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Axolotl; *aqua-inhabitant
Topic Started: Mar 10 2006, 09:08 PM (4,669 Views)
sharn
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Basic overview

The axolotl (pronounced ax-oh-lot-ul) is one of our weirder animals around and many choose to keep them for ‘shock value’. Although many refer to these creatures as ‘Mexican walking fish’ they are in fact not fish at all but amphibians. The name Axolotl comes from the Aztec language and is roughly translated to ‘water dog’. Before Mexico City grew axolotls were native to both Lake Xochimilco, and Lake Chalco. Of these two lakes only small parts remain from the Xochimilco. In the wild axolotls are considered an endangered species. The axolotl lives its whole life in its larval stage and it can still reach sexual maturity and reproduce. It is uncommon to hear of an axolotl morphing into a salamander naturally and some people even use hormones to make such things happen. Metamorphism is extremely stressful on the animal and they rarely live through it, if they do their life span is greatly reduced, down to around 2-3 years after the metamorphism compared to the average axolotls life span of 10-15

Axolotls are amazing creatures because of their regeneration abilities, losing a leg is no biggie to them and they will simply grow it back! Contrary to popular belief axolotls do not like being out of water, they are fully aquatic and taking them out is like taking your fish out of its tank. They can breathe through their skin for short periods of time. Making them walk is cruel as their legs are made from under water and do not contain the muscle to move them on land.

Basics needed for housing

Obviously a tank, can be glass or plastic and must be of an appropriate size.
•Substrate if you wish to have some.
•Decorations if you wish to have some.
•Filter.
•Thermometer.
•Food.
•Test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph.
•A siphon and a bucket for water changes.
•De-chlorinator.
•A turkey baster. These are great for spot cleaning of poos!

Housing your axolotls

Axolotls aren’t really all that demanding when it comes to housing but do keep in mind that a full grown axolotl can get to around 30cm thus requiring at least 45 x 30 x 30 cm for each animal.

First you must cycle your tank! Most people don’t know about cycling and just throw their animal in at the same time they set up the tank which can cause the animal great suffering from ammonia burns etc. Cycling is the process of building up enough special bacteria it deal with your animals waste. Bacteria feed on the ammonia your animals produce and turn this into nitrite (HN02) then the second group turn that into nitrate (HN03). Ammonia and nitrite are toxic to your axolotls and can reach high levels during cycling while nitrate is less toxic but can still be a problem if it gets high. It can take a few weeks to over a month to cycle but normally averages out at a month. To speed up the cycle you can add established filter media to the tank or substrate to start the cycle off. You will need to test the water each week during that month and you will see your ammonia, followed bit nitrite rise and fall back to 0. These are the only acceptable ranges for your axolotls. Nitrate must be kept under 40ppm and this is usually done by your weekly water changes. There are a few ways people cycle their tanks to get them ready for axolotls.

First is the 'fishless' cycle and the best one to use. It consists of adding a pinch of flakes each day, or other food that can rot in the tank to give the bacteria something to feed on. Axolotl poop, a piece of prawn etc are a few things people use.

Second is using hardy fish to cycle your tank. Generally not preferable but people still do it. Because you use hardy fish they may live but will suffer greatly from ammonia burns etc if you don’t do water changes daily for them. Their poo and waste give the bacteria something to feed on but this takes just as long as the fishless cycle.

If your axolotl is already in the tank that is ok, but you will need to do daily water changes of 30% to keep the levels down. Try not to clean substrate or filters during this time as this is where most of your bacteria will be multiplying.

Using cycling products are normally a waste of time. The product ‘Cycle’ is completely useless as it contains no live bacteria. I’m not sure if it comes out of the factory with any in it but if it does they will soon die as they are not kept refrigerating (refrigerating them makes them lie dormant, hence them not feeding or making waste). The only product I know of that actually works is ‘Bio-Spira’ if you have it in your LFS then by all means get it if you wish, it will be in the fridge, do follow the instructions on it though because if you do it wrong it doesn’t do anything.

Filtration

Filtration is not needed providing you keep up with water changes. The important thing when choosing a filter is to see if you can turn it down as axolotls hate strong water flow and it can stress them badly. Try to choose a filter that does approx 3 times your tank per hour.
Most people use canister filters for tanks larger than 100L and they are a great investment providing superior filtration.
Hang on the Back (HOB’s) are good filters also but because of the ‘water fall’ effect can cause too stronger current.
Internal filters are another great option but they do look funny sitting in the back of the tank.

