This information will tell you everything you need to know before bringing an axolotl home.
Somewhere in the post are two "passwords". These words must be provided before I approve aby purchases. Providing the words, is your acknowledgement and agreement to our “pet only, no breeding policy”. As well as our purchasing agreement.

Deposit is non-transferable and nonrefundable. We hold lotls for 1 week with a deposit, for each additional week there is a $10 care charge.

If the lotl is not paid for in full and picked up/shipped by day 8, you forfeit your deposit.
If you have any questions after reading this or just clarification on something please ask!

TUBBING
Yes!!! You can absolutely keep axolotls in tote bins/tubs instead of tanks. However, this means FULL daily water changes EVERYDAY.
The tub size depends on the size of your lotl.
Baby's 3"-5" can stay in small shoe box size tubs that hold at least 1-2 gallons of water. This size can be bought at dollar stores.
I use big mugs as hides in these tubs. Nothing else is needed in a tub for this size lotl.
Once your lotl is 6" you will need to upgrade their tub. I use under the bed storage totes at this size to adulthood. They will also need a bigger hide, more gallons and a lid if it’s shallow.
Tote bins are a better choice if you cannot keep the water cool. They are taller so no lid is required and you can clip a fan on the rim to keep the water cool. Floating ice packs/bags is another option.

TANK SIZE
One adult axolotl requires a minimum of a 20 gallons. A LONG aquarium is best. Axolotls need more floor space than height. They are bottom dwellers, spending the majority of their time on their bottom of the tank. Axolotls will climb and swim so I do like some height in a tank but not a “tall” tank. I add ZooMed Repti Hammocks, tall decor and driftwood to my tanks to create levels.
I recommend waiting until your Axolotl is at least 4 inches before putting them into any tank. Reasoning is it’s a lot of work for them to swim to the surface for air and it’s harder to feed them tiny bits of worm in a tank.
**** THE TANK NEEDS TO BE FULLY CYCLED BEFORE ADDING ANY PET!!

Cycling is a whole process that takes WEEKS. On average, 12 weeks from scratch. So please do not listen to your pet store when they say “just fill with water and add prime”. That is not cycling.

FILTERS
HOBS (hang on back) and canisters are recommended.
Sponge filters are not adequate filtration on their own but are a great addition of biological filtration. Canister filters are best for tanks over 40g.
You will need double the filtration per gallon of your tank.
The more filtration the better.
Example;
A 20g needs 40g of filtration . Some filters can have too strong of a flow. You can maneuver any filter to lower the flow by stuffing filter floss, plants or a sponge in the output.
If you use a HOB you’ll need to purchase proper media. If it only comes with those god awful disposable white pouch full Of charcoal or anything that says disposable, its trash. What should be in your filter is thick sponges/foam, floss and ceramic beads. Beads go in first. Sponges should go where the water enters the filter as it traps the fragments. Any empty space should be stuffed with filter floss.
Ask us about purchasing our seeded media that will save you months of cycling.

WATER CHANGES
You need to do a 20% water change every week which equals to 4g/20g. This prevents ammonia/nitrate buildup. If you don’t do water changes it will build up and it could cause your axolotls skin to get ammonia burn, shed their slime coat or worse. For smaller tanks I use a big juice jug and a scoop water out, discard and then fill it with cold tap water, add 2 drops of SEACHEM PRIME water conditioner to each gallon of water. SEACHEM PRIME is the safest most recommended water conditioner for amphibians. This is added to ALL NEW WATER!!! This will keep the water safe for your axolotl. Chlorine and other chemicals that are added to our tap water are masked by prime for 24 hours which is how long it takes for the chemicals to evaporate.
Adding course picking salt to your tank has been proven to be beneficial. 1tbsp per 10 gallons to start, and replaced with each water change. Dissolve the salt in hot water, let cool, add prime and then add the salt water to the tank.
THIS IS NOT A SALT BATH NOR DOES THIS MAKE IT A SALTWATER TANK.
Salt baths are unsafe and cause severe skin irritation.

