Hello! I like axolotls and want advice.

Nice to meet you all. My name is Visi and I live in Japan.

I saw some adorable axolotls in a novelty shop and fell in love. I've been reading up as much as I can to make conditions perfect for the the little ウーパールーパー (the Japanese word for axolotl. It sounds like "Oompa Loompa" without the 'm's)

I bought the tank that had a picture of an axolotl on it and came with feed, water conditioner, a filter, large gravel and a hide-away.

Unfortunately, my little Quetzal Coatl died within two weeks.

The mistakes I think I made were:

1. using the filter that came with the tank. Even though it sent bubbles straight to the surface, the current was probably too strong for the little dude.

2. Moving him from the bottle in which I bought him to the tank too soon. I only gave the tank 24 hours to cycle before adding my little friend because I wanted him to have plenty of room to swim around.

3 (or 2a) not getting used to feeding him before putting him in a bigger tank with the substrate. I accidentally dropped some small food pellets in and I couldn't tell if I'd cleaned them out properly.

4. Not working out a cooling regime ahead of time for the little one. The water temperature hovered around 24c, which I know is on the high end, but still acceptable, but the summer in Japan hasn't even started yet.


So I want to try again. I have been reading more in the forums and websites everyday and I've been maintaining the empty tank.

After my little Quetal Coatl died, I cleaned out the tank, soaked all the elements in bleach over night, then rinsed with near-boiling water and then rinsed several more times in cool water.

I moved the rocks into a separate container so now the only contents of the tank are the hide-away, the thermometer and the water. I used Aquarium Pharmaceuticals' Stress Coat(+) and Stress Zyme(+) to condition the water (that was the conditioner that came with the tank, so I bought more)

The tank is 6.5 liters, which after reading many of these forums seems too small. I hooked up an aquarium fan which lowers the temperature about 3-4 degrees Centigrade. I also have a cycle of three 300ml water bottles that I can change every three or for hours. This brings the temperature down to about 19c, which I think is perfect. The tank has been sitting around for about a week, I'm not currently using the filter, but I did a 50% water change yesterday and reconditioned it, just to make sure I wasn't breeding mosquitoes or anything.

So I ask you smart and experienced people:

Do you see any more mistakes I'm making already?

How will I know that I'm ready for a new axolotl in the tank?

Is it possible to put too much or not enough water in the tank?

I know I should probably get a bigger tank and that the company selling these "for axolotls" aquariums probably doesn't have the little guys' best interests in mind. If I do get a bigger tank though, I was thinking it should be a 40L 60x30x28cm thing that I saw and I'd probably want to put two in that because they are just such lovable creatures and two look happier than one. Is this advisable?

Any other general advice you can give me?

Available axolotls:
By the way, the axolotls who are for sale at the novelty shop are babies (generally about 5cm). There are some at the pet store which are bigger (around 9cm or so), but their conditions nearly made me cry. They were kept in the same room with the reptiles (too hot!) and they had normal aquarium gravel in their tank (and in their little bellies). They are kept in the same tank which made me wonder if they might bite each other now and then. I've looked at the novelty shop ones a lot and they are kept in individual bottles (kind of like mason jars) with a shell for a hide-away and a morimo (lake ball from Hokkaido) for decoration/ plant companionship. Their tails are not curled and they seem pretty healthy.

Hi Visi,

Welcome to the group. I’m sorry that your first experience was negative. I have some questions:

1. Can you describe what the “feed” consisted of and what type of filter it was in the kit?


2. Cycling your tank is very important, as is testing the water for Nitrites, Nitrates, and PH. You can usually find a test kit at places that sell aquarium fish. I wouldn’t bring another home until you get the tank established. It can take quite a while to get the right balance.

3. If the Axolotl’s are only 5cm they are very young and may not eat pellets. At that size they usually eat baby brine shrimp or blood worms chopped up very small. I also wouldn’t use anything for a substrate until they are twice that size or even bigger. It also makes the tank easier to clean as well see if it’s eaten. The hide and maybe a plastic aquarium plant is really all you need until you become more knowledgeable.

