Size: Adult Axolotls can reach about 12 inches (30 cm) in length from nose to the tip of the tail and can weigh as much as 10.5 ounces (300 gr).
Axolotls are salamanders that spend their whole lives underwater. These beautiful creatures start their lives as eggs and reach maturity at around one year of age.
Even though axolotls can grow up to 18 inches, most pets are only 9 inches long. Juveniles increase in size as they grow older, and some of them can be larger or smaller than the known average size. There's hardly anything you can do to make these pets extremely large.
9 inches is a reasonable size, anywhere between 6 and 14 inches would be OK. It all depends on genetics and nutrition. Mine were 9-10" at a year.
Housing Your Axolotls
A 10-gallon tank could work fine for an adult axolotl, but they do produce a significant amount of waste, so you may want to go with a 20-gallon tank that will stay cleaner for a longer time.
Axolotl care requirements are minimal, and provided temperature and water flow are well controlled, they are hardy, easy-to-care-for captives that breed readily in captivity. It is difficult to think of a more unusual display animal than the axolotl, and its bold and tame nature makes it an interactive pet.
Axolotls and goldfish cannot be kept together as tank mates or in a fish tank. The creatures require different basic living conditions and water parameters, and goldfish could stress and injure the Axolotls by nipping at their tails and gills.
Baby axolotls should be fed daily to support their growth and development. Adult axolotls need to eat less often, perhaps one or two servings every other day. In fact, they can do just fine for up to two weeks without eating any food (although this shouldn't be tried at home).
Can you keep axolotls with fish? The answer, surprisingly, is yes — you just need to choose your fish carefully. One thing to keep in mind when keeping fish with axolotls is that those long flowy gills can start to look like food to just about any fish who's hungry enough.
Amphibians have 3 heart chambers: 2 atria and 1 ventricle.
Axolotls are very curious and appear to recognize their owners as food providers. It is common for these salamanders to actively swim toward people outside their tank. They are surprisingly interactive, but should never be handled as being taken out of the water is extremely stressful.
Only certain strains of axolotls transform into terrestrial adults. Some can be caused to change by injecting thyroid hormones into the axolotl. Other strains never metamorphose, instead always reproducing as neotenic salamanders. The North American mudpuppy is similar in its development and reproduction.
Axolotls can survive out of water for around one hour, provided that the area is moist and damp. Axolotls are pretty demanding creatures when it comes to their right environment.
Axolotls can live for up to 10 years of age if cared for correctly. Axolotls should be kept in an aquatic environment. They require the water temperature to be maintained between 14 and 19°C.
Despite the popularity of videos showing these quirky amphibians appearing to bark, axolotls don't actually have any vocal cords. That doesn't seem to stop them though – they can instead create noises through muscle contractions and by gulping air from the surface of the water.
Axolotls are not a social species, so they don't need a friend to be entertained. That being said, it is perfectly ok to house axolotls together, as long as they are roughly the same size.
You do not need a heater in an Axolotl tank. In warmer climates, you may even need to add a chiller to your tank to keep your water within the optimum temperature range. The ideal temperature for Axolotls is between 60-64° F (16-18° C).
Humans can touch an Axolotl anytime. There is nothing on their skin that can hurt a human. Keep in mind that before you touch an Axolotl, make sure to wash and disinfect your hands. Try to avoid transferring any type of bacteria or contaminants from human skin to the Axolotl.
During the day, they burrow into the aquatic vegetation and mud to avoid being eaten, and at night they become animated…and hungry. While they use their gills to breathe underwater, they may pop up to the surface for a quick gulp of air from time to time.
Axolotl Tank Cleaning
Rest assured, routine aquarium maintenance is actually very easy! You simply need to remove 25% of the aquarium water every 1-2 weeks to make sure that there is no buildup of harmful ammonia and nitrates in your tank.
It's important to research prior to purchase, as they do need a specific setup for long term care. Axolotls, although native to Mexico, are in fact a cold water animal. Their optimal temperature range is 16-18°C. Being a cold blooded animal, they cannot regulate their body temperature.
Therefore, if you can accommodate, it is always recommended to choose a 20 gallon or 30-gallon tank because the ammonia and nitrate levels in these tanks would be controlled. Also, your axolotls would get enough room to explore and play around.
Adult apple snails can safely be kept in the same aquarium as young axolotls. They aren't small enough for your walking fish to eat. Baby cold water snails like juvenile bladder or ramshorn snails are also safe since they have soft shells. Adult ramshorn and bladder snails are risky.