# Other Animals > Other Amphibians >  Axolotl care??

## froglover27

I am VERY interested in keeping one or two Axolotls!!(: I'm just curious about some care info. Also, where can you purchase an axolotl because my local pet store is Petsmart? Thanks in advance for the help!! I know you guys will be VERY helpful as always!!

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## Kitten

I would highly suggest joining caudata.org for all your Axolotl info/care. Care is pretty simple. If you can keep tropical fish, I'd say you could take care of an Axolotl just fine. I'm currently raising babies, but I've had experience with plenty of other animals that I had the confidence in raising the babies. It is a bit overwhelming, but fun!

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## froglover27

> I would highly suggest joining caudata.org for all your Axolotl info/care. Care is pretty simple. If you can keep tropical fish, I'd say you could take care of an Axolotl just fine. I'm currently raising babies, but I've had experience with plenty of other animals that I had the confidence in raising the babies. It is a bit overwhelming, but fun!



I keep African cichlids and fancy guppies, so I guess I'd do fine!!(: Thanks for the help! Is it difficult to keep up with the baby Axi's?

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## Kitten

I've kept both as well and currently have some African Cichilds. I've also kept Spotted Green Puffers in the past and they are on the advanced list I would think. Babies are high maitenence. They require live food for a couple of weeks until they grow limbs. Baby Brine Shrimp are the best to start them out on or daphnia if you can get ahold of them. I have my babies in separate deli cips to prevent babies from nipping/killing each other and they require daily water changes. I'm doing that for 25 babies right now.

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## froglover27

Gosh! 25 babies!! Do the babies need a certain water temperature? Also, does it matter if the brine shrimp are adults?? Thanks again(:

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## Whistly

I've always wondered what water do you use with axolotls?
Sorry to cut in Justine

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## Jen

Axolotls are very easy to keep - if you can provide the right water temperature - - They need cool water, meaning under 70*F at all times.  Temperatures above 75*F for any length of time can be fatal. In the summer this can prove very challenging in most regions so as long as you are sure you can meet the temperature requirements, then you can care for them easily. 

And for the babies - you have to feed newly hatched brineshrimp.  Adult brineshrimp are far too large.

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## Kitten

Sorry for the delay in response! I worked last night and didn't get a chance to get on the computer. 

Babies don't necessarily need a particular water temperature. They do prefer it colder. If you're hatching out eggs then the colder you keep them the longer it will take them to develop and the warmer you keep them the faster they develop. I think 65*F was what I was told as a good temperature to make sure they develop fully. And as mentioned adult brine shrimp are way too large for a baby to ingest. You have to set up a brine shrimp hatchery and make sure you have baby brine shrimp for a few weeks until they get their front limbs and then you can switch to frozen blood worms or frozen brine shrimp (adults).

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## froglover27

Okay cool(:  so adult brine shrimp are too large!? gosh.....tiny babies.....Thanks for the info guys!! Ive heard that brine shrimp are easy to hatch...is that true??

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## Kitten

For a newborn baby axolotl a full grown adult brine shrimp is too large for them to swallow. The babies are TINY, but they seem to grow at a somewhat fast pace. Brine shrimp are super easy to hatch if you have them set up right. Pretty much buy the San Fransico Bay hatchery kit and you're good to go. You can also just make a hatchery yourself. They are pretty simple.

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## froglover27

any idea where to get the kit?  haha sorry if I'm bugging you..Oh and can you put an axolotl iin a 35 hexagonal tank?

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## Reggie

I'm not sure what axolotl has do to with tropical fish keeping. They are not fish nor are they tropical. Keep them as you would a Hellbender or Japanese Giant Salamander, cool clean and water with lots of aireation. They will shut down at water temps above 75F. They will only thrive at water temps of 60-68F . Anything 70-74F will put alot of stress on them. Length and width is important , height is not and will consider to be wasted space. A 20 gal Long will be good for one or two specimens , 33 or 40 gal Long will be good for up to four specimens. There are lots of websites online that sell nice healthy animals just google " axolotl for sale " , you'll find four or five business on the first page. Most places sell neonates ( babies ) , so you can use a long narrow Critter Keeper or plastic sweater box PER ANIMAL as young are very hungry and canniblism is a given. Add a small pump and airstone as well as make sure you change the water with Dechlor water on a daily basis. If you choose an online company, they will most likely have customer support and will guide you in the correct way of axolotl husbandry. 
I wish I could keep axolotl here in Central Texas but the weather is too hot , they are a fascinating animal. Good Luck !!

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## Jen

> *I'm not sure what axolotl has do to with tropical fish keeping. They are not fish nor are they tropical.*


Keeping an axolotl is very similar to tropical fish keeping....or well, any fish keeping whether fresh, cold, salt, brackish etc.