4. An easy way to keep your tank cool is to use empty water bottles, fill them ½ to 2/3 full. Place the cap on the bottle and place them in the freezer. When the water temperature starts to get too warm, place one of the bottles with frozen water in the tank. It will float and cool the water down. When the water in the bottle has become liquid again, replace it with another frozen bottle and place the used bottle back in the freezer to be used again later. A small fan positioned so it blows air over the water is another way to help lower the water temperature.


I wouldn’t use 100% bleach to clean with, a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water is as strong as you would want to use. Even then you want to make sure to rinse everything very thoroughly.

I don’t fill my tank to the top with water, I just fill it about 2/3 of the way up. Changing water and testing on a regular basis is a must.

It would be better if you could find a reliable source to purchase you next Axolotl from rather than a novelty store, but I know that not all areas of the world have the same resources. You might want to post in the “Wanted” section of the forum to see if there is someone in Japan that could help you find a reliable source close to you. If the only ones you can find are the ones at the novelty shop look for the healthiest one you can.

Keep searching this website and learn everything you can from the knowledgeable people that are here. Keep us posted on how things are going. Remember that we love pictures, plus they can help someone determine where you may need help.

I wouldn't do the frozen water bottle thing. It causes the temperatures to fluctuate a lot and that's much worse than a constant high temperature. Although, in my opinion, that temperature was probably what killed him or if you think the filter caused too much water movement, probably that too. The problem with higher temperatures is that it causes ammonia to be more dangerous and a higher chance of bad bacteria and diseases to thrive.

As far as feeding, you should really try hand feeding with tweezers. That way you know if he's actually eating or not. In my experience, some axolotls eat pellets and some don't, so you may have to opt for bloodworms or chopped up earthworms.

I think you're using a bit too many chemicals to condition the water. You really just need something that will remove chlorine and chloramine. Axolotls are sensitive to chemicals. I'm not sure how the water is in Japan though. If they don't use chlorine or chloramine to clean the drinking water, you shouldn't have a problem with just using straight tap.

The small tank is totally okay for a small axolotl for now, as he grows you should definitely get a bigger tank. And I really don't see anything wrong with getting the axolotl at a novelty shop. Especially if they're kept in pretty good conditions.

Good luck! Let us know when you get the new little guy.

Oh, I forgot to say that a fan blowing into the tank should be able to regulate the temperature just fine, so you wouldn't need the water bottles anyway.

1. Pellets ingredients: Fish flakes, krill, flour, fish oil, aquarium yeast(?), Calcium, powdered seaweed, soy lecithin, garlic, tea powder, bread yeast, vitamins (A1,D1,E,B1,B2,B6,B12,choline chloride(another B complex), K3,B3,B5,B9,B7,C,B) minerals (Mg,Fe,Zn,Cu,Mn,Co,Al,Ca,K) Ethoxyquin (a preservative), Astaxanthin (a carotenoid), Amino Acid(Methionine), and sodium propionate (anti-fungal additive)

It claims to be formulated especially for axolotl babies (4cm-12cm) I worry about the high content of plant stuffs, but I think it seems OK. Also, I have seen the axolotls enthusiastically eat these pellets from tweezers. The filter was a box filter for a small tank, but even though it may have cooled the water a little with the bubbles, I think it was too much current for the little guy, and I think I'll go without a filter as long as I don't have substrate in the tank.

2. I tested the tap and treated water as well as tap water that has been left out for 24 hours. My aquarium test strips I use test for NO3, NO2, GH, KH, pH and Cl2.The only difference was the treated water had a slightly lower Cl content, but even the tap water was around 0.8mg/l, so I'd like to err on the side of as few chemicals as possible. Japan is great in the fact that no matter what country you are from, you can drink the tap water here. It's super clean.

3. The pellets are small and made for babies, but do you think I should get some baby brine shrimp too to have as an axy treat? You are so right about the substrate, I think that was a main problem with keeping my tank clean.

4. I have a fan that is meant to cool down the water by about 3.5C, which it does. I think the tank is too small for water bottles, but maybe I can lean some ice packs for sports injuries by the side of the tank?

Thank you for all your advice. A soon as I have a new home established for a new friend I'll happily post pictures <3