Diet & Nutrition

Axolotls are carnivores. Night crawlers (whole or chopped), blood worms, black worms, daphnia, brine shrimp, axolotl specific pellets, and some sinking fish pellets are all healthy and usually accepted.

Axolotls should be fed 2-3 times a week.

Housing & Habitat

Axolotls are native to Mexico in the Basin of Mexico. The Axoltol was native to both Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco. Only remnants of these lakes still exist. Axolotls can easily be housed together with similar sized tank mates.

Make sure that multiple hiding spots exist in the tank to reduce stress on the

Axolotl.

Enclosure Size

A baby Axolotl can be started in a 10-gallon aquarium. Single adults or pairs should be housed in a 20-gallon aquarium or larger.

Substrate

Axolotls are fully aquatic. Sand or large gravel are acceptable for a substrate. Some keepers prefer to keep the aquarium bare bottom. Gravel should be too large for the Axolotl to ingest to prevent impaction.

Temperature & Lighting

Temperature

Axolotls require cooler than average water temperatures. The water should have a temperature of 65º to 75º F. Higher temperatures can result in stress, bacterial infections and potentially death.

Water and Filtration - Never use plain tap water. It will kill your Axolotl. Always use a tap water conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramines. Some keepers choose not to use a filter, but water would need to be changed every other day. A sponge filter, small internal filter or small hang on the back filter with a low flow rate works best. With any filtration a 10-20% water change weekly is recommended. Make sure to change filter media as needed.

Lighting

Lighting is not required for Axolotls. For live planted aquariums or aesthetics lights may be used. Make sure that the light puts off little or no heat so the aquarium water doesn't get too warm.

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