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Salamanders
Siren
Siren spp.
Advanced Family Sirenidae
An eel-like, front-legged aquatic salamander for the dedicated oddball keeper.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- Aquatic 40 gal+ (1), planted, tight lid
- Temp
- 65–78°F
- Floor
- Sand (they burrow) + hides — no gravel
- Food
- Worms, invertebrates, small fish
- Lifespan
- 15–25 years
✅ Surprisingly hardy and more heat-tolerant than a mudpuppy — a long-lived aquatic curiosity.
🛒 Before you buy
- A large planted aquatic tank with a TIGHT lid (they escape)
- A soft sand substrate to burrow into
- Strong filtration + hides
- Target feeding (they have poor eyesight)
A healthy one: Eel-like body, front legs, feathery gills · well-fleshed · clear skin · active at night.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Gills receding
- Not eating
- Fungus or lesions
- Gasping at the surface
⛔ Never
- Gravel (impaction)
- An open-topped tank
- Small tankmates it will eat
Common siren questions
How hard are Sirens to keep — are they good for beginners?
Advanced. An eel-like aquatic salamander with only front legs — a hardy oddball for the dedicated keeper.
What do Sirens eat?
Worms, invertebrates, small fish
What size tank do Sirens need?
Aquatic 40 gal+ (1), planted, tight lid
What temperature do Sirens need?
65–78°F
What substrate do Sirens need?
Sand (they burrow) + hides — no gravel
How long do Sirens live?
15–25 years
What are the signs Sirens are sick?
See an exotics vet if you notice: Gills receding; Not eating; Fungus or lesions; Gasping at the surface.
🧠 Myths, kindly busted
Common myths about this kind of amphibian, gently corrected — each one checked against a named source, never a pet-shop rumour.
“Axolotls are a kind of fish.”
They are actually amphibians — neotenic salamanders that keep their feathery gills and stay aquatic for life instead of transforming to live on land. Think aquatic salamander, not fish. — Animal Diversity Web
“Axolotls are fine in warm or room-temperature water.”
They are cold-water animals from cool high-altitude lakes and do best around 16–18°C, never above 24°C. Warm water stresses them and leaves them prone to illness, so many keepers use a chiller or fan in summer. — Royal Veterinary College
“Axolotls do fine sharing a tank with fish or other tankmates.”
Axolotls are solitary top predators that eat just about anything they can catch, including fish and even other axolotls. They are safest kept alone, where nothing nips their delicate gills and nothing becomes a snack. — Animal Diversity Web
🐸 Did you know? — Siren fun facts
Little true delights about the siren — each one checked against a named source, no old-wives' trivia.
- 🧬 Sirens have long eel-like bodies with only a tiny pair of front legs, so small they can be tucked away and hidden inside the gills. Wikipedia
- 🐸 To survive a drought, a siren can burrow into the mud and seal itself inside a cocoon made of its own dead skin cells, waiting there for years if needed. Wikipedia
- 🧬 Sirens keep their external gills their whole lives, never fully growing out of their larval form. Wikipedia
More amphibian fun facts →
📚 More salamanders guides
🎓 Ready to go deeper?
Past the basics — genetics & morphs, responsible breeding, tankmates, and advanced setups. Same plain voice, no ceiling:
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Free tools for the siren
