Mexican Walking Fish or Axolotls are a coldwater creature native to Mexico. They are the larval stage of a Salamander, but will usually not develop any further. One of the most popular pets, they are easy to maintain in a small area.

Axolotls like to swim the length of a tank so a 2'x1'x1 foot or larger is ideal to house them.

Do not use a bite size substrate as the axolotls do swallow this up with their food and it blocks their stomachs. Use either 1-2mm or large river pebbles or have a bare bottom tank.

A sand filter, corner filter or a adequate power filter is recommended to keep them clean.

Temperature- 5 -20 C is ideal. In warmer weather use frozen bottles of water to keep the tank cool. Keep changing these as often as needed.

GH- 100 - 200ppm

PH- 7.0 - 7.6

They do not like any ammonia, nitrite or high nitrates in their water.

Maintenance

Get your tank set up and run in for a week before adding your axolotl.

The amount of water ager and water conditioner will depend on the size of your tank. Check the packaging of your ager/conditioner or ask one of the Rayonne team for the correct amounts.

Bring your water in for a free water test before adding your axolotl.

Once you have your axolotl, rest the bag on top of the water for 5 minutes to get it used to the temperature then let it out.

Don't feed your axolotl for 2 - 3 days as it will be a little stressed from the move. It can sometimes take up to a week for them to settle and begin feeding. Keep an eye on your water conditions and temperature during this period as it will not help your axolotl settle in if there is an issue.

Do at least 1, ½ water change weekly (2-3 in hot weather) and add conditioners at half the rate of when you first set it up. Make sure your substrate is siphoned at least once a fortnight to pick up scraps and waste in the gravel.

Feeding

Axolotls eat a lot of different food. Depending on what they are used to they can eat dry pellets, live fish, live blackworms, frozen whole fish, frozen bloodworm and earthworms. Always remember that a good variety of food is best. Try dry pellets as a staple and then some sort of weekly treat!

Always remove uneaten food.

Always make sure that there is never anything in the tank your axolotl can swallow. Also sharp objects can scratch their slimy skin. Axolotls love the cool and the dark and are more active in these conditions. So keep them away from windows and don't keep the light on too long.