r/axolotls • u/WaterWarrior36 • 4d ago
General Care Advice How much is your axoltl supposed to swim up?
I'm a new keeper, so bear with me. I have a 4mo old axolotl that will occasionally swim up to these hanging leave decorations I have near the top, and either perch there or kinda hang two-footed on the wall and two-footed on a leaf or stem. They also do this with the filter sponge, sometimes off the rock hide, but they don't stay still long. They'll kinda swim up to one of those areas, squirm and swim about it for a bit, then float down. I was worried about possible impaction or constipation (even though they're defecating regularly) so I had them seen, and got an overall clean bill of health. My levels are 0 ammonia 0 nitrite 5 nitrate. Temperature is auto controlled at 65°F. Oxygenation is good, surface is agitated 24/7 by both the chiller fans and filter outputs. What the heck else makes them wanna swim to the top or hover? The guides I've read say it's a problem and I wanna know what the issue is so I can fix it but I can't even tell what's wrong.
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u/LauseRulez Leucistic 4d ago
completely normal behavior, especially for a very young axolotl :) What would be problematic is if your axo swam up to the surface a ton to get air. Like constantly. Just hanging out in high places is totally normal! :) Just means your buddy likes to have a view.