# axolotl



## NINJATURTLETOM (Sep 1, 2009)

Im not sure if these fall under this catagory but i dont no much about them and am thinkin of gettin one or maybe a couple!! Any tips and info would be wicked cheers!


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

They are amphibians!
I've never kept any so I can't really help you out.
Sure someone will though


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## ninnipoo (Dec 7, 2008)

We have one, he's very loved! I think they make an awesome pet and you can have hours of fun watching them, we only chose to have one as I was worried about the risk of limb nibbling etc, although they can regenerate them easily and it probably doesn't always happen when kept together we just took the easier option. He's got a nice sized tank with a very fine substrate and a couple of moss balls, plus hides, a good filter though not too powerfull, an under water light and a short bubble pipe (which he loves to swim through). We feed him on whole muscles which he swims up to take from us. He's getting a big boy now and I'm tempted to have a slightly bigger tank made for him as he loves tucking his legs back and going for a good swim. There's plenty of clips on youtube and I'm sure a lot more people on here have them and can help. Sorry I'm not as knowledgable as most but I hope you find this of some use. There's some pictures of our little chap in our user gallery, feel free to have a look. Hope you decide to get one.


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## NINJATURTLETOM (Sep 1, 2009)

Cheers thats really helpful!! I was thinking of getting just the one but theres about 4 in the tank at the shop and i didnt wanna take just one if there better off in say a pair. Im defnitley gunna get one net week when i get paid. Gunna sort the tank out during the week. Yeah your right i could sit there and watch them all day!! So cool! So can they breathe out of water coz are the big things on there necks to collect oxygen in the water?


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## ninnipoo (Dec 7, 2008)

I've heard (don't know if it's right) that if they come out of water they loose their pink frills and become more like a salamander form (in and out of water living). Personally I love mine just the way he is.


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## NINJATURTLETOM (Sep 1, 2009)

Hes so cool! They have black, white/pinkey and yellow ones in the shop!! Dunno which one to go for!! Would it be beneficial to get like a turtle docking bay encase he wants to come out of the water or not?


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## ninnipoo (Dec 7, 2008)

Ahh thanks. Completely up to you, I haven't with mine as I don't want him landed. I'm not 100% sure whether they do it of their own bat or whether people actually do something to make them, I've heard all sorts of stories though about putting chemicals in the water etc etc. If you want something which isn't in water all the time maybe have a look at salamanders, some can be quite pretty. I believe ours is a gold axolotl and I've always wondered if his colouration and light eyes effect his sight compared to the others, some of the dark ones are quite pretty too. I'd have a look on the net and see if there's anything about them not being completely water bound before trying it just it doesn't sound to natural from what I've heard in the past.


Have a look at these links.. http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2002/archives/2002/roadtests/others/axolotls
http://www.petfish.net/kb/entry/4/ , http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080621234655AA0icL0


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## Stan193 (May 27, 2009)

I saw a tank in the local garden centre fish shop with a few of these in and they all had some leggs missing so I agree, just keep one on its own.


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## notfurme (Jul 31, 2009)

Stan193 said:


> I saw a tank in the local garden centre fish shop with a few of these in and they all had some leggs missing so I agree, just keep one on its own.


They regrow lost limbs
I dont keep them but they can be kept in groups space allowing


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## notfurme (Jul 31, 2009)

ninnipoo said:


> Ahh thanks. Completely up to you, I haven't with mine as I don't want him landed. I'm not 100% sure whether they do it of their own bat or whether people actually do something to make them, I've heard all sorts of stories though about putting chemicals in the water etc etc. If you want something which isn't in water all the time maybe have a look at salamanders, some can be quite pretty. I believe ours is a gold axolotl and I've always wondered if his colouration and light eyes effect his sight compared to the others, some of the dark ones are quite pretty too. I'd have a look on the net and see if there's anything about them not being completely water bound before trying it just it doesn't sound to natural from what I've heard in the past.
> 
> 
> Have a look at these links.. Burke's Backyard > Fact Sheets > Axolotls
> Axolotl or Mexican Walking Fish , Axolotl trying to escape the tank!!!!!!!? - Yahoo! Answers


Its all about the iodine level not the water


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## ninnipoo (Dec 7, 2008)

Everyones personal choice, we like ours just the way he is. The way they are normally is the attraction for us. I heard something about some chemical level being altered in order to make them leave the water. Sounds a bit cruel to be honest, also I've heard of people keeping fish with them but it all depends on the tank size. Plus I think if the fish is too big or hungry it could attack the axolotl's limbs or frizzy bits and visa versa. We just like ours on his own and in water. Anyway if you do get one make sure you post some pictures up.
: victory:


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## clairethorn (May 2, 2008)

I have 2 male axolotls that i've had for 2 years, they live happily together with no fighting, but they do love their food (especially earthworms!)
They are fully aquatic but can be forced to morph...this is not good for them and can result in very short life span. Yes the things on the side of their head are gills, allowing them to breathe underwater. I personally wouldn't keep anything else with them, fish will attack their gills and the fish may get eaten themselves. I would stick with the amphibian rule of species specific housing, it works for me!
Hope that's some help to you.


