What is The Right Tank Size For an Axolotl?

If you are a novice axolotl or a high school student learning about animals like me, you have probably been wondering what size tank is right for your axolotl. Having owned fish before, I’ve wondered how different an axolotl tank can be. It turns out they can be quite similar.

What is the right tank size for an axolotl? Axolotl tanks should be no less than two feet in length. These tanks should be wider than they are tall, as axolotls prefer to explore the bottom of their tank or just chill and float at the very top of the water in their tank.

If you’re planning on setting up an axolotl tank, there are a few things you should know before you do.

Setup (what to include)

As I mentioned earlier, axolotls prefer space to move around the bottom of their tanks. Because of this, you want to give your axolotl the space it needs. Adult axolotls grow up to a foot in length, so you should give your axolotl at least a 2-foot tank.

When purchasing your tank, you need to take into account that you not only need space for your axolotl, but also space for decorations.

You’ll find that axolotls like the dark, so they’ll be much happier in a tank that gives them space to sit and hide. Whether it’s plants or other hidden holes, this is a key to keeping your axolotls happy.

Be careful when including live plants in your tank! Axolotls often uproot and sometimes even squash plants in their tank. It’s not because they don’t like the plants there, your axolotl is just trying to use the plant as a resting place.

It also doesn’t necessarily require you to fill up your tank like you would with a fish. Mainly because your axolotl will really spend most of its time at the bottom of the tank.

Whether or not to include gravel at the bottom of your tank is entirely up to you. However, most axolotl owners do not want to trap gravel in case the axolotl swallows it and develops impaction.

If you want to use a substrate for your axolotl, I would recommend using fine sand over gravel. Or just go with a bare butt.

Take care of the tank

Before you buy your axolotl, you have to consider that these animals are messy! This means you must be willing to put the time and effort into maintaining and maintaining a clean tank to keep your axolotl happy.

The first two things you need to buy next to your tank are a water filter and a thermometer.

For axolotls, you should use a low-flow filter. If your filter has a strong current, your axolotl will be stressed. Here are the top three suggestions I could find for novice axolotl owners when filtering their tanks
Sponge filter (although you need a really big sponge)
Hang-on back filter (only part of it goes in the tank)
canister filter

The easiest filter to manage for a beginner is probably a hang-on-back filter. These filters take up the least amount of space in your tank and are the easiest for you to clean. You can even add a sponge for easier filtration.

Your axolotl will be very unhappy if you keep the temperature in his tank too high. Axolotls are native to mountain areas in Mexico where the water temperature stays cool during the day.

You should keep your axolotl’s water temperature in a range of 60-68 degrees. Make sure you use a thermometer to track the water temperature.

pH is a big deal when it comes to keeping a pet in the water. And it’s no different for axolotls. You should keep the pH of your pet’s water at around 6.5 to 8 on the pH scale.

In addition to filtration, it’s also important to change the water in your axolotl’s tank weekly to get rid of any debris or debris that your filter wasn’t able to remove from the water. Just be sure to check the temperature. and pH of the water as you change it.

Can I put other animals in the tank with my axolotl?

Axolotls do much better in tanks with their own species. If you’re thinking of adding fish to the tank with your axolotl, it may be best to reconsider that decision.

Many axolotl owners have found that one of two things would happen if they added fish to their tank…

Either the fish would nibble on the axolotl’s gills, or the axolotl would eat the fish!

It wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing to include some food animals in your axolotl if you intend to have your axolotl eat its tankmates at some point.

But be careful customer! Axolotls 6 inches and under have been known to eat other axolotls that were in the tanks with them! In other words, it’s possible for your smaller axolotls to become cannibals!

Things to watch out for

maintenance of your tank
If you don’t change your axolotl’s water regularly, they can get sick and stressed very easily. You may notice fungi growing in your axolotl’s gills. This is a good sign that you are not caring for your axolotl tank properly.

To prevent this from happening, make sure you follow the steps below
Weekly water changes
clean filter
Maintaining an appropriate pH
Maintain low ammonia and nitrate levels
regeneration

One of the most amazing things about axolotls is that they are known to regenerate limbs and sometimes even vital organs.

In fact, axolotls can teach us a lot about the human body through their regenerative powers. However, you should be extra cautious if you notice any aggression in your axolotls.

If you keep more than one axolotl in a tank, make sure you feed them regularly. Axolotls can easily mistake another axolotl’s limbs as their next meal. This mistake can take the life of one of your axolotls if not caught quickly and too much blood is lost.

Keep the tank cool
Axolotls can easily overheat in the warmer months if you don’t check the water temperature regularly. Keep in mind that these animals are native to mountain lakes, so they prefer to be in colder water.

If you notice that your axolotl has started to develop white patches on his skin, he or she is probably a bit stressed and overheated. You need to start lowering the temperature in the water.

Some people use fans to cool the water in their axolotl tanks when the weather warms up.

You may also be able to find a cheap cooling system for your aquarium to prevent future overheating.

What is The Right Tank Size For an Axolotl? -FAQs

Are Axolotls Difficult to Groom?

Axolotls are relatively low-maintenance pets. As long as you have a good filter and treat your water with a water conditioner, you should be able to live a happy life. Also, make sure to change water frequently throughout the week. Please use caution when checking your axolotl’s water.

How many liters does an axolotl need?

There is no set number of liters set in stone for axolotls. However, from my understanding, the general rule of thumb for axolotls is that you need about 30 liters of water per adult axolotl.

Can you take an axolotl out of the water?

Definitely not! Taking your axolotls out of the water can cost them their lives! Axolotls are amphibians and fully aquatic animals. In some very rare cases, your axolotl can transform and become land dwellers. But as a general rule, keep your axolotl in the water!

How big is the axolotl?

The axolotl grows up to 25 centimeters in size and up to 25 years old. The amphibian has existed for around 350 million years, but only in small numbers: there are now far more specimens living in laboratories than in the wild

Is an axolotl dangerous?

For keeping axolotls at home, this also means that even after years, axolotls, like other amphibians and reptiles, do not get used to us humans. This naturally unfamiliar closeness causes stress in the animals – which is why you should never touch them or hold them in your hand.

Can axolotls live on land?

Axolotls are newts. They are amphibians, like frogs. Most axolotls live only in water and do not crawl on land. “You have lungs.

Can you eat an axolotl?

Supposedly they taste best fried and then something between chicken and fish (that seems to be cross-cultural: as soon as you eat previously unknown meat, everyone says it tastes kind of like chicken).

How old are axolotls when they are 10 cm tall?

Hi, after almost 90 days, the babies can have reached a size of 10 cm with optimal rearing. However, one cannot draw conclusions about the age purely from the size of 10 cm, since various factors of the individual rearing methods have a significant influence.