Substrate

DO NOT use gravel!! Axolotls can eat gravel, and commonly do while foraging for food. Gravel can block them up badly and it’s a very common thing for people’s axies to die from eating bits.
The preferred choice is sand and it is readily available. Children’s play sand, filter sand or sand from a building yard is commonly used. Try to get dark sand as that usually has fewer shells in it which harden your water (unless you want it hardened of course!). Ask the person you are getting it off if it has been exposed to any chemicals or contain anything that may alter water chemistry. Just as a precaution you can bake it after you wash it or pour boiling water over it. Cleaning sand consists of a hoover above the sand to remove any particles and if your sand it coarse enough you can even siphon it like normal gravel (time consuming)
Another good choice would be flat slate covering the bottom, just make sure there are minimal gaps for dirt to get into and any sharp edges have been rounded off.
A lot of people also use river rocks, as long as they are big enough not to fit in your axies mouth (keep in mind their mouths are pretty big!). The only problem I came across when keeping my axies on river rocks was that it was extremely hard to clean without moving around the whole lot and disrupting my babies.
Some people, mainly breeders, prefer to keep their axies on bare bottoms. This is great for cleaning but unless you have a filter that contains a lot of media your bacteria count may suffer a bit. The main thing with keeping them on a bare bottom is to monitor their water, because there is less surface area to grow on (sand, river rocks etc has more surface area, hence a lot of bacteria). Some people add the odd piece of decoration or rock to give the axolotls something to grab onto while walking as id imagine glass would be quite slippery for them!

Lighting

Not required unless you have plants. Axolotls do not like bright light so if you need it for display purposes or plant growth provide many hiding spots.

Temperature

A good range to keep axolotls at is 14C – 20C. Anything below 14C can make them sluggish and they don’t eat as much.
Anything above 24C should be considered dangerous and measures should be taken to appropriately cool the water, either by adding cooler water, removing the animals to a chilly bin or placing them in the fridge. Higher temperatures also leave your axolotl open to stress related diseases. A stable temperature is a must and should only fluctuate a few degrees in a 24 hour period.
A common cooling method is using ice bricks in rotation; they work well but are time consuming and will often take over your freezer!
A few people use fans blowing at the surface to get the temperature down a few degrees.
A lot of people invest in chillers if they come from hot places like Australia, and though they are expensive are worth your piece of mind. For those who don’t have a lot of money to splash around you can make your own using a chilly bin filled with ice with lots of hosing running through it. The water runs through the pipes via filters and returns to the tank cooler.
If keeping the water above say 10C is a problem then you can use a simple heater.

Décor

Live plants are generally not used as when axies do their ‘dashes’ uproot them. People have had success with them though using thick substrate or piling rocks around the roots. Java fern and java moss grow well as they don’t need to be planted and you can tie them to your décor. Floating plants are often used to block out light but can cause a problem with axolotls gulping air if it thickly covers the whole surface. Make sure you choose plants that can handle the lower temperatures.

Hiding spots are a must for your axies to escape a ‘potential predator’ in the form of a hand or to get away from the light. People make caves out of rocks (make sure they’re secure), use terracotta pots, logs and such made of resin from your LFS, bogwood etc.

Routine maintenance

A weekly water change of 30% with fresh de-chlorinated or aged water will suffice. If you have a siphon doing this at the same time ‘kills two birds with one stone’. At this time you can give the glass a good scrub with an algae scrubber (you can get these cheap at your LFS) and can rinse decorations in a bucket of tank water. Filter maintenance should be carried out regularly but it depends on your type of filter, some canisters only need rinsing every couple of months. Make sure that any media you are washing is in a bucket of tank water, using tap water will kill the bacteria that are necessary to process waste in your tank.

Tank mates and water conditions

I strongly advise against tank mates. Reason being is that fish will nip your axolotl’s gills or be eaten. Fish bought from your LFS often harbour a lot of bacteria that can you’re your axolotls very sick and are not a big part of their diet naturally anyway. If you must use feeders i.e. if you’re going away, make sure they are home bred, either by yourself or a friend and come from a healthy tank. Fresh water crayfish have been used with little success. Ghost shrimp have been used as feeders but rarely last long. Sucker mouth catfish are generally to be avoided as they can develop a taste for your axies slime coat and if eaten can get caught in the throat if they have spines. Snails have had some success but aren’t needed in a healthy, well maintained tank. Bottom line- axies prefer to be alone.

Baby axolotls under approx 8cm should not be cramped as they are cannibalistic at this stage and will see other young as food.

Axolotls adjust to a varied range of PH with most being comfortable in the 6.5 – 8.0. If you are concerned about your water invest in test kits. Overly soft water can have shell grit used for birds put into a stocking and added to your filter to buffer your ph. To lower your ph you can add some bogwood or a small amount of peat.

Chlorine and Chloramines affect axolotls badly so either used aged water or invest in some good water conditioner. I use stress coat which neutralises chlorines, chloramines and contains Aloe Vera for their slime coat. Most will neutralise heavy metals which is an added bonus.

