How long can axolotl live for? When in the right environment, and all their needs are met with a high standard it is possible for your axolotl to reach ages between 15-20 years! However, in the home aquarium it is a lot more common for axolotl to live anywhere from 10-15 years old. It's important to remember this when considering axolotl as they are a long term commitment - like a family dog.
How much do I feed my axolotl? Every axolotl is different when it comes to feeding regime. There are some general guidelines to follow but remember if your axolotl has a belly the same width as it's head then it is a healthy weight. This is how you should measure whether you are feeding sufficient, or not enough. Adjust to suit. General guideline 1 is for hatchlings. Hatchlings should be feed at least twice daily but where possible keeping live food in with them constantly is best. General guideline 2 - juviniles should be feed daily. And general guideline 3 - adults can be feed anywhere from every second day to once or twice a week, depending entirely on diet (whether you use worms, axolotl food, or pellets), meal size, and each individual axolotl. The last thing to remember when feeding is just because you axolotl wants more food, doesn't mean it needs more food. Remember the rule of belly width.
How do I tell male and females apart? For photo examples and more in-depth description on how to tell males and females apart, visit the breeding page. But in general, once your axolotl is at least 18cm and 18months old you can be positive whether your axolotl is male or female. Some axolotl mature very early and others can be very late bloomers where you believe they are female and overnight develop their manly bulge. To tell the difference look at their cloacal region (the area just behind the back legs). If there is a large bulge their, it is male. Females lack this bulge and tend to have a lot rounder tummies due to eggs.
What size tank do I need? In my opinion, the absolute bare minimum sized tank for one adult axolotl is 60cm x 30cm x 30cm (2' x 1' x 1'). Since axolotl can reach sizes of over 30cm any smaller really would be uncomfortable, cramped, and not fair on your axolotl. As a rule of thumb, you should then add an extra 30cm (1 foot) for every added adult axolotl. But when it comes to axolotl, the bigger the tank, the better for them and the more they will love you.
Can I take my axolotl out of the water? Will it survive and walk on land? NO. An axolotl is a fully aquatic pet and it is not suitable to take them out of water for an extended length of time. Like fish, they will die without water. The only time an axolotl can survive and walk on land is after they have morphed into land dwelling salamanders however it is extremely rare for axolotl to undergo this change and it is strongly advised you do not ever try to morph your axolotl.
I've heard of people forcing their axolotl to morph. It sounds cool, can I try? NO. As mentioned in the above Q&A it is extremely rare for an axolotl to naturally undergo this change. By forcing your axolotl to under go the change you are causing them a huge amount of stress and a vast majority will not survive the process. The very few that do will normally die within a week of the morph or survive no longer then a year. You should NEVER try this unless you are a scientist, or an expert in the morphing process. If you want an animal that morphs into a land dweller, and is very very similar to an axolotl, get a tiger salamander as a pet instead.
Can I keep my axolotl with fish? No. Axolotl should be kept in species only tanks - meaning they should only be kept with other axolotl. Fish have a tendency to nibble at an axolotls gills or will highly likely become a snack for your axolotl. This can be very dangerous for your axolotl, especially if they have spins in their fins as they can pierce your axoltols insides and kill them or cause serious damage. The only time it is okay to keep fish with axolotl is if they are intended as feeder fish, they have been quarantined for a minimum of 30 days, and the fish are deemed as safe feeder fish (no spins for example or aren't high in thiaminase). Follow this link for mix-species disasters and why you shouldn't ever keep your axolotl with any other aquatic pet.
Do I have to keep male and females separate? Will males get territorial? The short answer is no. Axolotl won't get territorial and, assuming you have a large enough tank to suit, you can keep as many axolotl together as you desire. The only time you need to separate males from females is 1. if you don't wish to breed your axolotl, and 2. if your axolotl have just breed you should separate your females so they can recuperate and have a break to prevent them breeding again straight away. It can be very stressful on a females body to breed too often as their bodies will deem egg production as more important then overall health. This can therefore lead to illness and shortened life span so it is important to not breed too early, and not breed too often.
My axolotl is gulping air a lot! Is it okay? Axolotl breath primarily through their skin and gills, but they also have lungs as a secondary form of breathing. So when they go to the surface and gulp air it is more often then not perfectly normal behaviour. However, if you notice your axolotl doing it a lot more then normal suddenly then check your water parameters first and if they are okay then you can try doing a water change or adding an air bubbler as your water may be low on oxygen. If you don't have an air bubbler handy simply use your filter outflow to break the water surface and this will also help aerate the water more.
