A common 10-gallon reptile aquarium can accommodate a single adult axolotl, but due to the large amount of waste produced by these messy creatures, a 20-gallon aquarium is a safer choice. Axolotls do not emerge from the water, so a land area would go unused. Fill the aquarium to the depth of your choice, but it will be easier to maintain good water parameters when the aquarium is filled, as you would for aquarium fish. A lid or aquarium hood should be kept in place at all times because axolotls have been known to jump out of their aquariums.

A filter will help maintain safe water parameters. The best choice is an external canister filter, but ensure the water outlet to the aquarium is fitted with a spray bar or other flow-spreading outlet. This is necessary because axolotls do not tolerate distinct water flow like fish. Axolotls that live in a noticeable water flow for a few months will go off food and develop stress-related diseases. Lack of appetite and forward-curled gills are usually a sign of stress from too much water flow.

Like the vast majority of amphibians, axolotls do not require lighting, and indeed, new axolotls may be shy if kept under bright lighting, though they will become accustomed to it if provided with some hiding places (the usual aquarium “furniture” such as caves, wood, plants, etc.). Lighting is generally for our viewing pleasure and for the benefit of aquarium plants and salamander habitat supplies. Choose a plant-friendly bulb, such as those sold for freshwater aquarium fish. Keep in mind that lighting fixtures often generate a lot of excess heat and this can be detrimental to axolotls.

Temperatures up to the low 70s Fahrenheit are tolerated well by axolotls. An ideal temperature range is the low to mid 60s. Temperatures above 74 degrees will invariably lead to heat stress, loss of appetite and death. If you cannot provide year-round temperatures below this limit, axolotls are not the ideal pet for your circumstances. If you must have an axolotl but you have temperature problems, consider buying an aquarium chiller for the warmer parts of the year.

The ideal substrate for axolotls is aquarium-safe sand like Aqua Terra’s Aquarium & Terrarium Sand. Axolotls have a bad habit of ingesting gravel and mouth-sized objects if they are available. This can lead to gut impactions and the death of the axolotl. If you wish to use gravel, consider large pebbles instead. Anything the size of an axolotl’s head or smaller can and will be consumed!

Salamander substrate is not essential – for Axolotls. Many keepers use no substrate at all – but it is certainly more pleasing to the eye in a display aquarium if a substrate is used, and it will also help to keep water parameters stable by providing surface area for beneficial bacteria.

Good staple foods for axolotls include live food such as nightcrawlers (large earthworms) and store bought frozen bloodworm cubes. Pellets are also available. 

Tap water is fine for axolotls, provided it is pretreated with aquarium water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramines. Axolotls are far more forgiving than aquarium fish when it comes to water quality, but a good filter and regular water changes should be employed nonetheless. If you’ve ever kept aquarium fish, follow a similar routine.

Ideally, a new aquarium and filter should be allowed to cycle for several weeks prior to the introduction of axolotls to let the water conditions settle and filter bacteria develop. Be sure to keep an eye on water parameters using a water test kit.

Here are the ideal water parameters for your axolotl:

 

  • pH – Ideal: 7.4-7.6 | Acceptable: 6.5-8.0
  • Ammonia – 0 parts per million
  • Nitrates – between 5 and 20 parts per million
  • Nitrites – 0 parts per million
  • Temperature – 60–68°F; never higher than 72°F

 

Normal

 

  1. Open the bag holding your new axolotl and gently pour the water and the animal into a large bowl or container.
  2. Slowly add ¼ cup of water from your cycled aquarium to the container once every 5 minutes for 30 minutes.
  3. After 30 minutes, use a net to gently remove your axolotl from the container and place it into your aquarium.
  4. Do not pour the water from the container back into the aquarium!

 

Rapid

 

  1. Take the bag holding your axolotl and, without opening it, place it into the aquarium water.
  2. Wait 15 minutes to allow the water temperatures in the bag and the aquarium to equalize.
  3. Use a net to gently remove your axolotl from the bag and place it into the aquarium.
  4. Do not spill any of the water from the bag into your new aquarium!