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What is an axolotl? Well, I'm glad you asked! Axolotls, Ambystoma mexicanum, were, apparently, a favorite food for some Aztecs. Shh, we won't tell my axolotls that! (That's a picture of Bubbles to the left. Isn't he a handsome devil!!?) You won't find axolotls on restaurant menus these days, though. Although common in the pet trade, axolotls are very close to being extinct in their natural habitat. Of course it's humans' fault. Water pollution, and the introduction of invasive species that out compete the derpy axolotl are thought to be the main causes of their decline. Axolotls are classified as being critically endangered in the wild. In 2020, there were thought to be only between 50 to 1,000 adult axolotl living in their natural range, which consists only of waterways around Mexico City. Ok, ok I'll answer the question. Axolotls are a type of salamander. They are neotenic. Meaning that, unlike other species of salamanders, axolotls become sexually mature adults without metamorphosing into land dwelling creatures. They retain baby like features, such as living in water and gills, for the entirety of their lives. Axolotls do develop functional lungs, and may gulp oxygen at the top of the water (especially in cases where they are in water with low oxygen levels), but they mostly rely on their frilly, external gills to breathe underwater. (Just a quick note - very rarely, pet axolotls do morph into land dwelling salamander. Since this is a rare exception rather than the rule, I won't be covering the care of morphed individuals in this care sheet.) Axolotls in Captivity These days, axolotls are relatively commonly kept as pets. Thanks, Minecraft! Axolotls in captivity differ from their wild cousins in that, due to selective breeding, a handful of different color morphs have been discovered. Pet axolotls can average in size between 6 to 18 inches, with around 9 inches from nose to tail tip being their average size. With proper captive care, they typically live between 10 to 15 years. Some axolotls have been known to live over 20 years, but this isn't as common. I will forever contend that axolotls are the derpiest animals alive. Though they are not the smartest critters, axolotls can make endearing, entertaining pets. Mine beg for food when they see me, and quickly took to being hand/tong fed. Although they do spend a lot of their time hiding, axolotls can be silly and fun to watch. I have kept many types of fish for many years before getting axolotls, but my axolotls very quickly became my favorite aquatic pets. This post contains affiliate Amazon links. If you make a purchase using one of my links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I never recommend products that I wouldn't feel comfortable using with my own animals! Thank you for your support. Enclosure Size 9+ inches is pretty big for a salamander! The old standard called for a 20 gallon aquarium for a single axolotl, then an additional 10 gallons per each additional (same sex) axolotl. Going by this, three adult axolotls would need a 40 gallon aquarium, for example. Many sources still use this rule of thumb when it comes to calculating axolotl tank sizes. However, especially when it comes to aquatic critters, bigger is better! Many experienced keepers are now recommending larger aquariums for axolotls, with the minimum size for a single adult ranging from 29 to 40 gallons, then an additional 20 - 30 gallons over that per additional axolotl. Axolotls produce a lot of waste. The benefit of a larger tank is that it will take longer for nitrates to build up in a larger cycled aquarium. You have a little bit more wiggle room when it comes to how often you have to preform water changes on larger aquariums. While a 20 gallon with one axolotl (and no live plants) may need a water change every 3 days or so, a 40 gallon may only need one once a week. So sizing up your aquarium can make maintenance of your axolotl easier. Use your judgement on what will work best for you and your pet. I've had axolotls that varied quite a bit in size, and some of my smaller females in the past have done well in 20 gallon aquariums. I also check my water parameters often and don't mind having to do frequent water changes. Bigger is always better! But if you went by older advice and picked up a 20 gallon aquarium, it's not the end of the world. Upgrade when you can. No matter what size tank you use, low/long tanks are preferred over regular, or tall aquariums, because they make it easier for the axolotls to surface for air. Keep in mind that axolotls don't necessarily need traditional glass aquariums, either. I've successfully kept axolotls in fully cycled large, plastic totes. They don't look as nice as glass aquariums, but work just fine in a pinch. I've also seen keepers successfully use other types of containers, such as stock