Tank size for 2 axolotls?

celticcrow77 · Mar 5, 2011

Hello! I'm looking to bring home two axolotls, and was wondering what a good average tank size is. I was poking around my local stores, pricing things out, and saw a few I thought might be good based on reading some threads on this forum. I saw some 30" long ones and didn't know if that was still too small and have to go up to 36". There were some varying widths and heights. What's a good, comfortable tank size for two axies?

carsona246 · Mar 5, 2011

a 40 breeder would be a pretty decent size for 2. More is always better, I'd check out craigslist instead of going to a petstore if I were you. I found a 40 breeder for $50, which is much better compared to the 100 or so bucks I would have spent had I gotten a petstore tank. 30" long tanks would be good enough, but just remember floor space is more important than gallons. If you have a 20 high vs a 20 long, the 20 long is a significantly better tank.

Shizeric · Mar 5, 2011

I have 2 in a 30 gallon, which is 36" long, and they are healthy and the water parameters are easy to keep appropriate. But, as always, the bigger the better.

celticcrow77 · Mar 6, 2011

Yeah, I was thinking at least the 36" long for two of them. I didn't even think of craigslist! LOL Thanks for the idea, that'll save me a handful if I can find a good tank at a decent price!

Boo Penguin · Mar 8, 2011

Length is more important than height cause axi's aren't so much swimmers as walkers. So having a long low tank is really perfect... so long as its a long tank.

I've got a single juvenile in a 24" tank right now but am upgrading to a 3foot one soon as its cycled. And possibly getting a friend fro him. They are critters who like space... and pleant of hiding spots

celticcrow77 · Mar 8, 2011

Awesome. I have a friend GIVING me a 36x18x17" tank that she doesn't use anymore. That's like $100 saved! Whoo! She says all it needs is a good scrub and possibly a little extra silicone sealant to be sure nothing's leaky.

Any suggestions on cleaning solutions? And any suggestions on the proper sealant to use?

celticcrow77 · Mar 8, 2011

Nevermind, I just found a really good thread on what kinds of glue can and can't be used. Thank you anyhow! Now to research cleaning methods...

Jake · Mar 8, 2011

Axolotls really do not require a lot of space. You can comfortably house a pair of adults in a 20 gallon long without problems.

Think about it, we all keep axolotls and we all know that these are certainly not active animals (except when mating or irritated by poor water quality).

The benefit of a larger tank wouldn't necessarily be to house them more comfortably. They will get just as much use from a 20 gallon as they would an 80 gallon. Most of the day a healthy axolotl will sit on the bottom of the tank. The main benefit of a large tank is keeping water quality in check. Dilution is the solution to pollution

ikeyballz · Mar 8, 2011

Is a 10 gallon tank too small for two adults?

Jake said:
Axolotls really do not require a lot of space. You can comfortably house a pair of adults in a 20 gallon long without problems.

Think about it, we all keep axolotls and we all know that these are certainly not active animals (except when mating or irritated by poor water quality).

The benefit of a larger tank wouldn't necessarily be to house them more comfortably. They will get just as much use from a 20 gallon as they would an 80 gallon. Most of the day a healthy axolotl will sit on the bottom of the tank. The main benefit of a large tank is keeping water quality in check. Dilution is the solution to pollution

celticcrow77 · Mar 8, 2011

I would probably hazard to say that 10 gallons IS in the "too small" category for 2 adults. I've heard of people keeping a single juvenile in one for a while, but I couldn't really see putting two adults in one... Maybe try posting your own thread so people can see your question and to get their opinions?

I'm obviously new to this as well and am working out all the kinks of starting my own axie set up. Despite being new, I HAVE been doing a ridiculous (and by ridiculous, I MEAN ridiculous...) amount of research, so if you'd like to message me back and forth on here we can work out being new axolotl owners together!

ikeyballz · Mar 8, 2011

Haha, thanks lindsay. I've been doing a fairly good amount of research too and I am getting a huge discrepancy between sources, so I figured I'd jump on into your thread since I had the same question. Mine are still juvies so they're only 4-5 inches in length so my tank is probably okay for now. I've heard "5 gallons per axie" is good enough, and now I'm hearing other numbers here so I was a bit curious. sorry for the thread jack!

Shizeric · Mar 8, 2011

10 gallons is not large enough for 2 adults Axolotls, you need at LEAST a 20 gallon long for 2, and that's still on the small side.

celticcrow77 · Mar 8, 2011

No problem for the thread jack! Sometimes it's useful to keep a thread going to see all the multitudes of comments.

Yeah, I think the "5-gallon-per-axie" rule sounds far too spartan for these lil guys. Considering on average they can be 8-9 inches long, but regularly can get larger, these are quite large as far as salamanders go. I'm sure it's not super NECESSARY to have a huge tank, but I'm sure they appreciate it.

ikeyballz · Mar 9, 2011

cool, thanks for the replies. Guess I'm gonna be searching for a new place to put an aquarium as these guys get bigger. theres some nice used 20L's for around the same price as what I purchased mine, but i just picked the 10 since it fit nicely in my room.

iChris · Mar 9, 2011

the best advice anyone can give you is to get the biggest tank that is within your budget and space constraints, but as a general rule, atleast 50L for each axolotl, larger volume of water will be easier to keep stable, both chemistry wise and temperature wise, and buffer against the waste that your axie will excrete.

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