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## NINJATURTLETOM (Sep 1, 2009)

Yeah all of that is really helpful cheers everybody!! I dont intend to put any :censor: in the water i would rather keep it o naturel!! Im gunna set up the tank this week and get just the one on friday, is 25 quid a reasonable price?


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## tanzaniterose (Oct 18, 2009)

Hope you don't mind me outsourcing (some places really hate it lol) but the best place for axie information is Caudata.org Newt and Salamander Forum , it's really helped me out in the past.
Pet shops around me charge about £20-£30 for an axolotl so £25 sounds about right. Be sure to dechlorinate your water (and harden it if need be), and have plenty of food at the ready, these guys love to eat!

I got both of my axolotls from two different breeders, which charged less than the petshops (and they weren't all chewed up from siblings - well Buoy was a little!), so it's worthwhile just checking to see if there are any axie juveniles avaliable off a breeder in or around your area.

Axolotls can be metamorphosised but it's extremely cruel and shortens their lifespan dramatically; they will only metamorphosise out of necessity or scientific experiment, it's not natural for them to do so like the tiger salamander. 
You can take them out of water in a net for a short amount of time (for example, when cleaning the tank) but as they need to be moist to breathe (using both their lungs, gills and skin to a lesser extent), long periods are too dangerous and they'll need to be kept in a tub of clean water.

My two axies are going to be living together in the next couple of weeks once their tank is set up and cycled. They're both 8 inches at the moment.

This is Buoy my leucistic (named because he floated for a very long time)









annnd Boof the white albino, my original chappy.










I'll get off the soap box now:blush:


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## NINJATURTLETOM (Sep 1, 2009)

Dechlorinating the water.... is that just adding the solution to the water... 5ml to every 10L i think!! Nice pic mate he looks wow smart!! Good how you chose the name aswell!! I think it would be easier to just get them from the shop but i wanna know how old they are!! And how long aproimatley do they live for? I will check that link u posted cheers!!


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## tanzaniterose (Oct 18, 2009)

NINJATURTLETOM said:


> Dechlorinating the water.... is that just adding the solution to the water... 5ml to every 10L i think!! Nice pic mate he looks wow smart!! Good how you chose the name aswell!! I think it would be easier to just get them from the shop but i wanna know how old they are!! And how long aproimatley do they live for? I will check that link u posted cheers!!


They can live for around 15 years if looked after properly, I'm sure I recall one in NZ that was thought to be over 20!

Check the instructions on whatever dechlorinator you get as it can vary between brands.

When you bring your chappy home put his bag somewhere dark or shaded and let him calm down for a while (be sure to open it up first!). This is a good time to set up your tank if it hasn't been done already.

I hope this all helps. :2thumb:


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## Gemificus (Jan 26, 2007)

good luck finding your axolotl Ninjaturtletom, i have wanted one for years i used to go to the pet shop i know round here that sold them the owner would let me help with feeding them, 

that shop has closed down now, so i can't buy one locally anywhere and i wouldn't want to risk a posted one, but i did buy some eggs from exotic-pets and fingers crossed they will be hatching within the next week, they are Leucistic , they just tiny lil embryo's curled up in jelly pods

i set up a small hatching tank until they are a little bigger then they will be in one I'm going to put sand in with maybe a plant, and an ornament they can hide in, I'm thinking of going with a blue light strip

it will be my first time owning on but not my first experience with them i really can't wait 

good luck if you decide to get one,


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## NINJATURTLETOM (Sep 1, 2009)

15 years!! Thats wicked!! I watched......... I think it was weird creatures with Nick Baker and he was trying to find this really rare salamnder which is a spitting image of the axolotl but there has only bene like 12 sightings!! Good luck Gemificus, i wouldnt trust one being posted either i would rather check it 1st in the shop before buying it, where abouts do you live?


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## Gemificus (Jan 26, 2007)

lol i saw that program also, that was a kind of dragon tho if i remember, Ive slept since then lol

thanks for the luck, 

I'm in the Bolton, 

i am only hoping to keep 1 or 2 of the babies once they are big enough as i don't want to risk inter tank fighting or inbreeding,


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## tanzaniterose (Oct 18, 2009)

Gemificus said:


> lol i saw that program also, that was a kind of dragon tho if i remember, Ive slept since then lol
> 
> thanks for the luck,
> 
> ...


