Of course you want your Axolotl to be as healthy as possible. In general, Axolotls don’t get sick often and are uncomplicated to care for. But how do you recognize a stressed Axolotl, what does a healthy Axolotl look like and what are the most common causes of stress?
What does a healthy axolotl look like?
A healthy axolotl should have “fluffy” gills that are not curved forward, but rather sit relaxed on the side of their head. There should also be no visible skin damage, wild type axolotls often have differently pigmented skin with lighter and darker areas, which is not a sign of stress.
The axolotl’s belly should be round and about the size of its head. Also, your axolotl should not appear overactive or nervous.
Signs of a stressed Axolotl
Prolonged stress makes your axolotl more susceptible to disease and parasites, so it’s important to observe its behavior and watch for possible signs of stress.
The two main signs of a stressed axolotl are forward-curved gills and an upward-curved tail tip. An upward curved tail tip, especially in combination with forward curved gills, is a very clear sign that the axolotl is not doing well.
In this case you should immediately start looking for possible causes and fix them. It is also very likely that your Axolotl is not stressed but sick when showing such symptoms, so you should pay close attention to see if it shows any other symptoms.
Here is an article about the most common diseases in axolotls, how to recognize them and what you can do if your axolotl gets sick.
1. Forward curved gills
Gills that are strongly curved forward often indicate stress. It is rare to find axolotls that have naturally curled gills, in this case you should observe your axolotl closely and check if there are no stress factors. One common reason for forward bent gills is a water current that is too strong. Axolotls originate from a lake with very little water flow, so you should also make sure that the current in the aquarium is as low as possible.
2. An upward bent tail
Another typical sign of stress or disease is that the tail of the Axolotl is curved upwards. In most cases, not the entire tail is bent, but only the tip.
3. White/ discolored spots on the skin
White spots on the axolotl’s skin are often a sign of heat stress or other water parameters that are out of balance. If your axolotl’s skin is no longer smooth, but looks “cotton-like” in the discolored areas, it may also be a fungal infection. A salt bath could help the axolotl regain healthy skin. A guide for an Axolotl salt bath can be found here.
4. Hyperactivity
Axolotls are rather relaxed animals, so hyperactive or nervous behavior can be a sign of stress. Usually there is a problem with the water parameters and the aquarium water contains too much nitrite, nitrate or ammonia. However, in young axolotls a higher activity level is normal and not a sign of stress.
5. Lethargy
Unlike hyperactivity, lethargy is also a cause for concern. If your axolotl barely moves and shows no interest in food, this may indicate serious problems and you should check for possible causes of stress.
6. Axolotl doesn’t eat anymore
When an Axolotl shows no interest in food it is a pretty clear sign that it is not doing well. This behavior can have a number of causes, such as too high water temperatures, overfeeding, constipation or poor water quality. The first thing to do is to check the water parameters, if everything is right and it might be a constipation or digestive problems. If the Axolotl doesn’t recover on its own after some time, a stay in the refrigerator can help. Here is a guide for “fridging”.
7. Floating or gasping for air
Some Axolotls just like to float around in the tank, but if this behavior suddenly appears and your Axolotl tries to swim towards the bottom but can’t, it may be a sign that it has swallowed too much air or has digestive problems. Again, time in the fridge at lower temperatures may help if there are no other reasons for the axolotl’s behavior.
Another sign that is rather difficult to interpret is when the axolotl keeps swimming up to the surface and gasps for air. Since axolotls also have lungs this is not unusual behavior. But if it happens very often and your Axolotl also flaps its gills more hectically, it may be that there is not enough oxygen in the water. Here you should make sure that the filter produces small air bubbles or add an aquarium bubbler*.
An aquarium bubbler or air stone increases the actual oxygen content in the tank only slightly, but the air bubbles ensure that there is no excess CO2 in the water. This can otherwise hinder the oxygen uptake into the gills of the Axolotl.
Most common stressors for Axolotl
There are many different reasons why an axolotl can gets stressed, the following are the most common causes:
High water temperature
A major cause of stress in axolotls are water temperatures that are too high, the ideal water temperature is between 60 to 65°F (16 and 18 C°). And temperatures that are consistently above 71 °F (22 C°) are harmful to the axolotl. As a first emergency solution, you can place a bottle of frozen water in the aquarium to lower the temperature or place the Axolotl in a smaller container in a cooler location. If the temperatures are permanently above 71 °F (22 C°) you should consider a cooling system, e.g. an Aquarium cooling fan* or Aquarium chillers*.
Here is a complete article about the best methods of cooling your Axolotl-tank.
Poor water quality
Another cause for stress is poor water quality. A test can quickly reveal this. A water test kit* give you an overview about the most important parameters like nitrite, nitrate and ammonia.
When your tank has bad water, your first step should be a water change with 30 to 40% of the tank.
Strong water current
Too strong water currents can quickly be a cause of stress for axolotls, as there are no strong currents in their natural environment.
Therefore you should set the flow at the filter to the lowest level, if the filter has such a function. Another possibility to reduce the current are so called “spray bars”, this way the current is better distributed in the aquarium. You can also consider changing the filter if the flow cannot be adjusted.
Aggressive or very active tank mates
If you keep your Axolotl with other animals, this can also put the Axolotl under stress. Other Axolotls as tank mates are normally no problems, but even fish that could work well with an axolotl, like white Cloud Mountain minnows and Zebra Danios can cause stress or injuries.
The safest tank mate for Axolotl are always other Axolotl. Click here for an article about animals that should never be kept together with an axolotl.
Too much light
Another peculiarity of the axolotl’s natural environment are the low light conditions. Even though Lake Xochimilco, where the axolotls originate from, is not very deep, the water surface is often so overgrown that only very little sunlight reaches the bottom. Thereby the Axolotl have adapted to rather dim light conditions and too much sunlight or even additional lighting can quickly cause stress.
That is why you should make sure that your Axolotl tank is not in direct sunlight and has enough shady hiding places.
Conclusion
Stress in Axolotls can have many different causes, but fortunately most of them can be fixed quickly. If you pay attention to the possible signs of stress and provide your Axolotl with an environment that is as natural as possible, you will have a happy and healthy Axolotl.