Aquarium setup for your axolotl is one of the most important things you must do in the beginning. Please set up your axolotl’s tank at least 2-3 weeks before you bring it home, so you have enough time to balance everything. In this post, you will find a complete step by step guide on how to set up an axolotl aquarium, ideal enclosure size, water conditioning and more.
What is full grown axolotl size?
An adult axolotl reaches maturity in 18-36 months and can grow up to 8-15 inches (20-38 cm), and up to 16 inches (41 cm) long.
Axolotl enclosure setup steps
- Get a tank and a lid
- Add substrate
- Add decorations and plants
- Place filters
- Add thermometers
- Fill the tank with water
- Start a cycling process
- Add your axolotl in the tank
Step 1: Choosing and getting a tank (size, shape, location)
When choosing a cage for your axolotl, you need to consider the size. A full grown axolotl can reach up to 15 inches/38 cm long (however 8-12 inches is more common), so you need lots of space.
Axolotls love to swim around, and lack of space will cause stress, aggression, issues with a cleanup, and won’t allow to swim around.
Bare minimum tank size for 1 axolotl
A minimum tank size for a single adult axolotl is 10 gallons. It must be 20-25 inches (51-64 cm) long, 10 inches (25.4 cm) wide and deep.
Minimum tank size for 2 axolotls
For two adult axolotls, a minimum tank size is 20 gallons. For 3 adult axolotls, it’s 30 gallons. This cage must also include at least 1 hide for each axolotl.
Ideal tank size for an axolotl
However, please provide a larger tank for your axolotl if you can. 10 gallon enclosure is not big enough to provide an axolotl with plenty of space to move around.
Ideally, you should consider getting a 20-30+ gallon tank for a single adult axolotl (around 30-35 inches/61-90 cm long, 12 inches/30 cm wide and 12 inches/30 cm high). This will provide enough space for your axolotl and will make it easier to manage water chemistry.
Of course, you can get an ever bigger tank for your axolotl. If you wish to provide lots of space for it to swim, look for an aquarium with more floor space. 12-15 inches in height (or at least same height as axolotl’s length) is enough for an adult. When upgrading, go for a bigger length and width.
As mentioned above, it’s always a better idea to get a 15-30 gallon enclosure for your axolotl, especially if you are a beginner. That’s because it will be easier to manage water chemistry in a bigger enclosure.
20 gallon long aquarium is a great minimum for one axolotl – 20 gallons of water and 200 square inches of bottom space.
Tank shape for an axolotl
When choosing an enclosure for an axolotl, make sure to choose a rectangle aquarium that will allow your axolotl to swim around freely. Please do not choose any orb shaped tanks, as your axolotl will have restricted movement.
Axolotls stay on the bottom most of the time, so they need an open floor space. Rectangular shaped, bow front and even corner tanks will be great, provided they have enough floor space to swim around.
Before you continue with the next step of tank setup for an axolotl, make sure that the tank is level (you can use a spirit level to check). Or, at least, make sure it’s positioned on a stable surface, such as a stand. Wash the cage before using it.
Axolotl tank lid
Please note that axolotls do swim up to the surface from time to time for gulps of air. They also sometimes jump up, so a lid on top of the enclosure is essential. Otherwise, your axolotl might fall out, injure itself, get stressed, and dry out.
There must be a distance between the water level and the tank lid – at least 2 inches (5 cm) is required.
A tank lid on axolotl’s cage must have holes to allow good airflow. Otherwise, it will lead to harbor of bacteria and algae in a cage. You can also use a metal top air screens like this.
Where to put an axolotl tank
You can locate your axolotl’s tank in a well-lit area, such as a living room or bedroom. Make sure that direct sunlight cannot reach the cage. That’s because axolotls are scared of bright light and will become stressed.
Direct sunlight might also increase temperatures in the enclosure, which is bad for axolotls. If your room is not well-lit, you might use some lighting to view your axolotls better (more on lighting below).
Step 2: Adding substrate
Substrate is what goes on the bottom of your axolotl’s cage and provides support. Axolotls are curious creatures, and they suck in the food that they eat. Please note that each substrate has its own pros and cons, so there’s no ideal substrate.
For this reason, do not to use any small stones/gravel that they can swallow. This can cause intestinal blockage and be lethal. You must also not use any sharp stones or glass chippings, as axolotl skin is delicate.
The best thing is to have a bare bottom for baby axolotls under 5 inches/13 cm long, to prevent ingestion and for easy cleaning/maintenance. For older axolotls, you can use slate tile or natural sand, or large rocks. Rinse substrate before adding to the tank.
The best substrates for axolotls in a tank are:
- Natural fine sand or playsand (no coral, quartz, sparkling crushed rock) – rinse before using. Only for axolotls over 5 inches/13 cm long
- Ceramic or slate tile – can silicone it down using non-toxic aquarium silicone like this
- No substrate at all – only for babies, as adults need support on the bottom
- Smooth gravel that is at least 3-4 times the diameter of your axolotl’s head, like these ones. Don’t use small ones, due to risk of impaction. Large rocks can only be used for axolotls over 5 inches/13 cm long.
