Question: Issues keeping two axolotls together

Hi everyone,

I have two axolotls, Yoshi and Quetzal. They were hatched together, but I separated them when they got big enough into two 10 gallon tanks. I now have a 20 gallon tank for them. However, Quetzal never seems to do well in this tank. There are plenty of hides, and I don't notice any biting going on. I do know he doesn't tolerate dirty water as well as Yoshi, and seems to be pickier in general. I've tried reintroducing him into the tank a few times, but he just doesn't take to it and stops eating.

I guess what I'm wondering is if there is any way to keep both of them in the same tank and what others would recommend? How does everyone else set up for two axies living together? Any suggestions? If it's better for him to just stay in a separate tank, I'm very willing to do that. It is mostly a convenience factor for me (cleaning 1 tank instead of 2), so not a huge deal.

Hi Staci,
I have three axolotls in each of my tanks. The mature males have always been together and generally seem fine. My juveniles have always been together (even in the shop), but the wild type is growing quicker, so although there has not been any major trouble, I may have to split them up for a while due to differences in size, unless the coppers have a growth spurt.
How old are your axolotls? What size are they? Younger axolotls are more prone to biting each other, but as they grow older they settle down. Also if one is more than an inch bigger than the other there will also be problems.
One of the ways to keep them in the same tank is by using a divider. These can be bought on line, or I've attached a link for making one.
Silly Axolotls
Make sure that they are well fed, the water parameters are perfect, and use a divider. Eventually you may be able to remove the divider and have them use the tank together.
Best of luck and please keep us posted on your progress. :happy:

They are 4 years old now, and were raised together for the longest time. Yoshi is a girl and Quetzel is a boy. Yoshi is fatter, but they are about the same size. Quetzel. They used to bite each other once in awhile, but that has definitely gotten better. A divider might work well...right now I separated them again. Thank you for the tips!