In the water, it starts as a tiny translucent sphere. For weeks (maybe longer) there’s no sign of life…then suddenly one day, a little something wiggles out of its jelly capsule. And now what? Now you have an alien-puppy-looking creature on your hands (and you’re responsible for it).
Axolotls make great pets, but taking care of them involve quite a big change as they age. Knowing how old an animal is help determine if it can be used for breeding, if it needs senior medical care, what type of food it eats, and even what size tank it should live in. Here’s a breakdown based off five different life stages, complete with a visual guide to help take that vulnerable new hatchling through to becoming an older adult in your aquarium.
How to Care for Axolotls at Every Age
This period is where your stress level peaks. It’s hard on you and it’s also hard on the little guys (and gals). The axolotl larvae is fragile at first. They don’t require much space at all. They’re only fed tiny amounts of thing you likely aren’t familiar with: micro-worms and baby brine shrimp.
But they grow fast and that growth continue quickly. There’s a catch though… The threat of cannibalism. Keep more than one axie? Unless they’re raised apart from birth, then size disparity can spell trouble when food is in short supply and a larger juvenile may consume smaller one. Most veteran keepers keeps each axolotl alone from the beginning to eliminate this variable.
Why? It makes feeding easier without having to hover over the tank during meals. Simply give them whatever they get and go about your day.
By the time an axolotl reaches its first birthday, it will look like classic axie most people know. Its body rounds out to adult size and gills will be fully branched. It’ll be in the prime of its life as its energy level is high and immune system is strong. From 12-18 months, they’ll hit sexual maturity. However, just because they’re sexually mature doesn’t mean they’re ready to breed. Releasing them to breed too early put immense stress on the female’s body.
To make sure the animal has fully developed physically, responsible keepers won’t let them breed until they’re at least 18 months old. Breeding them too frequently reduce their lifespan drastically. Allowing the female to rest up and regain her health reserves means limiting number of clutches to no more than one or two a year.
Keeping axolotls at cool temperatures (ideally 14-18 degrees Celsius) is important; it decreases metabolic rates, which means there’s less cellular stress on your axolotls. A higher metabolism also speeds up aging. This means that keeping water warm will make your axies look “more alive”, moving faster, perhaps, but it will cause them to age much more faster.
If you have a senior axie that move slower and has less gill bushiness, understand that this is naturaly old age. Unless they exhibit any other signs of illness, do not medicate. For senior care, feed softer foods and change water more frequently so that weaker systems still run as well as possible.
Keeping them also comes with added layers of responsibility because they are at risk of dying out. In the wild, they’re critically endangered (fewer than a thousand left) in Mexico. Buying them from a reputable captive breeder is actualy a form of conservation. It reduces pressure on wild populations and ensures you recieve a healthy animal without contributing to habitat destruction.
Taking an axolotl home is making a commitment to provide consistent care for at least a decade if not longer. From egg to larva to robust adult to calm senior enjoying the quiet of his tank… Each stage require your attention and the payoff is getting to witness one of nature’s most resilient creatures thrive under your watchful eye.
You should of known it would be hard.
