Are Axolotls Good Pets? 7 Conclusive Reasons Why They Are Good

Axolotls are creatures with big frilly gills, small tiny eyes without eyelids, and a mouth in the shape of a smile. The average life of Axolotls is about 15 years. They are considered endangered nowadays. Usually, they come up in the colors like pink grey golden, etc.

Are Axolotls Good Pets? So Axolotls are very interactive and friendly pets. Axolotls are aquatic animals that will provide you years of entertainment if you keep them properly. You will feel relieved to know that they are comparatively easy to take care of.

The basic requirement of axolotls keeping is that they should be properly housed and fed. Then you can enjoy the pleasure of axolotl rearing as pet and share happy moments with salamander in form of photos and videos with friends and world.

Interestingly most people usually resemble axolotls with fish but actually, they are not fish they are salamanders. Many people are very curious to know about axolotls as pets, and whether or not axolotls are good pets. So yes you all are definitely on the right page.

What Do Axolotls Eat?

Well, usually axolotls eat insects, worms, or small fish. Axolotls are fed mollusks, worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, and some fish Brine Shrimp, California Blackworms, Salmon Pallets in the labs. In Ambystoma, they are fed food pellets.

Are Axolotls Good Pets?

Well, the answer to the question, Are axolotls good pets, is that Axolotls are very friendly but not so interactive pets which can give you a lot of enjoyment if they are kept properly. Axolotls are very rare and unique pets. They are relatively easy to handle and are suitable for beginners. I’m going to give you several reasons that I think makes axolotls good pets.

Cute Pets

One of the reasons that I think Axolotls are good pets is their beautiful, unique, and big smile. They also come in different colors. one of the most common salamanders is the albino which is very popular because of its unique combination of white and red.

Surprisingly the Albinos are the most popular type among axolotls lovers. If you are interested in keeping a non-albino variety then it is more costly. Some of the other popular varieties among Axolotls are the melanoid Axolotls, molted brown, leucistic, and the golden.

GFP Axolotls is also a good option if you are interested in something interesting. This variety seems very beautiful with a glow under black light.

Axolotls Need A small Tank

A wide, 20-gallon tank is going to feel more than comfortable for a single Axolotl. Usually, These salamanders require a wide tank as a bottom dweller. They spend most of their time walking on the substrate that is sandy and soft.

If you are planning to keep two Axolotls, you will need to buy a 40-gallon tank. A 10-gallon aquarium is generally suggested for the single salamander. However, if you want your pet to grow, then you increase the size to double.

A bigger tank also indicates that you won’t need to change water as frequently as it would have been required in a small tank.

Axolotls Are Easy To Feed

One of the best qualities that I find in axolotls is they are way too easy to feed as these walking fish would eat whatever they can find. But because they are carnivores one has to be careful as they eat only meat-based food.

They need protein to grow properly. Sinking pellets that are specially made for carnivores are perfect for them. Some worms are good for them like earthworms, bloodworms and Shrimps. There are pellets specifically made for Axolotls as well that you can buy in almost every pet shop.

If you love your pet so much and want to show affection towards it you will be more than happy to know that you can feed it with your hand because even if it bites you, you will get a feeling as if you have touched sandpaper and will not do any damage to your skin.

Axolotls Live For Years

Almost all the pet owners develop very strong and emotional relations with their pets and most pets have a short lifespan but axolotls owners are lucky in this case because axolotls usually have a very long life span. Their natural life span is about 15 years.

If you keep them healthy at home and fulfill all their needs, they have the chance to live as long as 20 years. It is much safe for them to live in captivity. There are many stress factors and other creatures that can be dangerous to them in the wild.

Interestingly, home aquarium is much comfortable and safe for axolotls without any threat to the environment as the owners are mostly very loving and caring.

Axolotls Are Peaceful

Well, axolotls are predators but are aggressive only when they are trying to grab their food. But apart from it, they are very peaceful. They are usually doing this stuff at the bottom of the aquarium exploring different things.

If you keep two axolotls in the same tanks, there are very few chances of any territorial disputes. But obviously, you should have brought a big fish tank.

Axolotls are Easy to Manage 

Axolotls as compared to other creations of fish are much cleaner to keep. If you buy a big enough tank, you won’t need to change the tank water regularly. The waste they produce comes out in a big piece that can be removed urgently. 