tanks. Basic Enclosure Set Up Axolotls are a completely freshwater species. Like other aquatic species, they should, ideally, be kept in cycled aquariums. If you're not already familiar with how to cycle an aquarium, you can read my post about that by clicking here. https://wildheartswildlife.com/how-to-cycle-a-freshwater-aquarium/ Of course maintaining a cycled aquarium will mean using a filter. Axolotls prefer calm water, so filters that create a lot of water movement are not ideal. Sponges can often be attached to the output of filters to diminish the flow. For my own axolotls, I've been using simple sponge filters. I go with sponge filters that are rated for tanks quite a bit larger than what I actually have my axolotls in. Since axolotls can be quite messy creatures, going with an oversized filter is never a bad thing IMO. I use a basic aquarium pump and standard airline tubing to run my sponge filters. I also use a flow control lever, so I can easily adjust how much air is going to my sponge filters. This allows me to decrease the amount of bubbles coming from my filter, and thus keep the water calmer for my axolotl friends. Aquarium lights are not needed for axolotls, and are, in fact, even discouraged. Axolotl do not have eyelids, so cannot close their eyes. They prefer dimly lit tanks, and too much light can hurt their sensitive eyes. Axolotl are cold water critters! Make sure you use some type of thermometer to accurately measure the water temperature. Ideal temperatures for axolotl should be between 58*F and 68*F. Once you start getting over 70*F, you're getting into the danger zone. Find a way to cool your aquarium as needed. Sometimes even a simple fan, aimed across the top of the aquarium water, will work. Keep your axolotl in an air conditioned room in the summer, if possible. Worst case, if you have no other way to cool them, frozen water bottles can be floated on the top of the tank to bring down the water temperatures. Aquarium chillers are a thing, but they usually cost at least a couple of hundred of dollars to buy. When cooling an overheated tank, bring the temperatures back down slowly. Going from warmer water, to very cold water (by doing a water change, for example) will be quite stressful for your axolotl. Give them time to slowly adapt to new temperatures, as much as possible. Water Parameters If you have town/city water that has added chlorine/chloramines, it's important to remove these before using tap water in your axolotl enclosure. I recommend a product called Prime to do this. Follow the instructions on the bottle, how much Prime you need to add to your aquarium will depend on the size of your tank. Do not use any dechlorinator, or other aquarium product, that includes aloe or tea tree oil. Do not use distilled water for your axolotl. Although this may seem easier than conditioning your tap water, distilled water does not contain minerals that axolotl, and other aquarium animals, need to be healthy. Axolotls do best in water that maintains a pH of between 6.5 and 8.0. In a cycled aquarium, water changes should be done if nitrates raise to around 20 - 40 ppm. You don't need to change all the water in the tank, around a 20% - 50% water chance should be enough to drop nitrate levels. Substraight Remember when I said that axolotl are not the smartest critters? This will come into play here. Axolotl will eat anything that can fit into their mouths. This, unfortunately, can include things like sand, gravel, small rocks, etc. Not good. These types of items can easily cause an obstruction and kill your poor axolotl. For this reason, I often keep the bottoms of my axolotl enclosures bare. It doesn't make for the prettiest set up, but it eliminates the risk that my axolotls will eat their sub-straight, and it makes their enclosures easier to clean too. If you want to use sand, wait until your baby axolotl is larger, at least 6 inches, then opt for very fine sand only. Other, safe, options for the bottom of your tank include tile or slate, or very large rocks that are too large to fit into your axolotl's mouth. To make these items even safer, you can use aquarium silicone to attach them together and/or to the bottom of your aquarium. Make sure the silicone is fully cured before reintroducing your axolotl into their setup. Hides/Tank Decor Axolotls love things they can hide inside, such as tubes and caves. Make sure that any decorations you use lack rough spots, as these could injure axolotls delicate skin. They may not look the fanciest, but I've been using large pvc pipes as hides for my axolotl. They are big enough for even my largest axolotl, Bubbles, to swim through and hide inside. You can also use things like lizard hammocks, decorative ceramic soap dishes, and aquarium/fish decor. I like to keep live plants with my axolotls. But I have to admit that I haven't found a type of plant yet that