u/Bottle_of_Soda_

My axolotl has been recently his gills like this for spurs of amounts of time (at max for like 30 continuous minutes). Is this normal?

All of the parameters have been the same for the past week.

Ammonia: 0.00 ppm
Nitrite: 0.00 ppm
Nitrate: 5.0 ppm
pH Level: 8.0
Temperature: 68 degrees Fahrenheit

The pH level is an unfortunate reality, as I have no way to fill up a 55 gallon tank with distilled water. Every time I attempt to lower the pH, it always ends up balancing out to 8.0. (And no, I don’t use “pH Down”)

He’s about 9 months, regularly active, and generally seems okay. He’s not swimming up to the top for air repeatedly and stays relatively close to the bottom.