Ammonia and nitrite are potentially dangerous to your axolotl and at higher pHs, say above 8, it can kill very quickly. Also at higher temperatures ammonia is more toxic. However you should have no ammonia or nitrite present in a healthy, cycled (cycling? See below) aquarium but if you suspect a problem simple test kits can be bought and are invaluable.

Water hardness is the measure of dissolved salts present in the water. Generally a low ph goes hand in hand with low hardness and vice versa. Axolotls prefer harder water so if you have soft water it may be beneficial to add a few crushed shells or something of the likes to harden the water a bit.

Keeping your axolotls water clean and acceptable is important as this is their ‘life line’. Keeping a human in heavily polluted air is detrimental to their health and the same goes with our axolotls.

Feeding

Axolotls are carnivores and they swallow their food whole so anything must be of ‘swallowable size’. The do have small teeth but these are mainly used to hold prey (don’t worry they cant hurt you if they bite!) Axolotls are not hard to feed and will accept food from your hands, tweezers or chopsticks, some people even just chuck the food in and let them find it. They will accept both dead and alive foods. Young axolotls up to 10cm should be fed daily. 11-20cm axies should be fed every second day and after the 20cm mark once every 3 days or so. Keep in mind axolotls need a diet with low oil and fat contents. Live foods from water can bring in disease so you must be careful when using these foods.

Garden worms are a great staple diet for your juvenile or adult axolotl and are readily available. Make sure they come from chemical free sources i.e. no sprays been used around that area. I found my axolotls did not like compost worms due to the smell they put off when handled but people do feed them and have had great successes with them. Worms are not hard to cultivate and a simple compost bin can supply you all year around.

Bloodworms are a great food for your babies and are best fed thawed from frozen as to eliminate any potential nasties. They are a great food for young axies that aren’t too good at eating larger stuff. They are often a good thing to try if your axolotl is not eating because of their strong smell. They are also quite messy

Daphnia are one of my favourite for younger axies again because most adults miss them. They live in freshwater and multiply rapidly given the right conditions. You can start a culture by fishing a few out from still bodied waters or troughs. Green water or cow manure makes great foods for them.

A good quality pellet is good to use also if you can find it. Read the ingredients as most are corn based and not suitable. You would want to see fish/fish meal in the first few ingredients. Some people use moist salmon pellets.

Black worms are also a good food source and are fed live. They are a relative to the earthworm and contain similar nutrition. They can be cultured at home. Make sure strays don’t get into your substrate as they can quickly reproduce.

Mealworms are a good ‘sometimes food’ because they have a hard exoskeleton that is hard for your axolotls to digest. Make sure you crush the heads of live ones as their jaws can nip your axies mouth or insides which I’d imagine would be quite painful!

White worms are a good food source for younger axies but they tend to be fatty and oily. They should only be used as a treat or for rearing young.

Brine shrimp are a good food for newly hatched babies as they are highly nutritious when still containing their egg sack. Frozen brine shrimp can be very messy and live ones die in fresh water after a while if they are not eaten, polluting it.

Beef heart is a debated topic. My advice only feed it as a treat.

Bugs like crickets, flies etc can make good treats as long as they haven’t been sprayed. It is preferable to feed them live. Culturing your own crickets can be good if you have other animals that like them.


Basically you want to cover all bases when it comes to vitamins; a balanced diet is the easiest way to do this and keeps your axolotl happy!!

Sexing your axolotl

This can be quite tricky if you are unsure what to look for or don’t have another axie of the opposite sex to compare with.
The generally hit maturity around the 15-20cm mark but sometimes it is still relatively impossible to tell until they are a few years old. Female axolotls will have rounder bellies and no cloacal bump while males will be thinner with a large cloaca (the cloaca is the bump just behind their back legs). Some other methods have been used but are not totally reliable. Some say that dark tips on their toes (light tips for dark axolotls) can mean sexual maturity however I have seen many 8cm babies with dark toes. Male’s tails are said to be longer than the females, some people also go by head width but this also proves to be un-reliable at times.
Basically, the only sure fire way to sex your axolotl is to see it either lay eggs or spermatophores.

Colour variants

Many colour variants exist today. The most common are leucistic (white with black eyes), melanoid (pure black), wild type (varies in colour, normally brown with gold rings around eyes), golden albino (gold with red eyes), and white albino (axanthic albino, melanoid albino and white albino). Some people have managed to secure a pure brown strain but these animals are very unheard of like the harlequins. The harlequin strain has never been developed and breeding off such animals has resulted in plain off spring. It is believe to just be the odd throw back you get.

Sick axolotl

Axolotls are generally healthy animals and are quite hardy. Indications of stress are often, but not limited to, the gills bending far forwards and the tail curling. Stress which often leads to sickness can be caused by a lot of things- being hassled by other occupants, incorrect water chemistry, strong water flow, temperature etc. It is normally inadvisable to use fish medications on axolotls as they absorb chemicals through their skin. Medicines that contain copper or manganese are toxic to axolotls along with malchite green.

