Instructions
Provide the correct amount of water for your axolotl. A standard 10-gallon tank should be filled with about 6" of water, although larger tanks are O.K. The water should just be as deep as the axolotl is long (adults can reach 7" to 14"). The water should be filtered of any chlorine or chloramines prior to use.
Add a filter, as axolotls produce plenty of waste. But keep the filtration rate low and gentle, to prevent disturbing the animal. Choose a filter appropriate to the size of your tank. Some owners may prefer not to have a filter at all, although this requires that you change your the water in the tank more regularly.
Outfit your axoloyl's habitat accordingly. Avoid normal, small gravel, which can be ingested, but provide floating plants, caves, etc., to provide good cover. Light, however, is not necessary: Axolotls are nocturnal. In fact, make sure to sequester the tank in a cool area, away from bright sunlight. You may also want to consider adding some shade, such as a potted plant.
Change 20 percent of your water each week, in addition to suctioning out any debris. If you are not using a filter, however, this change should occur every one or two days. Never change all of the water in the tank at once.
Keep your axolotls at a specific temperature: anywhere from 54 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, but 62 to 64 degress is ideal. Anything higher can stress or injure the animal, although a slightly lower temperature (about 50 degrees) is sometimes used to treat disease. In addition, maintain your axolotl at a stable pH of 6.5 to 8, and ideally from 7.3 to 7.6.
Keep a watchful eye on your axolotl's behavior. When healthy, an axolotl will spend most of its time on the bottom of the tank. Floating axolotls, however, may be stressed or ill, and you should seek professional veterinary attention. Axolotls may also, via triggers not well understood, undergo a metamorphosis to their terrestrial form--a form that requires an entirely different system of care.
How to House a Pet Axolotl
Axolotls--also known as Mexican walking fish, although they are actually salamanders--are adorable. They are, however, endangered: Their only native habitats, Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco in Mexico, no longer exist. As a result, this species lives mostly in captivity, as pets or research animals--which makes their adequate housing of the utmost importance.