Axolotl Habitat
- Details
- Parent Category: Zoo
- Written by Axolotls
Habitat
Establish Your Tank With Bacteria
If you are planning on obtaining an axolotl, make sure you introduce them into an established tank. An established tank is one, where an effective nitrogen cycle is active within the tank. The nitrogen cycle is the process of converting ammonia down into less harmful nitrogenous compounds. The nitrogen cycle is activated by established colonies of specialized bacteria that "live" on your filter's media (foam, ceramic pre-filters et cetera.) These bacteria convert the ammonia waste from the axolotls NH3 into Nitrite NO2- then into Nitrate NO3- These special bacteria are ubiquitous and will eventually establish themselves in your filter without any interaction on your part. However, ammonia must be present in the tank before the bacteria decide to take residence. A cloudy tank, after a water change, usually means that your filter is not established yet. An excellent resource on "establishing" your new tank is the Nitrogen Cycle section of the rec.aquaria FAQ.
Tank Setup
At a minimum, one juvenile axolotl will do fine in a 5 gallon tank. However, I recommend a ten gallon tank for one adult axolotl. The carrying capacity for a standard ten gallon tank would be three adults. I always recommend a larger tank because axolotls will pinball around the tank. The height of the standard fish tank is overkill for axolotl keeping. Therefore, I usually keep the water level at 60-70% volume.
Native Habitat
Unlike terrestrial salamanders who thrive at 75ºF, axolotls naturally come from a series of Snow-melt fed lakes southeast of Mexico City. More of a problem is keeping then tank cool enough for them. See Axolotl Health
Endangered Species
Axolotls are in danger of being extinct in their native habitat (Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco near Mexico City). These are areas confined to altitudes over 1600 meters. Shaffer writes:
These lakes share a number of features in common. First, they are all large, relatively permanent bodies of water (or at least they used to be before the intervention of man). Second, they are situated in dry areas, and in many cases are the only permanent, aquatic environment in the region. And third, they all historically lacked large, predatory fishes (although this too has changed recently)
Metamorphosis and Neoteny
In regards to their neoteny or metamorphic failure, he notes:
In general, the explanation that has gained widest acceptance for the high levels of metamorphic failure in this region has been that the lakes represent a stable, benign, aquatic habitat in the midst of a relatively harsh environment. For ambystomatids, it appears that the simplest way to exploit these habitats is to avoid metamorphosis altogether, and to reproduce simply as axolotls.
Artificially Induced Metamorphosis
Laboratory experiments have been done to see whether axolotls use metamorphosis to deal with environmental change. Axolotls that have the genes to undergo metamorphosis can be readily do so with an injection of T4 thyroxin. Thyroxin is a hormone that causes maturation in most vertebrates. Forcing natural metamorphosis by reproducing drought conditions, increasing salinity, et cetera, have been largely unsuccessful.
Hormone Regulation
For some axolotls, thyroid metamorphosis is impossible. Other axolotls, who have the capability to transform, can do so in under a month by being immersed in solution of triiodothronine (T3). Other methods included the introduction of thyroxine (T4) or thyrotropin hormones (TSH) into the axolotl.
Water Chemistry
For the captive axolotl keeper, heaters are absolutely not necessary in an axolotl tank, keeping the water cool is a main priority. Axolotls in their native habitat live in temperatures of 60-68ºF with a pH between 7.4-8.2.
Precautions
If you use a filter, make sure that the intake tube is hidden behind rocks or somewhere their gills will not get sucked into. Most people use gravel on the bottom of their tanks. I do not recommend this because they have a tendency to swallow the gravel during feeding sessions. I do not believe this is good for their digestive tract! One week after I brought Artemis home, I noticed many pieces of blue gravel that he passed which he had digested earlier at the pet store. I currently use Mexican river rocks (1"-1½" in diameter). They are very smooth, and the axolotls use them to rest or stand up upon.
Functional Ornamentals
For my baby axolotls, I cover the top of the tank with a dense array of plastic plants, without the base. This allows the plants to bunch up and form a network on the upper water column. The young axolotls float up to the plants, and stay in the protective cover until it is feeding time. When it is feeding time, they descend to the bottom of the tank and gorge themselves silly. After that, it is back to the top for some rest and relaxation. As the axolotls get over three or four inches long, they will start to stay on the bottom of the tank.
Feeding
How Do They Find Their Food?
Axolotls find there food by smell and by their lateral line organs, which are sensory organs located along the sides of their head and trunk. Axolotls have weak eyesight and they do not seem to be used for finding food. Their lateral line organs detect motion and pressure. When food is dropped from the top, they use their lateral line organs and sense of smell to located the food. If they happen to miss it, they will usually use their nose to find food on the bottom of the tank. Non-live food should be siphoned or netted out at the end of each day as not to spoil the water. It is important to note that axolotls will eat or try to eat anything that is put in front of their faces.
Feeding
Juveniles should be fed every day with Artemia and adults every other day with fish pellets, guppies, worms, or whatever you choose. Adults can survive on once to thrice a week feedings. Some axolotls have different metabolisms and might not eat for months and survive and even not exhibit any weight loss. Before you feed your axolotl, make sure it's awake by lightly tapping its container or turning on the lights or something that will solicit a reaction.
Pelleted or Frozen Food
Overfeeding is not a known problem with axolotls, but make sure you clean-up any uneaten food immediately. I mainly feed my axolotls soft ground pellets made of fish. They are very odoriferous and soft so they can sense them easily. They are soft and sinkable, which are the key elements. When the food falls near them they open their mouth (Ambystoma means cup-mouth in latin) and sucks the food in. They grip the food with their tiny teeth while they bolt the food into their mouths. They can be trained to be fed in a certain area for easy cleanup. I always leave a colony of guppies (for the juveniles) or goldfish (for the adults) in the axolotl tank, just in case someone needs a late-night snack.
Live Food
My axolotls love tubifex worms, they are a special treat you should offer them occasionally. I would not put the worms in a tank with gravel or rocks, since they tend to hide between them. You can also transfer your axolotl to a clean container for feeding. My axolotls show no mercy when they sense live food, be it a guppy or a worm. Brine shrimp are good for juvenile axolotls, but tend to be messy and foul up the water since they are raised in salt-water. They only last a few hours in a fresh water tank, so take heed if you use them. Goldfish are harder for the axolotls to catch than a guppy. However, small goldfish turn into big goldfish if uneaten, and I usually have to feed the uneaten big fish to the turtles.
When You Are Away
Guppies are perhaps the best companions and food source for the axolotls. They will not attack the axolotl, and they usually stay in the upper water column. The axolotls will either float to the top and wait for them, or they will patiently wait for the guppies to swim on by. They are an excellent way to feed your axolotl if you go on vacation and cannot feed them fish pellets.
Problems With Live Food
When you buy live food at a store, you are unsure of what else you are getting. I have attributed fungal infections and bacterial infections on my axolotls from the tubifex worms, goldfish, and guppies I have purchased. My precautions are to thoroughly rinse the food and keep them in a holding tank for a few days before I give them to the axolotls. If anyone has any other suggestions to ensure clean food, drop me a line!