Caring for an axolotlisn’t very hard but if it’s your first time, learning the basics of axolotlcare is vital to providing good living conditions for your pet. That’s wherethis care guide comes in!
In this axolotl caresheet, you’ll learn exactly how to care for axolotls, what they eat, the typeof enclosure they need, as well as other vital parts of axolotl care.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the care sheet!
Table of Contents
Are axolotls good pets?
These strange-looking fish/reptiles/aliens are certainly interesting to look at, but do axolotls make good pets?
You can’t go wrong with these cute little amphibians. Axolotls make great pets, especially if you’re looking for something that’s less demanding than a dog, or even a reptile.
Learn more about the differences between reptiles and amphibians here!
They’re great to look at and display some extremely interesting behaviors once they get used to their enclosure.
Learning how to carefor an axolotl is simple too. There’s alot of information online that helps you to learn exactly what axolotl care is allabout.
Can you hold an axolotl?
When it comes tohandling, these pets fall short. Unfortunately, axolotls have very sensitiveskin which gets damaged easily. It’s best not to touch your axolotl at all, andespecially not take them out of the water.
They make for greatdisplay animals though and are an extremely interesting species to look at andobserve.
Isan axolotl an amphibian?
Yes, axolotls are amphibians.
Axolotl lifespan
How long axolotls livefor varies a lot depending on their care. An Axolotl’s lifespan can stretch fora good 10 – 15 years if they don’t run into any health issues.
In the wild, anaxolotl’s lifespan could be shortened by predators, environmental conditions oreven a lack of food. However, axolotls are extinct in the wild, so this isn’tsomething we need to cover. There are also sources that say axolotls aren’tquite extinct, but even if this is the case their numbers are dwindling.
Luckily, they thrivein captivity, and an axolotl’s lifespan in captivity is probably a lot longerthan they were in the wild.
They’re also prevalentin research labs and other scientific facilities due to some extraordinaryfeatures these little munchkins possess. Axolotls have the ability toregenerate almost every body part. This makes them very interesting animals tostudy since properties like this could be very useful when treating a vastarray of different diseases and illnesses.
We hope that thesestudies are all done ethically and without harming the animals!
How big do axolotlsget?
Adult axolotls get tobe about 7 to 12 inches in length. There have been records of axolotls growingupwards of 14 inches though, so you may be surprised at how big yours gets!
Their size is down toa mixture of their genetics as well as their care. If there are any incidentswhile they’re still growing, an axolotl’s size could end up being smaller thanmost.
Their size also means that an axolotls enclosure doesn’t take up too much space which makes them more accessible as pets.
Axolotl food
When it comes to whatto feed axolotls, it’s another walk in the park. Unlike most animals featuredon this site, an Axolotl’s food doesn’t need to be dusted with any sort ofvitamin or mineral supplement.
This is fortunate since dusting food to then drop into the water for feeding wouldn’t work out very well. You’d be spending your time scraping the supplement off the surface of the water and your axolotl wouldn’t get to see the benefits of it.
They are easy to raiseon just 1 or 2 different food types which makes axolotl care even easier foryou!
Axolotls don’t havevery useful teeth when it comes to chewing food, so they swallow their mealswhole. Keep this in mind, as whatever you feed them should fit in their mouthwhole too!
Feeding them fooditems which are too large can harm your pet axolotl so think things throughbefore feeding them!
They’re carnivorous,which means they survive off a diet of other animals. There are options thatdon’t involve feeding live animals though.
What do axolotls eat?
Earthworms are a staple and one of the best foods to feed axolotls. There are other species of worms you can feed your axolotl, but it won’t make much difference to them. Varying things every so often may provide them with some enrichment though and is recommended.
Some of your options are nightcrawlers, blood worms or black worms. It’s important that you get these worms from a trusted source and are confident that they’re free from diseases and parasites.
Most aquarium stores willhave at least one of these options in stock.
Another option is to go with pellets, like salmon pellets. These aren’t great for juveniles but as your axolotl gets older, they work great. They’re also easy to store, however, it may be difficult to get your axolotl to start eating these. Movement is an important stimulus to get a proper feeding response from your axolotl. This is why pellets don’t always work and take some work for them to get used to.
How to feed axolotl
Axolotls eat from the bottom of the tank. They won’t come to the top as fish do, so this is something to keep in mind. This can be an issue when it comes to pellets since oftentimes these will float. Luckily, they’ll sink over time, but this isn’t ideal for feeding.
If the pellets you bought float, place them in a little cup of water until they sink. It will then be much easier to feed them to your axolotl. If you drop them near your pet they will see the movement and this may encourage them to go for the pellet.
Movement is whattriggers their feeding response. If a pellet sinks to the bottom without itbeing near to your axolotl’s head, the chances are that the pellet will justsit at the bottom of your tank until you clean it!
