lighting

should adult axolotls be kept in light, I used to turn the light on and they got really freaked out so I stopped, now I have started turning it on again and it seems to make them more active, is this the wrong thing to do.

Hi again Axieboy,

You should place your tank in an area where it is away from strong light, including sunlight and halogen lamps, cool and free from excessive human or animal traffic.

That said, if you do keep live plants in the tank, and thus have aquarium lighting, you can still have the lights on for up to 6 hours in the day. That would be sufficient for your plants to grow and not too excessive that it stresses the axolotls. Axolotls prefer dim light conditions. Therefore, it is always good to provide hiding places such as pipes, pots, caves and plants where they can retreat to in the shade.

Axolotls rely on smell and vibrations much more than sight to hunt for prey and feed. They do not really require much light. You do not need to keep them in complete darkness though. Dim lighting is fine, especially since you would want to be able to enjoy viewing your pets as well.

Cheers.

Hi Axieboy,

There is more than enough light in daylight for an axolotl. As Ray has said the two other reasons for lighting the tank are for plant growth and viewing. If you are going to light your tank do some research and choose a light from the cooler end of the spectrum that wont produce too much heat.