does really well with them. They tend to destroy whatever plant I try to keep with them. Fake plants can be used, as long as they are non-toxic and don't contain any sharp edges. Tank Mates? Again, axolotls will eat basically anything that will fit inside their mouths. Keep that in mind when selecting potential tank mates. Axolotls also have pretty delicate skin, which can make it hard to find suitable tank mates for them. Basically, axolotls should only be kept with other axolotls, or temporarily with fish that are safe for them to eat (see below). Axolotls should only be kept together if they are the same sex, and of similar size. While they do seem to enjoy having other axolotls for companionship, axolotl do just fine alone too. They will eat other axolotl that are significantly smaller than themselves, so never house a baby/young axolotl with an adult. Younger axolotl tend to nip at each other more often than adults. To avoid this, I personally raise baby/juvenile axolotls individually. When housing axolotls together, watch out for any aggression/nipping. Make sure that all axolotls in your tank are eating, and that one isn't hogging all the food. Males kept with females will constantly pester the females to breed. Over breeding is very taxing for female axolotl. I highly recommend only housing axolotls of the same sex together. Cleaning Up After Your Axolotl Like I mentioned before, axolotl can be quite messy little water puppies. Having a cycled aquarium helps, but you'll still need to do regular tank maintenance. In a properly sized, cycled, enclosure, this will generally consist of a weekly water change, and perhaps some spot cleaning throughout the week. A turkey baster can be used to spot clean your enclosure. I use a gravel vac to do from between a 20% - 50% water change weekly, or as needed, making sure to remove as much debris from the bottom of the enclosure as I can. A Note About "Tubbing" You may have heard about "tubbing" axolotls. Tubbing an axolotl, basically, means keeping them in a tub of water. Usually these 'tubs' are smaller, food safe plastic containers. This is typically done when you are working on setting up a cycled aquarium, when there is an issue with your normal aquarium, or your axolotl is sick. It is also sometimes used to raise up baby/young axolotls before moving them into a larger, cycled aquarium. Tubbing an axolotl is safe as long as you remember that you still need to provide water of the proper parameters. In a tub, this will mean doing 100% water changes daily to avoid the build up of toxins in the water. Remember that, even in a tub, your axolotl will require cool water. Don't allow them to overheat! https://wildheartswildlife.com/tubbing-101-tubbing-axolotl/ Feeding Your Axolotl Variety is the spice of life! Feeding your axolotl a varied diet is best practice. Make sure that all foods are sourced from reputable places. Avoid feeding things you find outside as these may have been exposed to toxins or carry parasites. Blackworms, nightcrawlers, red wrigglers, Repashy grub pie, and axolotl pellets all make great staple diets. Blackworms, nightcrawlers and red wrigglers may need to be cut up if you have a young axolotl. Not all axolotls like red wrigglers, because they have a slime coat that apparently a lot of animals don't like the taste of. My adult axolotls won't eat red wrigglers, but I've raised baby axolotls in the past who enjoyed them. You can raise your own worms in a worm farm (that's a story for another day), or purchase them online or from bait shops. Guppies, platies, swordtails, white cloud minnows, and cherry shrimp can all be consumed by axolotl. Don't add too many of these animals into your axolotl aquarium at once, however, as they may nip at fingers and gills. Fish from pet stores should be quarantined before feeding them to your axolotl, as they can carry parasites or disease. Frozen bloodworms, raw fish (tilapia, salmon), and raw shrimp can be fed as treats. I recently got a bag of frozen, raw, peeled shrimp that I've slowly been feeding off to my axolotl. They love small pieces of them as treats! Newly hatched baby axolotls that are too small to eat the foods mentioned above should be fed live baby brine shrimp, daphnia, white worms, and chopped up black worms. I feed my hatchlings brine shrimp until they are big enough to move on to black worms, then transition them from black worms to "adult" foods chopped into appropriately sized pieces. What Else Do You Want To Know? I could go on, but I think this is a pretty good basic care sheet to start. Other topics I'm planning on covering in the future will include common health issues and their cures, breeding and caring for hatchling axolotls, breeding worms for your axolotls, what else do you want to know? Comment below and let me know! Feel free to also contact me at any time if you have any questions/concerns.