Using some tweezers is another great way to feed axolotls. This prevents mess from going everywhere and also allows you to provide some movement to get a good feeding response.
Just holding the foodin front of them and wiggling it around slightly should do the trick nicely!
Just be careful thatthe tweezers aren’t too hard or sharp, and that you try to prevent them frombiting the tweezer too often. It wouldn’t do your mouth much good if youlatched onto your fork every time you took a bite and it’s not great foraxolotls either!
how often to feed axolotl
You should feed your axolotl about three times per week. Every two to three days works well because they need time to digest their food. If your axolotl doesn’t eat, wait 12-24 hours and try again. As with most animals, they may reject food when they’re not hungry.
This being said, it’s best to watch out for overfeeding too. It’s common for captive salamanders to suffer the effects of overfeeding.
Housing
Axolotl housing is another simple part of axolotl care. These amphibians don’t need many crazy things in their aquarium, nor do they need very many special water/heating conditions. That being said, there are a few things to look out for…
Tank size for Axolotls
A small 10-15 gallontank is fine for housing an axolotl in. However, providing your axolotl with alarger aquarium, about 20 to 30 gallons, will make it easier to provide themwith proper care.
This is because the waste they produce can build up, and a small tank will make this process go a lot quicker. It’s also much more exciting watching your axolotls enjoy a larger tank and they will usually display much more versatile behavior in a larger tank with more stimulation.
Getting them a larger tank will help to improve the water conditions and give them more space to enjoy.
We recommend this tank from amazon
Can axolotls live on land?
No, axolotls cannotlive on land. They only live in the water, sometimes coming up to breathe butthey will never leave the water. There’s also no need to provide them with aland area, even though they do have legs!
Where do axolotls live?
Before they grewextinct, axolotls used to inhabit a lake in Mexico. This one lake was, at thetime, the only place where these animals could be found in the wild. Luckily,they thrive in captivity. Even though they don’t exist in the wild anymore,there’s still a thriving population of pet axolotls who can enjoy life and keepthe species alive.
Can you hold an axolotl out of water?
No, this is not advised. Axolotls have very sensitive skin which shouldn’t be touched, nor should it be removed from the water. Their skin is extremely delicate and is permeable too. This means that not only can you damage their skin, you can also very easy infect them with various bacteria or chemicals.
Substrate
Axolotl substrate is a topic which is far less debated than most otherreptiles and amphibians. There are a few things to remember when choosingaxolotl substrate.
The first is, never pick a substrate that is the same size, or smallerthan their head. Anything like stones, pebbles or gravel that can fit in theirmouth, may end up there. If these particles are small then this isn’t always sobad, but if they are large then it could get stuck in their mouth and cause alot of harm to your pet.
Even though very small particles like aquarium sand may be able to causeimpaction, this doesn’t happen often. Axolotls don’t have the tendency to eatvery small particles, and a small amount doesn’t do much harm. This is why it’sbest to go with some kind of aquarium sand, or even better would be to go thisa bedding that’s stuck onto the bottom of the tank. There are also a lot ofpeople who advise against any form of substrate, but visually this isn’t soappealing.
All in all, a special aquarium sand substrate works fine. If you noticeany problems or you see your axolotl eating away at the sand, just remove it!
Temperature
Temperature-wise, axolotls like it cold. They need the water to be in the range of 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit (roughly 15 to 21 degrees Celsius), between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Water which rises above this temperature is not healthy for your axolotl and can lead to stress and eventually death.
In most houses, thetemperature will be higher than this during some summer weeks and it’s therefora good idea to get an aquarium chiller. If you’re in an area where it rarelypasses these temperatures, finding a cooler spot in the house during the summershould work fine.
A thermometer that can measure the water temperature is mandatory when keeping axolotls. Luckily these thermometers are cheap.
Water quality and flow
The water in youraquarium needs to be free from chlorine and other contaminates. This is usuallydone using special aquarium conditioner kits. If you use one of these kits, tapwater usually works fine. Axolotls are a hardy amphibian to keep and aretherefor a forgiving pet when it comes to small mistakes.
Obviously, you’ll alsoneed a filter to filter the water and prevent it from getting toxic. Housingyour axolotl in a larger aquarium also helps to keep toxin counts down. A goodfilter will further help to keep the water safe for your pet axolotl. Testingthe water regularly is important in any aquarium and this is true when housingaxolotls too.
Water flow
The speed of waterflow is a major cause of stress in axolotls. This is another reason why aslightly larger tank is beneficial as the currents will not be as strongthroughout the whole aquarium. It’s best to reduce the current in the aquariumas much as possible to prevent stress in your axolotls. Some things you can tryare:
- Pointingthe filter against the tank wall or an object
Thishelps to deflect the strongest water flow and points it away from where youraxolotls are. You can also place a rock or some other object in front of thecurrent to prevent it from being too strong.