Wounds are normally not a cause for concern as axolotls heal quickly and normally without trouble provided their water is kept clean and cool. Keep your eye out for fungus and if it occurs start treating with salt baths (below).

Fungus problems are normally caused by the saprolegnia and if caught early are rarely fatal. Fungus can once again be treated with salt baths and if problems persist moving your axolotl to cooler premises (i.e. fridge) can be beneficial. Do note that though fungus does appear more in warmer waters it does not thrive in it, nor is caused by it. Saprolegnia is an opportunist pathogen and takes hold when your axolotl’s immune system is down, often because of stress due to higher temperatures.

Floating is not always a cause for concern, axolotls often gulp air and float, and most will ‘hang out’ in the middle of the tank. However if your axolotl is floating for prolonged periods of time or on its side it is advisable to move them to the fridge (see below). If your axolotls bottom is floating it normally means they are a bit constipated, either give them time or move to them to a cooler place.

Gulping air isn’t often a problem as axolotls have rudimentary lungs but if they are doing it very often look at your water temperature (warmer temps hold less oxygen) or increase surface movement. Axolotls with small gills may also gulp more

There are too many parasites to list that can affect axolotls so it is best to single out which one it is and then seek the right treatment.

Sometimes axolotls can vomit up their food (known as bolus). This is usually because they know they can’t digest it before it fowls in their stomach or because they are stressed. It often looks like the remains of their feed covered in white mucus.

Safe products that you can use on your axolotl are Methylene blue, Furan 2 (great antibacterial med) Myxazin, Mercurochrome, Maracyn, Melafix (good for external sores) and Flagyl. These are not the only medications you can use but are the most common.

Unsafe medicines include Rid Rot, Protozin, Clout, and basically anything containing malchite green.

*Please do not hold this as a complete list, these are just the medicines people commonly use and have reported on. With any medications you must exercise extreme caution and just because it is reported safe does not mean your axolotl won’t be badly affected by it.

Salt baths are a great all round help for skin problems or irritations. Do note that salt can badly damage your axolotl’s gills if left in the bath for too long.

How to put your axolotl in a salt bath...

Step 1: Remove some of your tank water into bowl, enough to cover your axolotl happily. Tank water is a must because it contains the same chemistry and is the same temperature.
Step 2: Add 2-3 teaspoons of salt per litre. Don’t used anything containing iodine and be careful about brands containing anti-caking agents. Pure sea salt or aquarium salt is best if you can get it. Mix it in well until all the salt is dissolved.
Step 3: Carefully net your axolotl and move him into the bath, do this is quickly, and stress free as possible.
Step 4: Leave your axolotl in the bath for no longer than 10-15 minutes each time, do keep an eye on your axolotl during this time as some can be affected by the normal dose. If this is the case only do a 1tsp per litre ratio.
Step 5: After the 10-15 minutes is up net your axolotl and remove him back into his tank or holding bowl. Make sure this water is completely salt free.

Putting your axolotl in the fridge is a great way to combat and problems with your axolotl or the heat. Axolotls should only be put in the fridge for up to a month and then taken out for a week to let their metabolism get up and running and get them feeding again. The reason we put axolotls in the fridge is to slow down their metabolism. This slows down their need for food which can be a life saver if your axolotl is not eating. It also slows down any pathogens which could be causing your axolotl problems and gives you some extra time to sort things out. Your axolotls will probably eat less during their stay but this is not a cause for concern unless they haven’t eaten in a month or more.

How to put your axolotl in the fridge…

Step 1: Find out what temperature your fridge is. This can be found by placing a thermometer in a glass of water. Anything below 5C is too cold. Either turn the fridge up or use the ‘ice and esky’ method.
Step 2: Find a food safe container that is big enough for your axolotl to lie flat in and turn around comfortably. A lid is not necessary but is advisable if you don’t want your baby to jump ship.
Step 3: Fill the container with your tanks water, enough to cover your axolotl comfortably. If floating is the problem make sure their feet can touch the bottom.
Step 4: Add the axolotl, place on lid and wrap the container in a towel (if your container is see through as the light from the fridge can spook them, also good for keeping temperature stable.
Step 5: You must do daily, complete water changes with fresh water as it will foul quickly. Keep another container in the fridge also so that the water will be the same temperature. If you are doing salt baths you can do this before you change them over to the new water. Food can be offered at this stage. Tip- keep two containers the same size in the fridge, that way you can just lift your axolotl into the new one and re-fill the old one.


This is by far a complete guide on axolotls and is intended to provide a little bit of help to people that dont know much about these gorgeous creatures. Have fun with your new babies and enjoy them!
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