Tank mates

Hi everyone,

Just a quick one, we have a wild pattern axolotl called Rasta and have had him for around 7 months. Hes grown loads and seems happy and healthy in his 90l tank, what we were wondering if he might be a little lonely. My dad has a pond in his garden that has a lot of common/smooth newts in it, what are peoples views on introducing one or two of these in with Rasta? Is this a bad idea, there is some considerable size difference but they're not small enough to fit in his mouth?

Anyway, your advice and opinions are greatly appreciated!
Lewis

no - 1. the smooth newts are wild animals and do not want to be your pet - putting them in a tank with an axolotol could stress them tp death - imagine you being forced to live with a permanently hungry lion 2. being wild animals they could have all kinds of diseases and 3. your axolotl will, unequivocably, eat the newt.

the only tankmate suitable for an axolotl is another axolotl - there are no sensible or humane alternatives

If you want tank mates, you have to be okay with them most likely being eaten eventually.

I would definitely not introduce wild-caught newts.

In my axolotl tank, I have ghost shrimp - and they tend to last a while before being eaten. I have also had guppies that I breed myself in there - but the last one of an original 7 got eaten a few days ago and I don't have any at this time suitable to moving in (I try for ones that are not too big, not too tiny).

I've always been curious on snails? I've had a couple snails that were rather large. Probably as big as my axolotl's head. I'm sure it wouldn't be as time went on and the axolotls got bigger, but I really don't see the harm in a snail.

Yes snails are fine with axolotls as long if they cant fit in the axolotls mouth they are a great addition to the tank too as they help keep the tank clean :happy:

Really big snails can be an issue - some snails can decapitate tank mates - not pretty.

Mid-size snails can be a choking and impaction risk.

I've had rather small snails in my tank, they never get very large. Axolotls will try to eat almost anything that moves, so the most important thing is that they can't choke on them or become impacted - snails with softer shells are good for that reason. You don't want ones with shells that could cause damage if eaten.

Snails can also suck the skin off a sleeping axolotl.

It's weird that a snail can decapitate another animal. Think I'll have to try and find that on Youtube.

What about frogs?

And for the record, I don't plan on putting anything in with my axolotls. People just keep asking me if they can put other things in with them and even though I say, just do it a species only tank, they come up with some other animal I never thought about.

Frogs are also a big no no. No other amphibians, regardless of species except another similar sized axolotls.

For many of the reasons listed above -
1) other species carry diseases that may not harm themselves, but are toxic to another species
2) one will inevitably attempt eating the other and infection will occur at best, death at worst.
3) they have different requirements

Here's a big page about disasters when mixing species : Caudata Culture Articles - Species Mixing Disasters , and includes a large apple snail killing a juvenile axolotl by cutting its throat at number #36, and several pictures of axolotls that tried to eat, but could not swallow mid-size snails/fish, and the even more dangerous spiny catfish.

If they really want tank mates, ghost shrimp, or other similar small freshwater shrimp are the best choice. They're inexpensive and fun to watch - they're way more active than an adult axolotl and they're just freaking adorable when they skitter around.

They may indeed be eaten eventually, though. I've had some shrimp last many months - axolotls don't have great eyesight and ghost shrimp are clear. They really have to bump right into the axolotl's mouth to be eaten - or, as I've seen some close calls - steal a small bit of food and the axolotl smells that food and goes after it, and the shrimp is in indirect victim.

However, an issue with anything you introduce to the tank is that it could be carrying a disease. Feeder-types in particular tend to not be very healthy since the breeder's goal is not to provide pet-quality animals, but ones that are just going to be eaten quickly. They should be quarantined for ~30 days.

Some smaller fish can be okay, but they are going to be eaten eventually as well. It took several months for all 7 guppies I first introduced to be eaten - but they were all eaten eventually. Guppies and white cloud minnows are okay choices. You still have to watch out and make sure they're not bothering the axolotl, like eating its gills. You don't want any bigger fish for that reason, the axolotl's gills in particular look like food.

You also have to have fish that are a size the axolotl can safely eat or it can choke on them, just like choking on a snail. I only introduce smaller, juvenile guppies to the axolotl tank (about 1/2 adult size).

As well, you can't have fish with spines. You have to remember they'll eventually be eaten - and spiny fish can injure or kill the axolotl. Sucker-type fish pose the same danger as larger snails, but to a greater degree thanks to higher mobility - they can suck the flesh off the axolotl.


For the average person, I think shrimp are really where it's at if you want a harmless addition to your axolotl tank. They're cute, aren't going to hurt anything, and while they're not good for the axolotl to eat, they're not bad, just pretty worthless as nutrition.

Who do axolotls share the waters of Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco with? I know they have more room to avoid eachother but it seems like they must peacefully co-exist with some other animals.

In nature "peacefully coexist" with a top carnivore just means "have enough space not to be eaten, at least for a while".

Axolotls were top of their food-chain carnivores, so anything else was just doing its best to avoid being eaten by them.

Currently, axolotls are critically endangered in the wild because a higher-level carnivore was introduced to their habit and it's eating their young and their sources of food.

Even fish that primarily ingest plant matter and/or microscopic creatures can bother and harm and axolotl - the axolotl's gills look to them like wavering plants and even larger, peaceful fish will eat them - leaving the axolotl stressed and with a very reduced breathing capacity. If the axolotl cannot eat the fish that is bothering it, it has no way of defending itself (and if they did, it would just result in more injury / death).

Axolotls are not picky eaters - if it moves and can fit in their mouth, they'll try to eat it. Heck, even if it doesn't move, they might eat it - why axololts can't be kept on gravel. They're prone to obesity if overfed, they don't "stop" just because they don't really need to eat more to meet their biological needs. If it's there, they'll eat it.

Anything too big for the axolotl to eat most likely poses a danger to the axolotl - and they'll probably try to eat it, anyway. Even axolotls of similar size will often nip gills or limbs of each other. It moves, it looks small enough to eat - it's there. That's why it's important to have multiple hides for multiple axolotls and much space, because even keeping them together, they're not really bright enough to always realise that another axolotl's leg isn't its own little food-creature.