- Slate pieces
Substrates that you must not use for an axolotl:
- Small rocks/gravel – impaction risk
- Crushed rock
- Sharp stones
- Glass chippings
- Broken shells
- Glass stones/marbles
You can find more information on best and worst substrates for axolotls in this post (new tab).
Step 3: Add decorations and plants
Decorations and plants are also important for your axolotl. They will help create shade and provide spots for your axolotl to hide when it gets too bright or when it’s feeling scared.
You can use live or fake plants. Fake plants are easier to maintain, but live plants will oxygenate tank water, help with nitrogen cycle and some help against algae growth. The best type of fake plants are silk plants or soft plastic plants, that will not damage your axolotl’s skin.
If you decide to use live plants, make sure to choose plants that require low temperatures and low light. That’s because it will be hard to provide enough light (axolotls don’t like too much light or heat).
Free-floating plants are often the best as axolotls tend to uproot plants. You can also anchor them in the substrate if it’s possible. Apart from free-floating plants, you can also have plants in small pots.
Make sure to also include decorations in your axolotl’s tank. That’s because they need places to swim around, hide behind and inside when feeling stressed. Make sure decorations have soft edges and are wide enough for your axolotl to swim in and out.
Axolotls love hiding in between and behind plants (fake or live). You can also include large pieces of slate, ceramic pots, PVC pipes, halved coconuts. A large cave like this will also be great for a hiding spot.
Some of the best live plants include:
- Anubias
- Java moss
- Water cabbage
- Elodea
- Egeria densa
- Java fern
- Cabomba caroliniana
If you would like to find out more about top plants for axolotls, please see this post.
Step 4: Adding a thermometer
Thermometer is important in an axolotl cage to measure temperatures. Axolotls require specific constant temperatures of 58-65 F (14.4-18.3 Celsius), and up to 66-68 F (18.8-20 C).
Never allow axolotl’s tank temperatures get lower than 50 F (10 Celsius), or higher than 73 F (23 C). This will cause stress to your axolotl, hinder its metabolism and even cause death.
Always stick to ideal temperatures mentioned above.
It’s best to use even two, or dual probe thermometers like this to make sure that temperatures are stable. Axolotls suffer from temperature fluctuations, even by few degrees.
Step 5: Adding a filter
A filter is a must in an axolotl aquarium. That’s because axolotls produce a lot of waste, which needs to be filtered. This will allow you to make only weekly water changes, instead of daily ones. There are various types of filters you can use.
For more information on filters, please see this post.
Step 6: Add water into an aquarium and start water cycling
Let’s discuss how you would need to prepare water in your axolotl’s aquarium. If you have just added water to an aquarium, it wouldn’t be ready for an axolotl. That’s because it doesn’t have beneficial bacteria that will help turn waste into less harmful waste.
These beneficial bacteria are crucial for a nitrogen cycle, which will help turn toxic ammonia in your axolotl’s waste into less toxic waste. Cycling is when you will be ‘maturing’ water for around a few weeks before introducing your axolotl.
And even after you introduce your axolotl into the tank, you will need to do water testing occasionally, around once a week for first 5 weeks and then once in 2 weeks. But which parameters do you need to test? Let’s discuss.
Nitrogen cycle in an axolotl tank looks like this – Ammonia – Nitrites – Nitrates. All ions are toxic, but the end product nitrate is less toxic. Nitrates are then removed with weekly water changes.
You will need to fill tank with water (tap water must be dechlorinated first using a water conditioner, otherwise chlorine is toxic). Then, add household ammonia or at least some fish food/pellets. Once ammonia levels rise (2-4ppm), you will need to add kick-start solutions containing nitrifying bacteria like this.
Allow the solution to start working, and then ammonia must go down to zero and nitrite levels spike to 2-4ppm. After that, nitrites will go down to zero and nitrate levels rise to above 0. Do 60-80% water change to get nitrate levels to 20-40ppm before introducing your axolotl. To test for water parameters, you will need test kit/strips like this.
- pH of water. Low pH (under 7) is acidic water, and pH of 7 and above – alkaline. Axolotls are freshwater animals, so they need alkaline water – pH between 7-7.5. pH must never get lower than 6.5 or higher than 7.5.
- KH – alkalinity of water, meaning the ability to neutralize acid. KH levels should be 53.7-143 ppm/3-8°.
- Specific gravity (sg) – or salinity of water. It should be around 1.0000
- Levels of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates – these are toxic to axolotls in higher concentrations. All parameters must be 0, nitrate levels can be between 0-40 ppm.
- Water hardness/GH – axolotls prefer harder water, so it should equal 140-250 ppm/8-14°.
Please note, that you must be running your filter at all times when cycling is in process. Filter must have biological media to help with nitrification.
If you would like to read a full step-by-step cycling and tank preparation, please see this guide.
Shopping list
- 20 gallon long tank
- Substrate – sand, large rocks, slate pieces
- Plants (live or fake, or both)
- Decorations – caves, pipes, coconut halves etc.
- Thermometer – x1-2
- Aquarium water changer for weekly water changes
- Aquarium water starter (nitrifying bacteria)
- Water testing kit (at least to test for 5-6 main parameters)
- Tap water conditioner to remove chlorine from water
- Water filter
- Fan
Thank you for reading this post on how to setup an axolotl aquarium. To learn more about axolotl care, please see this resource page.