The Mudpuppy Care Cheat-Sheet
Bognookhonest amphibian care · bognook.com
Mudpuppy — Care Cheat-SheetAdvancedA fully-aquatic, permanently-gilled native giant — for cold-water specialists.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- Aquatic 55 gal+ (1), cold and cycled
- Temp
- COLD 50–68°F (may need a chiller)
- Floor
- Sand or bare bottom + hides — no gravel
- Food
- Earthworms, fish, crustaceans
- Lifespan
- 20+ years
✅ Hardy and very long-lived in genuinely cold, clean water — a fascinating aquatic native.
🛒 Before you buy
- A large, COLD-water tank (a chiller in warm climates)
- Strong filtration + excellent oxygenation
- Sand/bare bottom + hides
- The knowledge they live 20+ years
A healthy one: Full, red bushy gills · well-fleshed · clear skin · calm on the bottom in cold water.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Gills receding or pale
- Not eating
- Fungus or lesions
- Gasping (too warm / low oxygen)
Cool them down, reduce stress, and contact an exotics vet — most issues are reversible if caught early.
⛔ Never
- Warm water (a killer)
- Gravel
- A poorly-oxygenated tank
🌿 Golden rules (all amphibians)
- Cycle the tank BEFORE the animal (ammonia = 0).
- Always dechlorinate tap water.
- Cool beats warm — most amphibians are cool/cold species.
- Look, don’t handle — their skin absorbs oils & soaps.
- Buy captive-bred, never wild-caught. Quarantine new arrivals.
- Never release a pet into the wild (it spreads disease).
- A real setup costs more than the animal — budget for it.
- When in doubt, ask — no shame in learning. 💚
