
Tank
Adult axolotls on average reach 8″ long, some smaller and some bigger. Most people prefer a 10-20 gallon per axie. Depending on your filtration, some adjustment can be made. Use a lid or fill it to 3″ below the surface to prevent jumpers!
Water Care
A power filter rated for 10-20 gallons is ideal, just make sure the flow isn’t too strong. Sponge filters are also good. No filter? Daily water changes can be done instead. You can use a fan to keep the water cool. A good water conditioner is important to make tap water safe. Test strips are great to check your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels!
- Temperature: 60-68 degrees F
- pH: 7-8.5
- Ammonia & nitrite: 0
- Nitrate: Below 40


Friends
Generally, some safe tank mates for adult axolotls are:
- Mystery snails
- Minnows
- Ghost Shrimp
- Livebearers (mosquito fish, guppies, endlers, swords, mollies & platties)
- Zebra Danios
- Orange-finned Danios
- Dojo Loaches (same size as the axolotl)
- Golden Skiffas
- Other axolotls (when 6 months + old)
Note that some fish/shrimp may eventually become a snack! 🙂
Feeding
Axolotls are carnivores and love meat. They will happily eat:
- Earthworms
- Frozen bloodworms
- Blackworms
- Soft salmon pellets
- Raw deveined seafood
- Repashy Grub Pie
Babies should be fed 1-2X daily, and juveniles over 4 inches every other day. They don’t see well, so using tongs to hold the food in front of them can help them find it.


Decorations
One hide per axolotl is a good recommendation. You can even make your own as long as they don’t have sharp edges. Adult axolotls do well with a fine sand substrate. They like to grip onto things. Live plants help purify the water.