TANK DECOR
Your axolotl needs at least one hide that they can fit their whole body in and turn around in.
Axolotls need “safe spaces”. Mine honestly do not hide that often but they need the option if they feel like it.

LIGHTING
Axolotls do not have eyelids. They have no protection from strong light so naturally they’re sensitive to bright light.
No direct sunlight, mainly because it’ll warm your tank and cause algae growth. You could black out the outside glass though. Regular house lighting is perfectly fine. An adjustable LED light is safe. I use submersible multicolored LED rods. They provide adjustable white light for viewing, and blue light to see the GFP glow. LED strip lights, the kind that we use in our bedrooms are great too. DO NOT EVER use a black light whatsoever. It’s stronger than a blue light and is actually painful to their eyes.

WATER TEMPS
Axolotls thrive in COLD WATER.
16°c-18°c is perfect but if you can keep the tank between 15°-20° STEADY all year round, you’re golden. Fluctuating temps can cause fungus.
You will more then likely need a fan to keep your water temps cold during summer. I keep my house cold and even my big tanks need fans in the summer.
I recommend actual aquarium fans. You can use a regular fan, clip on or just one angled across the surface to move water around.
When using a fan, you’ll lose a bit of water over a few days since water is cooled by evaporation. You’ll still need to do a 20% water change on top of the evaporation.
If you don't have A/C, you'll need a chiller which can be costly. The bigger the tank, the colder it will stay.
I stay away from digital thermometers. Once the batteries get low they’re not accurate. The first pass word is black.

 

BUBBLERS
Bubblers are not essential but another highly recommended item. Most axolotls do enjoy playing in the bubbles and it’s just beneficial overall to promote oxygen. Plus, there are some super cute bubbler decor options. You can be simple and use a small pump And air stone. Or you can use a bubble rod that creates a bubble wall. I like these for the middle of my tank, it gives them something for them to swim through and play in. Too much oxygenation can raise ph.

SUBSTRATE
Absolutely NO GRAVEL OR SMALL ROCKS EVER!!!! To be 100% safe, anything smaller than twice the lotls head size should be avoided or glued down.
Axolotls suck up the water around their food to eat. Basically, Inhaling their surroundings. They can fit anything twice the size of their heads in their mouths. This will cause impaction and most likely lead to a slow painful and preventable death. If you insist, glue them together or create a solid floor using epoxy.
Fine aquarium Sand is safe AFTER they reach 4” but you need to either tong feed or use a mason jar or reptile dish to prevent sand inhalation. 5” is safe, they are better eaters by this point and can handle some sand inhalation but I’d still recommend the other feeding options.
Bare-bottom (nothing) is some owners choice, I personally hate it. Axolotls need something to help with friction since they don't naturally have anything to help them grip smooth surfaces. Others use slate or epoxy something to the floor of the tank like Lego flats or river rocks (fist size).

 

DECOR
Keeping it simple is best at first.
I start with sand, a hide, a hammock and a bubbler.
The plastic zoo-med hammocks with suction cups and no metal rings are what I use. For hides, anything that is not meant for water will need to be coated with plastidip or krylon fusion spray. I prefer ceramic reptile hides. They are usually coated for humidity and are heavy enough to sink.
Do not purchase anything from the Nate & Jeremiah line. It’s safe for reptiles but the hides leech toxins into water.
Real plants are always beneficial as they remove nitrates. Bamboo, pothos and matured jungle vals are all I have in my tank. I don't need any lights for these. Most aquarium plants are safe but the majority require fertilizer and UV lights which I don't care for.
I love driftwood, its natural and aesthetically pleasing to look at. It also helps lower PH in your tank.

