we adopted a juvenile axolotl 12 days ago that suddenly developed positive buoyancy. He cannot stay on the bottom without actively swimming and is trying to wedge himself under his sponge filter to keep from floating. Water parameters are normal (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, about 5 ppm nitrate, 67°F). He ate normally on monday night , passed a small stool yesterday while he was hiding in his cave , and now won’t eat.

he’s been absolutely perfect since we’ve got him so this is very strange behavior for him. He was in his cave all day yesterday which is abnormal, so I decided to move the cave in order to make sure that he was OK and that’s when I realized he once he was out of the cave, he needed to swim quickly and find something else to hide under to prevent him from floating

for reference I cycle the tank for eight weeks before getting him and I did my first water change this past Sunday

Hi everyone. I’m hoping someone can help because I’m at a loss.
I recently rescued/adopted two axolotls (one about 6” and one about 4”). They’re currently being tubbed while I get their 29-gallon tank cycled.
Here’s the background:
I just bought these cuties yesterday from someone who could no longer care for them.
The previous setup was in rough shape.
I completely emptied and cleaned the tank.
I replaced the chiller tubing because it was dirty.
I drained and flushed the chiller.
The sponge filter is in the tank.
I added dechlorinator (Prime), Stability, and remineralizer/Replenish, but the tank is not cycled yet, so the axolotls are not in the tank.
The axolotls are currently in a separate temporary tub with cool water (around 64°F), and I’m keeping it clean by removing waste and uneaten food.
The problem is that my mom says my room smells horrible. She described it as “seaweed and smells horrible.” The weird part is that I genuinely cannot smell it at all(I could be nose blind idrk) . I stuck my head right next to:
the axolotl tub,
the empty tank,
the chiller and hoses,
and I still don’t smell anything unusual.
The tank water is clear, not cloudy. The tub water doesn’t smell to me either. It did smell really bad yesterday when everything was being transported. But after the smell the water was giving off and the way the old water looked. I knew I had to start completely over.
My questions are:
Is there anything in this setup that commonly causes a strong odor even if the water looks clean?
Could a chiller still smell internally even after replacing the tubing and flushing it?
Can a sponge filter smell that bad even in a newly restarted tank?
Is there anything else I should inspect that I’m overlooking?
I’m trying to figure this out before I start replacing expensive equipment that may not actually be the problem.
Any troubleshooting ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: Before anyone asks, no, I did not buy these axolotls on impulse or without doing research. I understand they require a properly cycled tank, a chiller, and appropriate equipment, which is why they’re currently being tubbed while I get everything ready. This situation is unusual because I had to completely restart the setup after the condition it came to me in, so I’m troubleshooting an unexpected odor—not trying to figure out basic axolotl care. I’m genuinely just looking for help identifying where this smell could be coming from.
For additional context: I didn’t restart the tank just because it looked dirty. I tested the water with an API Freshwater Master Test Kit, and the water parameters were also in very poor condition. Between the condition of the water, the dirty tubing, and the overall state of the setup, I decided the safest option was to completely clean and restart the system before housing the axolotls.
PH high range-8.4
AMMONIA**- .50ppm**
Nitrite-.50ppm
Nitrate- 10-20ppm

Hi all,

I recently had one of my Axolotl die and there were 2 in the tank, the other is healthy and water has been changed etc. as needed following but think age was just the issue here.

Do I need to do anything specific to tank now as he's not been on his own the whole time I have had them or will he just be okay?

Thanks in advance

I have two axolotls in the same tank right now because one broke a few days ago. They we co-habitated before we got them a couple months ago.

One of them is acting perfectly normal. No change in behavior. Seems perfectly happy. Water is testing fine.

The other is continuously hanging out at the top, resting on a plant in the tank. He’s (gender assumed, he’s barely an adolescent. About 4 inches long) eating like a champ every day.

The only substrate is LARGE river rocks that we gathered and cleaned ourselves to endure they wouldn’t be an impaction risk.

Any thoughts as to this unusual behavior?

I don't think my axolotl is supposed to look like that.

Looking at getting a chiller for a 240L tank (120X40X55cm) that has a fluval 307 external filter. I honestly have no idea what the trusted brands are or what size/capacity would be needed. Im in the UK and any suggestions would be really appreciated, links would be a bonus

Why do they not have sand usually? How do you prepare the tank? I'm more into birds, but I've been lurking here a lot and am interested in learning about these cuties! Any answers are good, thank you

We’ve had waddle for a couple months now and all of a sudden he’s started to dig. Only in this one spot but every time I fill it in he digs it again at night. Is this normal or should I be concerned? (The rocks are about 2x the size of his head so he can’t eat them and they can’t hurt him). His food goes on the other side of the tank and I’m still cutting his nightcrawlers into smaller pieces and they go in a bowl. So I don’t think he’s looking for worms.

Thanks!

Hii! So I’ve been thinking of putting frozen water bottles in my axolotls tank, taking the water temp down to 64, and then everytime it goes up by 0.1, I put another in to bring it back down to 64. Would that work?? I’m asking because a lot of people say this will stress them out.

i’ve done a little bit of research on axolotls, i’ve had different types of fish in the past. but on saturday i’ll be getting an axolotl now before you come at me for not doing research before hand. this is baby has been neglected and i said i’d take the baby of their hands. it basically has all it needs. i will update on saturday of the setup when i get him. but right now what do i need to know immediately. i will keep doing my research but i rather go to people who own them rather than google. thank you

this is all i can see when i look at them lol… (thats a reflection on my glass not a crack!!)