How to keep axolotls? Detailed guide to keeping methods and precautions
The axolotl, whose scientific name is the Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum), has the ability to regenerate lost body parts. It has been kept in captivity for more than a hundred years, mainly used as a live subject for endocrinology and other experiments, so research on their keeping and breeding has been almost completely established. Today it can basically no longer be seen in the wild, only in some aquariums. Let's take a look together below at how to keep axolotls!
How much does an axolotl cost?
The price of an axolotl is mainly determined by its size and how good its quality and appearance are. Normally a regular small axolotl is basically 15 to 20 yuan, with prices varying by region. In addition, one with good quality and appearance, such as a 22 cm white one with black eyes, is about 200 yuan, while one with poorer quality, such as a 22 cm one with black spots on its body, is about 180 yuan and 160 yuan.
How long do axolotls live?
Axolotls are very long-lived, generally with a lifespan of about 15 years. They mainly feed on mollusks, worms, insect larvae, crustaceans and certain fish. As the former overlords of the local waters, besides facing natural threats from predators such as herons, they have also begun to face threats from large fish introduced into these waters.
How do axolotls reproduce?
The axolotl is a famous "neotenic" species among amphibians (from birth until sexual maturity and egg-laying, it remains in the larval form). It lives in water its entire life and also lays eggs in water, basically laying more than two hundred eggs at a time, sometimes as many as a thousand. Before keeping males and females together, please think it through clearly, otherwise the eggs produced cannot be cared for and will die young, since after all these eggs are also lovely lives once they hatch.
How to keep axolotls?
1. Axolotls can grow to about 25 cm, while the individuals commonly seen for sale in the market are about 10 cm. However, they grow very quickly. If food is supplied abundantly, they can grow to 12 to 14 cm in one month. When you first start keeping them, an ordinary-sized plastic pet box is enough, but once they grow up they must be moved to a tank to have enough space to appreciate their unique behavioral patterns, and they may very likely breed. The basic equipment for keeping them is a tank. To keep 1, a 45 cm tank is enough; to keep 2 or more, you need to prepare a tank of 60 cm or more.
2. For the fish tank used to keep axolotls, it is best to use a square tank at least more than twice the size of their body; round tanks are not recommended. The bottom of the fish tank must not be covered with sand or gravel. Accidentally eating too much sand during fighting or feeding can cause gastroenteritis and even death. If you must lay stones, they must be larger than twice the size of the axolotl's head, otherwise they are easily swallowed. There was once a case where an axolotl ate a stone as big as its own head and nearly died. For aquatic plants, it is recommended to use fake silk plants; real plants will soften the water, while axolotls prefer hard water.
3. Axolotls are famous big eaters, and accordingly the water turbidity also increases faster, making it easy for Aeromonas hydrophila to breed and cause septicemia, so don't forget to install a filter. Whether it is a submersible filter, an external filter, an under-gravel filter, or the commercially available complete sets of top filters and power filters, any filter that can do the job of filtering and keep the water clear is fine, but it is best to choose a filter with better performance. You can also use a sponge filter, and note that oxygenating the water is what makes their six gills long and dense.
4. Axolotls are kept in alkaline hard water. First let the water sit for a period of time, and add NovAqua water conditioner to the water to remove chlorine and heavy metals. This kind of water is also best at preventing disease; many axolotl problems come from unclean water. The water temperature is best kept at 10 to 25 degrees, as they are used to living in colder water. After keeping axolotls of different sexes separately for a period of time, place a pair of axolotls into a shallow container (the male will stick sperm packets to plants). The male will nuzzle the female with its nose to "court" her. Within 24 hours after taking up the male's sperm packet, the female will lay eggs, preferring to lay them on floating plants. After the female lays eggs, remove them, otherwise they will eat the young.
5. In the wild, axolotls eat fish, tadpoles and body parts of other slower-developing Mexican axolotls. In captivity, shrimp, chicken liver and various fish meats are also very good foods. Remember to clean up leftover food; spoiled water quality can kill axolotls. For adults, you only need to feed them three to four times a week. If conditions allow, you can feed them a bit more, for example twice a day. Of course, you can feed some relatively digestion-aiding medications, such as yeast tablets, oxytetracycline or penicillin. For inability to defecate, bisacodyl tablets or lactasin can be used to induce defecation, and some colder water can also be added to stimulate defecation.
Note: Axolotls must not be kept together with any fish, shrimp, turtles, etc. (small fish fed to axolotls need their mouths clipped). At best the gill filaments will be eaten clean; at worst they will lose skin and flesh and even die (when kept with a pleco, the axolotl's body secretes mucus that causes the pleco to attach to its body, and the result is a chunk of flesh being sucked off). Even adults kept together must each be fed until full (put live food in the tank, such as bloodworms, small fish with clipped mouths, etc.). Axolotls with too large a size difference should not be kept together; there have been cases of a large axolotl swallowing a much smaller one.