 

AXOLOTL DIET
When I first started keeping axolotls there was so much misinformation out there, mostly about diet! Basically, your lotl can live happily just eating live earth worms. Just like we buy at the bait shop! Red wigglers, dew worms, trout worms, Canadian nightcrawlers and European nightcrawlers are most common.
CountryBait.com is a fantastic bait company I support.
There are many worm choices available locally that are best for our lotls. Red wigglers/trout worms, nightcrawlers are their staple food. After 6” I add in some self bred guppies for them to hunt and eat. Ghost shrimp are great but expensive snacks. The omega 3 fatty oils in Frozen salmon helps them poop. Bloodworms are complete trash, just don’t bother using them. These are like crack for your lotl. They are unhealthy and addictive.
There are a few good pellet options as a second food choice. Most reek like fish and make the water smell so I don’t feed my older lotls pellets, only in tubs. If they don’t get eaten it will affect your water parameters as well.
I use North Fin ProGold 2mm pellets for the younger lotls, adults would need the 6mm pellets.
Size/Age of lotl = how much they should eat
Red wigglers to start as they are the smaller or the worm options.
European nightcrawlers for bigger appetites.
These can be bought at pet stores, bait shops or by me .
I personally stock worm bins and use them to compost! It’s another great teaching activity for kids as well!
Juveniles will start to eat tiny CUT UP pieces of red wrigglers at only 2”. They are skinny, small red earthworms. You should cut up no larger than the width of your axos head and slowly increase the size when you see it’s easy for them to eat.
I recommend feeding as much as they’ll eat in about 10 minutes twice a day until they are about 6”. Around 6” most will eat about 2 red wrigglers every morning and night. This age is when I find they eat the most. Around 8”, I feed every 2 nights and after 18 months old I feed every 3 nights. There is no set amount they should eat, if your lotl is maintaining a healthy weight, don't worry about how much they are eating. My adults eat anywhere from 2-5 red wigglers/2-3 nightcrawlers every 3 days.
If you can’t handle cutting up live worms... suck it up or don’t buy a young axolotl
A trick I’ve heard of is using a pizza cutter and cutting board. The second pass word is Onyx.
A turkey baster will be your best friend. It’s the perfect tool to pick up their poop out without making a mess. You can also use a turkey baster to feed worms as well.

FAQ
Can I have more than one lotl in one tank?
Yes! You can keep multiple SAME SEX lotls together. However, you cannot guarantee the gender until they are about a year old. Males typically start showing between 8-12 months. Rarely will a male be a late bloomer but it can take the full 18 months. Once they’re 18 months and no male cloaca is visible we can say it is in fact female.
YOU CANNOT KEEP A MATURED MALE AND FEMALE TOGETHER EVER!!! The male will breed the female to death. This is not an exaggeration. It is their instinctual behavior, you cannot stop them. If you do end up with one of each you can separate them using a solid/mesh divider if the tank is big enough. If not, you'll need two tanks. The divider must be very sturdy. Males can and will find a way through if they can.
Keeping multiple ungendered lotls together is risky. Around 6 months old you will need to very pay close attention to body shape & cloaca (genitals). If you see any differences they’ll need to separate immediately. Males will have a kidney bean elongated bump behind their back legs once they start showing. Females will also get a small bump but not elongated like a kidney bean, just a circular bump. Males tend to be slimmer, females wider bellied.
If you end up with eggs, they’ll need to be collected and frozen for 3 days before disposing. This is what we call "culling" eggs. THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL. The female should be removed from the tank and tubbed immediately after laying eggs. She'll need extra meals to gain her nutrients back.
Why do I have to wait until they are 3"/3 Months old to buy one?
As larvae (newborns) axolotls are about half the size of a grain of rice. They will only eat tiny live food. They need to be fed 3 times a day and water changes to keep the water as clean as possible at this most fragile stage. Baby brine shrimp is what I feed from birth- 2". They need to be hatched from eggs every 12 hours using a bubbler, heat, light and lots of tedious work. Axolotls grow about an inch a month on average. So around 2 months old I start feeding krill gold pellets and tiny bits of red wiggers by hand, twice a day using a pipette. This takes me hours and hours depending how many I am raising.
How do I know if a lotl is healthy?
No reputable breeder will sell before 3"/3 months old.
Your lotl should have all 4 limbs, 6 fluffy gills and eating well before they are brought home. If the are missing limbs and/or gills, its likely they were kept with siblings and were underfed leading to nipping.
Somewhere in this post are two "secret" words", please provide them when inquiring about purchasing your new pet from us.

It is required before purchases are approved. This is how we ensure you have been properly informed on the care needed.