Have a question that we haven't answered above? Feel free to get in touch with us and we will assist you as best we can!
How much do I feed my axolotl? Every axolotl is different when it comes to feeding regime. There are some general guidelines to follow but remember if your axolotl has a belly the same width as it's head then it is a healthy weight. This is how you should measure whether you are feeding sufficient, or not enough. Adjust to suit. General guideline 1 is for hatchlings. Hatchlings should be feed at least twice daily but where possible keeping live food in with them constantly is best. General guideline 2 - juviniles should be feed daily. And general guideline 3 - adults can be feed anywhere from every second day to once or twice a week, depending entirely on diet (whether you use worms, axolotl food, or pellets), meal size, and each individual axolotl. The last thing to remember when feeding is just because you axolotl wants more food, doesn't mean it needs more food. Remember the rule of belly width.
How do I tell male and females apart? For photo examples and more in-depth description on how to tell males and females apart, visit the breeding page. But in general, once your axolotl is at least 18cm and 18months old you can be positive whether your axolotl is male or female. Some axolotl mature very early and others can be very late bloomers where you believe they are female and overnight develop their manly bulge. To tell the difference look at their cloacal region (the area just behind the back legs). If there is a large bulge their, it is male. Females lack this bulge and tend to have a lot rounder tummies due to eggs.
What size tank do I need? In my opinion, the absolute bare minimum sized tank for one adult axolotl is 60cm x 30cm x 30cm (2' x 1' x 1'). Since axolotl can reach sizes of over 30cm any smaller really would be uncomfortable, cramped, and not fair on your axolotl. As a rule of thumb, you should then add an extra 30cm (1 foot) for every added adult axolotl. But when it comes to axolotl, the bigger the tank, the better for them and the more they will love you.
Can I take my axolotl out of the water? Will it survive and walk on land? NO. An axolotl is a fully aquatic pet and it is not suitable to take them out of water for an extended length of time. Like fish, they will die without water. The only time an axolotl can survive and walk on land is after they have morphed into land dwelling salamanders however it is extremely rare for axolotl to undergo this change and it is strongly advised you do not ever try to morph your axolotl.
I've heard of people forcing their axolotl to morph. It sounds cool, can I try? NO. As mentioned in the above Q&A it is extremely rare for an axolotl to naturally undergo this change. By forcing your axolotl to under go the change you are causing them a huge amount of stress and a vast majority will not survive the process. The very few that do will normally die within a week of the morph or survive no longer then a year. You should NEVER try this unless you are a scientist, or an expert in the morphing process. If you want an animal that morphs into a land dweller, and is very very similar to an axolotl, get a tiger salamander as a pet instead.
Can I keep my axolotl with fish? No. Axolotl should be kept in species only tanks - meaning they should only be kept with other axolotl. Fish have a tendency to nibble at an axolotls gills or will highly likely become a snack for your axolotl. This can be very dangerous for your axolotl, especially if they have spins in their fins as they can pierce your axoltols insides and kill them or cause serious damage. The only time it is okay to keep fish with axolotl is if they are intended as feeder fish, they have been quarantined for a minimum of 30 days, and the fish are deemed as safe feeder fish (no spins for example or aren't high in thiaminase). Follow this link for mix-species disasters and why you shouldn't ever keep your axolotl with any other aquatic pet.
Do I have to keep male and females separate? Will males get territorial? The short answer is no. Axolotl won't get territorial and, assuming you have a large enough tank to suit, you can keep as many axolotl together as you desire. The only time you need to separate males from females is 1. if you don't wish to breed your axolotl, and 2. if your axolotl have just breed you should separate your females so they can recuperate and have a break to prevent them breeding again straight away. It can be very stressful on a females body to breed too often as their bodies will deem egg production as more important then overall health. This can therefore lead to illness and shortened life span so it is important to not breed too early, and not breed too often.
My axolotl is gulping air a lot! Is it okay? Axolotl breath primarily through their skin and gills, but they also have lungs as a secondary form of breathing. So when they go to the surface and gulp air it is more often then not perfectly normal behaviour. However, if you notice your axolotl doing it a lot more then normal suddenly then check your water parameters first and if they are okay then you can try doing a water change or adding an air bubbler as your water may be low on oxygen. If you don't have an air bubbler handy simply use your filter outflow to break the water surface and this will also help aerate the water more.
Have a question that we haven't answered above? Feel free to get in touch with us and we will assist you as best we can!