Question: Keeping Axolotls together

[slothleader]

Hello!

I'm new and this is my first post so all rather exciting.

I have two wild axolotls who currently live in separate tanks, there's Captain Slow who's about 24cm long, and then Einstein who's about 12cm long.

What sort of size would Einstein have to be to live in the same tank as Slow? I'd love to keep them together, because I don't want the little one getting bullied or something!

Thanks for your help! :happy:

 

[AxolotlChris]

Welcome to the forum!

That's a sizable difference of 5 inches, can you post images of them both? The problem is that if they haven't grown up in the same tank then they aren't aware of each other. So they aren't used to the fact that they have a tank mate which isn't their dinner!

Axolotls that have grow up in the same tank tend to be aware that they are with another Axolotl so when they sense movement from each other they don't snap thinking its moving prey, since they sense their prey mostly by its movement. Also being trained to feed in one particular way helps so they don't learn to hunt but to expect food when you supply it, i.e hand feeding.

 

[xxianxx]

Get it to a min of 9 "

 

[slothleader]

Thanks for your replies!

I popped them in the same tank for about five minutes so you can kinda compare the sizes. I hope this helps? (hopefully the image works) :happy:

 

[Skudo09]

I agree, wait until the smaller one is at least nine inches. I think the general rule is to keep them together only if they are within an inch difference of each other.

 

[slothleader]

Okay thanks for your advice! How long do you think he'll take to grow to the right size?

 

[xxianxx]

Growth rates vary depending on the individual , temp, feeding etc. Could
take a year or so from now

 

[Monkeybeth]

I would agree that you should wait till they are within an inch of each other. While my axolotls were not in the same tank while growing up they did just fine when I put them together. Just make sure to feed them to the max before putting them in the same tank and make sure to feed them well the next few days so that they do not think each other is food.