It is about maintaining a healthy aquatic living environment revolving around the needs of your aquatic pet.  If you have a fair hand in fish keeping, then you know the importance of a clean and cycled living area, the importance of appropriate temperature for the specific species you are keeping (For instance, tropical fish need to be kept at higher temperatures than say coldwater fish for their health - a person keeping tropical fish monitors their temperature to make sure it stays at the proper elevation where as an axolotl keeper monitors their temperature to make sure it stays low. ).

So I think that some of the best African Clawed and Dwarf Frog keepers and Axolotl keepers are people who have been truly keeping fish for a period of time (I say truly as in they understand what a filter does, why it is important, and how vital it is to stable water chemistry). They understand how important and time consuming (at least at set up) a maintained and cycled filter can be.

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## Kitten

> any idea where to get the kit?  haha sorry if I'm bugging you..Oh and can you put an axolotl iin a 35 hexagonal tank?


You could try eBAY: San Francisco Bay Brand Brine Shrimp Hatchery Kit | eBay

Or to give you an idea of what it looks like ^ -- your local pet store _should_ carry this kit. My one job (which is a pet store) carries it and it's where I bought mine. It works fantastic. However, be sure to TIGHTLY screw the 2-litre bottle into the base or it will leak. I apparently hadn't screwed it on tightly enough to the base and (good thing I tested it first) the water had leaked out overnight.

And Jenna pretty much nailed it on the head. I wasn't saying you keep an Axolotl like a tropical fish. I was saying that if you have kept tropical fish or any type of fish then you can pretty much take care of an Axolotl.  :Wink:

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## Reggie

I understand where you're going with this and I agree to a basic point. You do need to understand the basics of water chemistry as well as the machinery in which you are operating. Personaly, I've never " cycled a tank " a day of my life nor has 100,000 other fish hobbyist. Whether you cycle a tank or not , you still do a regular, constant water change regardless. The tank doesn't start "cycling" until you put and animal in a tank and it releases waste. I am all for buying healthy bacteria at your LFS , it def. kick starts your biological bacteria. 
  Jeanna , 
  I see on your bottom quotes that you keep borealis and tropicalis, I've been looking at them on a website for a few months now and I've been thinking about getting a group of each. They have laevis piebald as well , which I've never seen , they do look strange but attractive. Do you enjoy your borealis and tropicalis ? How strong is the laevis piebald strain , ever had any health issues ?

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## froglover27

well..thanks for ALL the info!! sorry i haven't been on in awhile. I've been very busy lately(: any helpful tips anyone can give...just for basic care? Do they like special treats, or any toys(maybe?( :Smile:  Thanks in advance great people(:

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## Jen

I made my own brine shrimp hatchery kits - - use a 2 liter soda bottle and an aerator with airline and airstone and you are good to go.   I find the little ceramic pots from a craft store hold it upright perfectly. 

For adults...the basic guideline is
* a 2 foot tank minimum for one adult, 1 foot extra for each adult (always buy tanks for the adult size)
* diet of worms - bait store bought earthworms mixed with frozen bloodworms as a treat
* temperature - keep it below 70*F
* Keep up with water changes

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## KingCam

> * temperature - keep it below 70*F


 I've never understood how something like this can be accomplished under normal conditions.  Does anyone really keep their house cooler than 70 during the summer?  How can anyone afford that kind of an electric bill?!  My house easily gets up to 75 or 80 during the hottest months of summer and I'm still paying like $200 for electricity.

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## Jen

During the summer we move the tank into our bedroom so that it is directly in the path of our AC unit and we make out fine.  

Others buy chillers, others clip fans to the top of the tank and point them at the surface, others use a rotating frozen water bottle method....

It can be done  :Smile:

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## Reggie

I'd love to keep these but I just don't think it's condusive if you live in the south or south west like me , unless you're willing to do the extra work of switching out frozen water bottles or shell out the loot to your local electric company.

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## Jen

I have seen it done in many climates by the members of the sister forum, Caudata.org.   It is all about figuring out which works best for you.  Keeping the tank on the floor of a basement during the hottest months is another cheap solution.

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## chosen2030

I was wondering about substrate. I have read in care sheets that you can buy play sand from Home Depot and use that, but to rinse it until the water is clear. What exactly do they mean by that? Every time I put the hose in the bucket, it kicks up the sand and makes it look murky - it never runs clear!  :Confused:

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## Kitten

> I was wondering about substrate. I have read in care sheets that you can buy play sand from Home Depot and use that, but to rinse it until the water is clear. What exactly do they mean by that? Every time I put the hose in the bucket, it kicks up the sand and makes it look murky - it never runs clear!


You can buy play sand and rinse it well. I did that for my african cichilds, in fact when I had them. Wash until clear means exactly that - until the water isn't murky anymore. It takes awhile if you do a lot at a time. Try doing a small 2.5 gallon bucket at a time. Fill the 2.5 gallon bucket half with sand and rinse. Eventually the water will run clear - it just takes several minutes.

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## froggystyle

I got me some pool filter sand from ace hardware and it turns clear quick. 

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