The Axolotl Care Cheat-Sheet
Bognookhonest amphibian care · bognook.com
Axolotl — Care Cheat-SheetIntermediateHardy, but demands cold water + a fully cycled tank.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- 20 gal long minimum (1 adult), +10 gal each extra
- Temp
- 16–18°C / 60–64°F — cold water, NO heater
- Floor
- Bare bottom or fine sand (never gravel)
- Food
- Earthworms/nightcrawlers (staple) · soft sinking pellets
- Lifespan
- 10–15+ years
Water: Ammonia 0 · Nitrite 0 · Nitrate <20 ppm · pH 7.0–8.0 · always dechlorinate
🛒 Before you buy
- 20 gal+ tank, cycled for 4–8 weeks BEFORE the axolotl
- Sponge or baffled filter (gentle flow), thermometer, liquid test kit
- Fine sand or bare bottom + a shaded hide
- A summer cooling plan (fan / chiller) — the setup often costs more than the animal
A healthy one: Full, fluffy gills · four legs and all toes · alert · no fungus or injuries · kept on sand (not gravel) in cool water.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Gills curling forward or shrinking
- Not eating for over a week
- Floating, bloating, or gulping air
- Cotton-like fungus, or red/irritated skin
Cool them down, reduce stress, and contact an exotics vet — most issues are reversible if caught early.
⛔ Never
- Warm water
- Gravel substrate
- Handling
🌿 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. 💚