 By doing this, you can make the water fresh and clean without going out of the way. For better handling of Axolotls, you should remove the leftover food from the tank. This will help you to avoid the contamination of the water of your Axolotl.

So by these easy tips, you can manage a clean environment for your Axolotl.

Axolotls Can Live Without Food For A long Time

Well, going on a vacation while having an axolotl at home, pretty stressful, no? So the good news is that you don’t have to worry at all because this little creature is going to be completely fine for some weeks. But if you don’t want to stress your cute little salamander then you should feed it within 3 to 4 days.

But in the case you have to, you can leave for a couple of weeks without doing much damage. You know what in this case fish feeder is a great solution. If your Axolotl is hungry he can hunt them one by one and can get its daily protein source.

Now beware of the fact that live feeder fish produces a lot of waste so the solution is just to leave a filter on the water and the water is not going to be as contaminated.

Do Axolotls Like To Be Touched?

Axolotls are delicate animals and do not like to be touched. Otherwise, they are quite friendly aquatic animals. If you touch them rarely they are going to be completely fine but if you start touching them regularly or often they might get stressed. 

I would advise that if you want to touch it or hold it in your hands always wash your hands before and after touching your axolotl.

Axolotls are very delicate creatures so never stroke your axolotl. Always remember and try to be gentle with your approach. if you will not be gentle the cute little creation will start getting afraid of you. You should never force them instead you should let them touch your hand first so that they can get comfortable.

Are Axolotls Costly To Care For?

The initial cost to own an axolotl is normally between $200 and $600.The cost of food and enclosure for axolotls is not so high. Axolotls are not expensive to buy. Adult axolotls may cost $35-$40 and baby axolotls may cost $20-$25.

The real expense is the accessories and tank to house your axolotl, ranging from $85-$285.

Do Axolotls Love Their Owners?

Axolotls are naturally solitary animals who like to spend time with themselves. But after some sort of training, they sometimes recognize their owners and usually react to their hand signals. They are not way too loving or do not show much affection but axolotls. But once you start investing your time with them they will begin to recognize you.

Axolotls do have emotions like many other creatures and of course, understand feelings like love, pain, etc. for example they do feel stressed even if there is a bit of chlorine in the tank.

Are Axolotls Friendly To Humans?

Axolotls aren’t unfriendly, but sociable is not the right word for them. They are reserved-type creatures or solitary creatures that don’t have an interest in humans. They don’t even spend time with other axolotls unless they’re mating. They usually keep it to themselves.

You can call them a reserved creation. But yes Axolotls recognize their owners. They can identify the owner’s touch, but are not much into humans.

Do Axolotls Get Aggressive?

Keeping Axolotls with other anima can be a threat for other habitants of your aquarium. You should always consider that generally axolotls are aggressive and can attack other animals including other axolotls as their food.

Axolotls are also quite fragile and their gills and fins may be damaged by fish. Axolotls are usually not aggressive with humans but if you keep 2 of them in a single 20-gallon tank you will face many problems. So for 2 of them, a 40-gallon tank is suitable.

How Long Do Axolotls Live As A Pet?

Axolotls can grow up to a length of 9 inches but sometimes they grow up to 12 inches. Normally, the axolotls live on average up to 5 to 6 years but some have also lived up to 17 years.

Axolotls are long-living animals that can also survive up to 15 years on the diet of mollusks, worms, insects, and some fish.

Can You Befriend Axolotls?

I know if you love your pet for sure you would want to be friends with them. But axolotls don’t need any friends. 

This animal does not like to socialize. So it is very difficult for anyone to be friends with axolotls. They even do not like to be friends with other axolotls. But yes axolotls identify their owners and can recognize the touch of their hands.

Final Verdict – Are Axolotls Good Pets

Axolotls are walking fish and rare pets which many people aspire to keep. They have a lifespan of almost 15 years but as a pet, it has survived for about 20 years. They are not so social animals and do not like to be touched regularly. They do recognize their owners but are not so friendly.

Despite these reasons, they make a very good pet due to the following qualities. Firstly, Axolotls are very cute like their big unique smile that melts the heart of every person, secondly, it is relatively very easy to take care of and is not so expensive. 

You also do not have to worry about their food regularly as they do not need to be fed regularly. Axolotls are beautiful and unique. One should try not to put 2 axolotls in the same tank and if you do put them in a 40-gallon tank and not less than that.

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️