- You canchoose to buy or make a spray bar that reduces the strength of the current
This youtube clip shows you how you can build your own spray bar to improve your axolotl’s living conditions
Lighting
Axolotls don’t needany special lighting. These little critters aren’t accustomed to a brightaquarium and shouldn’t be kept in a tank that’s too lit up. There are speciallights though that can help you light up the aquarium without it harming yourpet.
That being said, ifyou need lighting for your aquarium plants to grow, then providing youraxolotls with some darker areas works great too. You can also use the plants toprevent the light from penetrating too deep into the tank
Buying your axolotl –Availability and selection
When you go to buyyour axolotl there are multiple things you should look out for to ensure youget the right one for you. This part of the post is dedicated to choosing andbuying an axolotl.
Morphs
The first thing you need to consider is the morph you want to get. The most common and well-known morphs are the natural/wild-type, albino and leucistic morphs. There are however very unique morphs which are lightly (or heavily) fluorescent, ones who have high melanin levels (darker color) and many different other pattern variations too.
Most of these morphsare relatively inexpensive, and the albino and leucitic ones are the mostcommon. Since this pet will be with you for up to 15 years, it’s best to gowith one you like!
Checking for health
Even though you’re noexpert, there are certain checks you can do to the axolotl and the setup thatwill help you determine if they are in good shape.
Axolotls that float in strange ways (on their back or side), or that are showing other signs of stress like forward-facing gills or a curled tail, aren’t the best ones to go for. Stress causes a lot of harm to an animal and may cause you to say goodbye to your axolotl before you get a chance to enjoy each other’s company.
Missing limbs, blemishes or marks may also be a sign of an unhealthy animal. Healthy axolotls will regenerate body parts unless they are infected. It’s not always bad when they don’t regenerate a minor body part but it may be a sign of sickness and is therefore not ideal when buying an axolotl.
Checking the setup
The most important thingyou can do to check the health of an axolotl is to see the conditions they arebeing kept in. After reading this entire guide you have all the information youneed to judge how the animals are being kept. If the conditions are right thenyou can be sure that the breeder takes care of their animals.
If they have otheranimals, take a look at how they’re being cared for too. Sure, this doesn’talways reflect how they care for their axolotls but it can tell you a lot abouttheir general animal care. Axolotls don’t have very tricky requirements sokeeping them in clean and safe conditions isn’t a stretch for anyone. Thismeans that your breeder should be doing a good job!
Transport
If you ever need totransport your axolotl, or you need to move it into a temporary set up due toinfection or due to you needing to clean the cage, then here are a few tips foryou:
- Use a netwith very fine mesh
Widemesh may cause limbs or toes to get stuck or injured. Even though axolotls canusually regenerate body parts, you shouldn’t cause them harm on purpose. Bygetting a fine mesh net when scooping up your axolotl you prevent any harm frombeing done.
- Be careful!
Aboveall, be careful when you have to move your axolotl. As we’ve already discussed,their skin is permeable and delicate, and so are their limbs. By being carefuland using clean equipment you prevent infections and injuries.
Even though axolotlsare very hardy animals, it’s best to take good care or them. A small mistakehere or there usually won’t cause any long-term damage, but it’s best to tryand prevent this from happening.
Disease and illness
If you think youraxolotl may be suffering from a disease or illness, go to the vet. It’s best tofind a vet that specializes in exotic animals. There’s no telling what could begoing on and you shouldn’t be reading a care guide to treat something unknown.There are a few common mishaps that aren’t too much trouble if you know what todo though.
Injury
If your axolotl getsinjured, make sure to keep their water clean and prevent them from doing anymore damage to themselves. Keep a close eye on the wound, it should heal fairlyquickly. If it doesn’t, or it looks like it’s infected, then go and see a vet.They’ll be able to treat a normal injury.
Axolotl not eating
Axolotls that stop eating is another problem that isn’t always a major cause for concern. Check for signs of stress (floating, curled tail, etc) and check to see if your husbandry is on point. A simple slip of the filter outlet or a rise in the room temperature may cause temporary stress to your axolotl.
Do some detective workand measure your husbandry up to this (or another) care guide.
If you find anything,make sure to tackle the issue straight away. Your axolotl will usually starteating again soon.
If your husbandry ison point, take your axolotl to the vet. With perfect husbandry, these thingsshouldn’t happen.
Conclusion
All in all, axolotlsmake for great pets if not handling your pet isn’t a problem for you. They’rebeautiful creatures who deserve their place among the best and most common petamphibians around.
They’re easy to care for and don’t require a lot of specialized care once you know what you’re doing.
