatic vet. Catching issues early maximizes treatment success. With attentive care and vet assistance when required, your axolotl can live a long, happy life!
Conclusion
By keeping a close eye on your axolotl’s habitat, behavior, physical health, and stress signals, you can get a good sense of their overall happiness and wellbeing. With the proper tank conditions and care regimen, your axolotl can thrive for over 10 years.
If you notice anything amiss, don’t hesitate to reach out to an exotic vet for advice or treatment. When cared for properly, axolotls make fascinating and rewarding pets.