Axolotls

[donna123]

i went to get some fish for my main tank,
and came across these cute animals, went home and read up on them,
had a 60ltr tank spare with filter already mature , put in sand and rocks, went to get one today.
hes ace although ive read lots on the net i would like a book, Axloltls by peter scott w.
has anyone got one for sale in the uk? also any more info would be good, mines 5inch at the moment and has bloodworms once a day, can they eat praws when older?
thanks Donna

 

[fish_master]

yes prawns are fine just peel them first so they cant choke and caudata is a great spot for axie info

 

[donna123]

thanks for your reply,
my axolotl is so much fun to watch, the kids love him, thanks for the link Donna

 

[mlawson]

Here is some more info if needed:

Axolotls are very interesting Salamanders which originate from Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco
in Mexico. They have they ability to regenerate limbs, aswell as spinal and brain regrowth unique
to most animals. They are Neotenic Salamanders, which means they stay in their larval form until
maturity. They are also totally aquatic and have large bushy gills. They come in many forms of colour
such as tan to black, albino and some spotted harlequin species.

They are large creatures and can grow upt o 35cm/14". I would keep 2-4 Axololts in a large 4ft tank with little
furnishings except some smooth rocks. No substrate is ideal as they can choke on gravel. If you do
provide a substrate ensure it is either fine grained silica sand or very large pebbles. They are tolerant to
most water conditions but require very clean water. Filter with a canister filter with a large biological
surface area. Use a gravel vacuum to clean up any excrement and debris at the bottom and carry out
partial water changes of 30% a week. Water depth does not need to be any more then 15cm/6in.
Axolotls are essentially temperate water newts so keep them at temperatures of 14-20C/57-68F.
They will eat a variety of foods including catfish pellets, frozen foods,live foods and earthworms
( A firm favourite! ). They are naturally carnivorous, but will consume some plants in the aqaurium.
Do not keep with other fish they will consume anything that can fit in their mouth and larger fish may harras
them.

They can be bred in aqauria but I would recommend it. It is difficult for the beginner to attempt this and
hatch rates are very low.

Axolotls are very interesting creatures and have tons of character.

Thanks
Mike