Axolotl outdoors

Hi, everyone. I have an axie in an outdoor pond, it is 500lts, 80 cm tall.
my question is if the axie can survive winter, if i had a strong winter, the pond could be covered with ice for 15 days, but it is not common. A normal year only 3-7 days freezes (but is a very thin layer) on surface. The water is between 3-5 Celsius for 3 months normally.
has anyone had one in these conditions? don´t they get sick? must I be worried?
for now, the axie is doing quiet well, it has almost duplicated his size in one month, only fed by earthworms and little fishes. I was surprised about how it can grow. now we are ending spring in southern hemisphere.

Even if the temperature wasn't an issue, what about predators, parasites, and other invaders you're likely to get in an outdoor pond? We've seen horror stories here about pets getting their paws in tanks, what about wild animals and birds?
I wouldn't risk it on either count.

Many people keep axolotls outside in tanks / ponds/ tubs with no issues. I raise axolotls in outside tanks during the summer months and have kept adults and sub adults outside over winter in temps lower than the ones you expect. Axolotls can be ok under ice, they have gills and breathe through their skin, they also slow down which reduces their oxygen consumption. You may wish to run an aerator in with them, this will also create surface disturbance which slows down ice formation. You can also add a cover at night, this adds a layer of insulation and you can get nighttime temps below freezing which dont cause ice to form. The depth of your pond will also give protection from the temp as the axolotl can stay on the bottom.
The main concerns I would have , are (as another poster mentioned) predation from pets and wild animals, the fact that it will be harder to monitor the health and condition of your pet and you may miss any health problems. The other concern would be the health and fitness of your axolotl now, the adults I keep outside are fit, healthy , young with a good body mass, they are also all wild types. A number of people I have spoken to believe that lighter morphs are not as strong as wild types and cant cope as well with extended low temps . The only fatality I have had last winter was a golden albino, he lost body weight, developed fungus and even though I bought him into a warmer environment he didn't make it. This is not a proven fact , it's an opinion and a personal prejudice of mine but I choose not to keep light morphs outside anymore. I am sure somebody will disagree with all or some of what I say, just ask them what actual experience they have of keeping axolotls outside.

I keep my light colour Adult axis in a tank outside. I find they do better than the warm inside temperatures especially in summer.
In the winter the whole tank drops into an insulated tank with lid which is then placed into an outside shed. The temperatures are low and they do not eat with the same amount of gusto but they seem fine and full of energy. The whole of the water is changed in the tank once a week using only collected rainwater no tap water is ever used. This remains cold as it is from outside water butts but again they seem well adapted. This is the fourth winter for them and they are all well grown adults a mixture of sexes but for me this works very well.

ACEPHONECHIC said:

I keep my light colour Adult axis in a tank outside. I find they do better than the warm inside temperatures especially in summer.
In the winter the whole tank drops into an insulated tank with lid which is then placed into an outside shed. The temperatures are low and they do not eat with the same amount of gusto but they seem fine and full of energy. The whole of the water is changed in the tank once a week using only collected rainwater no tap water is ever used. This remains cold as it is from outside water butts but again they seem well adapted. This is the fourth winter for them and they are all well grown adults a mixture of sexes but for me this works very well.

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Just like to mention that Anns axolotls will be a couple of c warmer than mine as she is further south and keeps her tanks in a sheltered spot next to the house.

Prior to insulating the animal room, ice would occasionally form on the axie tanks - a good 2" thick on one occasion and my wild-types and albinos were fine. They normally spawn at around 6c after the winter.

I would suggest turning filters off at these low temperatures though. Static water will layer by temperature and at 4c (inversion temperature) the warmest water sinks, making it warmer at the bottom of the container. Mixing this layer with the frozen surface can lead to chilling and result in a uniform cooling. Cold water holds much more oxygen, so that's never a problem.

For an outside pond, I'd be inclined to add a mesh winter cover lined with bubble-wrap to retain a little more heat.

An important matter to consider is making sure that the pond is fully isolated from the possibility of receiving amphibious visitors. This is in order to prevent the potential introduction of pathogens to local populations and also to prevent the axolotl from predating on local fauna.

An important matter to consider is making sure that the pond is fully isolated from the possibility of receiving amphibious visitors. This is in order to prevent the potential introduction of pathogens to local populations and also to prevent the axolotl from predating on local fauna.

I agree completely. Also, it is extremely important to ensure that your Axolotl can't escape. Escaped captives pose a real risk to the environment and are one reason that the keeping of "exotics" is so heavily regulated in many areas. They are a very real threat on many fronts...

-Cole