Are axolotls an endangered species?
Axolotls are critically endangered and are almost extinct in the wild. The Mottled Lotl has more in our many tanks and tubs than are left alive in the wild right now.
How do we package and ship a live axolotl?
Our beloved axolotls are delicately and securely placed into an appropriate-sized clear fish bag, filled 1/3 with water and 2/3 with air, then for good measure we double bag it then we wrap it in a cushion of newsprint paper and place it into a well styrolined box along with an ice pack.
Your shipment goes out with us being the last and latest pick-up of the day so the package is in the hands of the FedEx people as short a time as is possible. You will receive delivery of your axolotl on Tuesday, usually by 12 noon.
How long can an axolotl survive in a clear plastic fish bag?
Axolotls are shipped in water in a bag. They can live in their shipping container no longer than one day due to build up of wastes and depletion of oxygen. Upon receipt, take the bag and float it for 30-60 minutes in the aquarium in which the axolotl is to be housed.
What size tank do axolotls need?
20 gallons for 1 full sized adult axolotl (roughly 9-12 inches) and 10 additional gallons for each additional adult at minimum. Be sure to have proper filtration for the amount of axolotls (which is double or more per gallons). Smaller axolotls can fit in a smaller tank but better to start them at the tank size they will need as an adult.
What do axolotls eat?
You can feed axolotls many different types of foods. but their main source of food from 3 inches and up are a variety of different types of Nightcrawlers farm raised in organic compost and salmon pellets. They can also eat a variety of other types of foods as a snack like, daphnia, ghost shrimp, guppies, endlers, mollies, frozen pieces of salmon cut up, and one I typically don't feed is frozen blood worms, mostly because it is messy and doesn't stick with them making them more hungry, but is a great source for iron. When Axolotls are sick sometimes the only type of worms they will eat are live blackworms or live white worms. An Axolotl that is under 3 inches is typically eating a variety of smaller types of foods like, baby brine shrimp, copepods, and grindal worms as a hatchling then graduate to live black worms, live white worms and daphnia after a couple weeks before they are about 3 inches and can start eating cut up nightcrawlers and salmon pellets.
How can I identify an axolotl's gender?
It can take up to 18 months before you can tell the gender/sex of an axolotl. Females have rounder bodies for holding eggs and a smaller cloaca (where they expel waste). Male axolotls have longer, slimmer bodies and longer tails with swollen reproductive glands around their cloaca (this is the best indicator of gender) Some males show as early as 5 months old, and some will take all the way up to 18 months to show.
What aquatic creatures can an axolotl be put in the same tank with?
To be safe, one of the only aquatic creatures we would put with an axolotl is another axolotl of the same gender.
Guppies are safe to put in the tank with axolotls but know that the guppies may be eaten by the axolotl.
How long do axolotls live?
Axolotls can live a long healthy life if well cared for and water conditions are right. The average life span is 10-15 years. I have heard of some living up to 20 years.
How big do axolotls get?
They grow to be 9 to 12 inches long.