Question: Axolotls in a pond?

I am moving to Northern Florida and will most likely be allowed to use the pond at our new house. Can Axolotls live in an outdoor pond? It is in a covered and fenced in courtyard, and I will probably make a screen to cover it at night just in case. If it freezes over in the winter I will bring them in or put a heater in the pond. It's somewhere between 100-200 gallons. It's in the shade so it probably won't get too hot in the summer, but if it does I can easily cool it down. I LOVE axolotls, for the past 4 years I have been trying to get one, and every single attempt has failed. it makes me really sad because I think they're amazing creatures but they're so hard to find up in MA and shipping has not done well for me. I think I'll have better luck of finding them locally down there. But if it's not ethical to keep them in the pond then I can't get any, because I already have 2 tanks of fish, a tortoise, and a cat that I'm lugging down there.

Any help or ideas are appreciated and loved!!!!

They do well in a pond, but you have to carefully manage the risks, which you've already mostly identified. Namely predators and heat. I don't think there is anywhere in FL where they would freeze hard enough to matter (a thin sheet of ice-over occasionally won't hurt them). The other risk is a disease called anchorworm. You'd need to net the axolotl(s) every week or two and put them in a clear container to examine them closely for problems.

On the whole, though, if it were me, I would probably go the traditional route and put in goldfish or koi.

My father-in-law has a pond in his courtyard and I've learned from him that the bottem of the pond at lowest is 6 celcius, in which Axolotl's can well survive. So, in theory they should survive it. He would like to have them too, but his pond is now full of goldfish and some large ones, so probably the axolotl's will be eaten.

I considered having my axolotl in a pond, but then realised I wouldn't be able to see so much of them

That's weird that you have had so much trouble in MA. I'm right next door in CT and have had no problems at all. I have 6 and am raising 1 now. I could have parted with 1 if you had were willing to make a short drive.

As for the pond....I wouldn't recommend it as I would think feeding would be tough, and as Julia said you wouldn't get much joy out of the experience.

The great thing about a pond is that the axolotls would "live off the fat of the land", at least to some extent. They would eat naturally-occurring insects, mosquito larvae, etc.

I agree completely with the comments that you will not see them much. I have mine in a small indoor pond, and they are really not much to look at when you only see them from above.

Jennewt said:

I have mine in a small indoor pond, and they are really not much to look at when you only see them from above.

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Wow, really? How is that set up, Jen?

Jennewt said:

The great thing about a pond is that the axolotls would "live off the fat of the land", at least to some extent. They would eat naturally-occurring insects, mosquito larvae, etc.

I agree completely with the comments that you will not see them much. I have mine in a small indoor pond, and they are really not much to look at when you only see them from above.

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As per your first post, I've seen/dealt with anchorworm before, not pretty but I've learned from the best how to take care of it (my old supervisor at the aquarium.) I see no problem putting them in a container every once in a while to make sure they're okay.

The pond is too small for goldfish or koi. Both of those fish can reach lengths over 1'. Full grown koi are absolutely humungous, something like the size of a human baby. could keep maybe 1 of either in my pond (fully grown) but it wouldn't be a very happy fish, as in addition to the length, they're rather beefy.

I don't think feeding them would be a problem, my memory is faulty and the pond is a lot different than I remembered it. I've had it cleaned out and running for two weeks now and this is what I've gathered: It stays cold, even on hot days, and if I had axoltols, even the darker colored ones, I'd be able to see them perfectly fine at the bottom. Versus being indoors in a tank, I would never see them because I spend most of my time outside, it's too nice here to stay indoors, especially after being cooped up because of the cold back in MA.

Thanks for all of the replies everyone! Now I just need to cycle the pond, build an escape proof/get in proof cover, and then I'll be lookin' for some axolotls. If anyone knows where to get them near St. Augustine, Fl, I'd appreciate the tip!

vanillaXtiffy said:

I am moving to Northern Florida and will most likely be allowed to use the pond at our new house. Can Axolotls live in an outdoor pond?

Any help or ideas are appreciated and loved!!!!

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when i was growing up we had our axie in a fish tank , then moved him to a pond and being in australia it gets very hot down here. But he did survive for many years! and lived quiet happily in a pond and amazingly with goldfish , until a bigger goldfish ate him! so unfortunately that is how he died! i considered making a pond for my axie , but instead went with a 3ft tank.

You can definitely house Axolotls in a pond if it is in a climate that is not subject to temperature extremes.

But i don't think it would be very interesting for you, you would practically never see them, especially not if the pond has black pond liner and you are dealing with wildtype axies.

Of course it would still be decently cool, and probably provide a good environment for them, but in terms of viewing pleasure it would provide nothing

vanillaXtiffy said:

The pond is too small for goldfish or koi. Both of those fish can reach lengths over 1'.

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Am I wrong in thinking that axolotls can get to that size too?!

Quoted from axolotl.org - "gives them time to reach their full size (greater than 30 cm or 12 inches in many cases)" Axolotls - Breeding Axolotls Successfully

Admittedly, they're different shapes, but just wanted to check it was considered.

memojo1979 said:

Am I wrong in thinking that axolotls can get to that size too?!

Quoted from axolotl.org - "gives them time to reach their full size (greater than 30 cm or 12 inches in many cases)" Axolotls - Breeding Axolotls Successfully

Admittedly, they're different shapes, but just wanted to check it was considered.

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Yes, but along with the length, goldfish are beefy and they swim around a lot, whereas axolotls are more flexible. I could keep several 1' axolotls in it and they would have plenty of room. Not so with goldfish. Koi are just out of the question, they really do get gigantic.

I know this thread is a bit old but thought I would comment anyway. We go to our country home in the summer often for over a month and leaving our axolotls outside in a shaded pond with feeders got them through the summer. Most recently, we left them in the house for three weeks (the last couple of weeks of March and first week of April) and they were fine. We made a quick getaway after the big earthquake here and the power plant meltdown. I did stuff them for a day or so before we left with frozen food and changed the water.