If you have plenty of tanks (or even plastic tupperware, provided it isn't too shallow), you could start separating them out into same sized groups as they grow to lessen the chance of them eating one another (which will be inevitable when they begin to hatch). 
They won't be sexually active for quite a while (mine are only just showing signs that they're ready at around 5-6months old), and you can generally sex them long before they begin to breed, so no need to worry about inbreeding. It doesn't seem that inbreeding is much of a problem for axies though, especially when you consider that all axolotls in domesticity are related, even if it is distant.


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## Gemificus (Jan 26, 2007)

i have 3 other tanks available other than the one the eggs are in going up size by size,a tank will be ready once they start hatching for the free swimmers, then once they get bigger will be placed in the next size up, and the newer free swimmers placed in the last tanks and so on and so forth until all of them are growing well in the diff tanks, if push come to shove i can place them with my fish until they are big enough to eat them, but i have 40 eggs and if say 15 of them hatch i don't have room for 15 full sized axolotls, so i am ready for a good few but depending on numbers some will most likely be re homed, once big enough


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## NINJATURTLETOM (Sep 1, 2009)

Would u say a 40 litre tank would be big enough? They need more height in the tank or length? Bit of both?


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## ninnipoo (Dec 7, 2008)

Personally I wouldn't go mad with the depth, length and width are more important. Ours is only about 13" inches deep/high. Our tank allows our axolotl to have to swim up to get food a good distance and long enough for him to do a good few lengths of front crawl lol. Still I'm thinking about having a larger custom tank made to the same height but to fit on top of one of our solid 20" x 34" chest of draws. Obviously this is more than adequate but ours loves to swim so I'm sure he'll use all the space. But the size is up to you, have a look at some of the set ups on youtube, I got some good ideas from there.


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## NINJATURTLETOM (Sep 1, 2009)

Yeah i will do cheers! I will get a decent size one for him and stick loads of obstacles and hides in there for him etc!


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## ninnipoo (Dec 7, 2008)

Sounds great, we've got a few moss balls, plants and a barrel he likes to live in. Hides are most important as they help stop stress.


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## GemzD26 (Sep 22, 2009)

Hi,

Hope you do get one they are great pets!!

I currently own 7 and love them all they are all diffrent in shape and attitudes 5 lecustics,1 golden albino and one black wild type.

My golden axolotls is currently in recovery as i bought it from a pet shop who abused this animal so severly that it was on its last legs, it was days away from death in my opinion could not lift its head up it had no weight around its middle and it had 6 stups for gills.

I went into the pet shop pretending to know nothing of them,and they guy went on to explain that iodine was in its tank the stupid :censor: was trying to morph her/well i let rip and ended up having a massive verbal fight with this idiot of a man.

I had to leave the pet shop to cool down and then went back in and bought it,cause i could not bear to see it like that.

Its now in full recovery a few blips along the way but is starting to walk around eat and they gills are starting to sprout so fingers crossed it gets better soon.:2thumb:

Ninjaturtletom if you have any worries when you get it PM me and i can offer you some advice if you wish


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## NINJATURTLETOM (Sep 1, 2009)

How did they abuse him? Fairplay to you i would of done the same thing!! I probly would of just stole it actually just to teach them a lesson!! I will do cheers gunna pick him up Friday so i will post some pics and write to you cheers!


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## GemzD26 (Sep 22, 2009)

Hiya,

They abused him by having him/she to ill to tell yet to be honest.

My axolotl was in a one foot tank which is too too small one axolotls should at least have a two foot tank.

Itis like 10" long so could not move round in the tank, i dont think it was giving proper axie food, bloodworms,earthworms ect, plus his tank was connected all in a row so water was flushing through the tank contamination it worse.

Axies need to have water changes done at least once a week 20% with treated water and all none eating food must be cleared up as it can cause amminia levels to spike in the tank thus creating infections, water temp is equally important no higher tank 20C as axolotls are cold water salamaders and the heat can bring on all sorts of infections to0.

I would set up your tank at least a few days with treated water and leave it to cycle as this will get the tank and pump prepared for the axolotl to be housed in.

If you get stuck give me a shout and all be able to give you some pointers :2thumb:


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## NINJATURTLETOM (Sep 1, 2009)

Well cheers for the advice!! I will sort the tank out a few days in advance and i will let you know how i get on!! Post some pics aswell if i work out how!!


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