Is this an axolotl?

Hey guys, so I bought what I thought was an axolotl after a tragic fish genocide (accidental overdose of algaefix that killed all but my opaline gouramis and African dwarf frogs). Anyway, I brought this guy home about a bit over a month ago and he had nice looking gills and a ridge along his back/tail. Over the past couple weeks the gills have be reabsorbed, his eyes have begun bugging out, and the ridge along his back has disappeared. He was floating for a few days (gassy, but that's passed), and is still looking healthy and eating well.

I'm now wondering if this is actually an axolotl (I sure hope so, since I named him Axolotl Rose), but I'm also not sure of what I should do if he is going through metamorphosis, or if he is perhaps not an axolotl at all.

I've attached a before and after picture if you will (disregard the gravel, I got rid of that the first day I got him and replaced with fine-grain sand).

It is not an axolotl, but a tiger salamander larvae

I would lower the water and offer a safe land area for it to climb onto . I think it looks like it should be terrestrial now.

Yes looks like you got it right before the morph. ^^'

You could get a turtle dock... but a half land/half water aquarium would be appreciated by him I think.

At this point it should be fully terrestrial. Even if there are some remnants of the gills, the other morphological characteristics are those of a fully metamorphosed animal. It could drown...so i would just move it to a terrestrial habitat with just a small water dish, it will be alright.

Thanks. I lowered the water, but he still seems to like being in water but taking some breaths from the air. He's a cute little bugger, but I will need to find a new name.

Tiger Rose sounds cute too

Where in the US are you located?

I'm in New England

Well then hello from a fellow New Englander. I am from RI, pretty much none of the stores around here sell axolotls, just poorly labeled tigers so I had a similar thing happen to me and ended up having to rehome the little guy to a member on here. Good luck with the little guy!

Thanks, ad hello from Massachusetts. I just added some coco-fiber and a water dish, the little guy is having fun exploring and trying to climb up glass walls (unsuccessfully). He's still begging for food, but this time out of water and not underneath.

Just so you know, next time you see an salamander in a store labeled "axolotl", look at their toes.

Axolotls have very thin pointy toes. Tiger salamanders, on the other hand, have big fat sausage toes, like the toes on your guy!

I'm from MA as well! I got my Axolotl at the store I work at south of Boston and I've known a few other stores around that sell them. So if you are looking for a local Axolotl I could point you in the right direction!

MandiceP said:

I'm from MA as well! I got my Axolotl at the store I work at south of Boston and I've known a few other stores around that sell them. So if you are looking for a local Axolotl I could point you in the right direction!

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Hi MandiceP,
I am from Weymouth which is south of Boston and I was wondering if you could tell me where is the store you work at or the other stores you spoke of so I may purchase an Axolotl for my son for Christmas.