Dead Axolotl : Why Did My Axolotl Die? 4 Common Reasons For Death

Caring axolotls for the first time might be challenging. Many requirements are needed to care for an axolotl, but having a cute face and adorable shape makes us want to have one. In addition, axolotls are exotic pets that not many people have. So, why did my Axolotl die all of a sudden?

Bad quality of water is generally the reason for dead axolotl in your tank. Pet owners need to double check water quality and drain and replace water and not lose your Axolotl due to carelessness. Make sure to get a high quality water filter within the axolotl tank and never go without one. Bad water quality may create stress and health issues which can lead to death of Axolotls.

If you don’t meet some requirements to take care of them, you will get a dead axolotl and breaks your heart. Consider the options if you want to take care of this animal because it is not easy to find. The population of the Axolotl is decreasing. And many owners still don’t know what caused their Axolotl to die.

Let’s read to the end what Axolotl needs and learn some questions from axolotl owners about “why did my axolotl die.”

Why Do Axolotls Die?

We know that axolotls are not immortal and can die according to their age. Even though they have a long life expectancy compared to other aquatic pets, axolotls can still die normally.

You need to know a lot of factors that can make a dead axolotl other than dying naturally. Parasites, infections, wrong food, sickness, heatstroke are some of the things that can cause an axolotl to die.

Why did my Axolotl die in a heat stroke because I put the tank in a place that can still be exposed to sunlight. Besides that, I didn’t provide an aquarium fan or cooler to maintain the tank temperature, so the Axolotl couldn’t stand the tank’s temperature and die before I realized it.

Can Axolotls Die Of Old Age?

Axolotls can die at natural age with a lifespan of up to 15 years. You need to take care of various requirements to be aged at old age, especially setting the water temperature to always be between 15-18°C.

There will always be dead Axolotl naturally, even though we have tried our best to care for them because no one knows their age. We, as owners, can only provide facilities and care for them as best we can so that they live healthy and happy lives.

Do Axolotls Float When They Die?

When it comes to dead Axolotl, many ask if they will float or sink. If the Axolotl has a body heavier than water, it will sink, and if it is lighter, it will float.

When it comes to dead axolotls, many ask if they will float or sink. If the Axolotl has a body heavier than water, it will sink, and if it is lighter, it will float.

Many axolotl owners see when they Axolotl die, they will sink into the bottom of the tank with curled gills and curled tail.

This does not occur in normal axolotl behavior. If you see this and the axolotls do it for more than a day, then you need to check if they are still alive or if you see dead Axolotl.

What Do You Do With A Dead Axolotl?

If the Axolotl has been dead for quite some time, it may be difficult for you to determine its condition. Experts recommend that you never try to open up an animal that is not moving.

This can cause severe damage to vital organs, such as the liver or kidneys. It can also result in the death of the pet.

If the tank stinks and the Axolotl stays in the same position for some time, you can be sure you are witnessing a dead axolotl. All you have to do is pick it up and put it in a plastic bag or bury it in your garden.

Change the water tank as soon as possible, especially if the Axolotl has tank mates. Keeping the water tank clean is also the main thing for all animals in the tank.

Why Did My Axolotl Die Suddenly?

Several things can cause an axolotl to die suddenly. One of them is poor water quality. Axolotls must be in the water with a pH water level between 6.5 to 7.5 for their metabolism.

Does forcing Axolotl to live on land make them die?

Poor water quality can worsen Axolotl’s condition because it stresses them out, causes disease, and dies suddenly.

Another reason, dead Axolotl can occur due to overheating. The axolotl is an animal that can only live in cool temperatures and cannot live in temperatures over 22°C. This will cause overheating of the Axolotl, and if this happens continuously, then the Axolotl can get heatstroke and die suddenly.

Can Axolotls Come Back To Life?

Axolotls are the only vertebrates that can regenerate their body parts throughout their lives. Even axolotls can regenerate their brain or their heart. This is what makes many axolotls think they are immortal because they have regeneration abilities.

When you find a dead axolotl, it doesn’t mean they will come back to life because they can regenerate. The ability to regenerate body parts can only be done when the Axolotl is alive and will not bring life back.

Why Is My Axolotl Playing Dead?

Many animals can play dead for many reasons. For some animals, playing dead is a defense mechanism to prevent them from being attacked by predators, tricking prey, or for sexual reproduction.

For playing dead Axolotl, it is done for young and little Axolotl to avoid bigger and older Axolotl because they feel threatened.

In addition, axolotls play dead because they feel as if the water has just been changed or are in a new place other than their usual habitat.

You can see the dead playing behavior will last between 10-40 seconds. If the Axolotl swam back into the water, it wouldn’t be a problem. But you need to pay attention if the Axolotl playing dead is more than a minute and do it many times over several days. Check the pH level, water temperature, or the food you are giving.

Axolotl Died Suddenly – What Should I Do?

If you see a dead axolotl in your tank, the first thing you need to do is remove all the tank mates that are in the tank, then check what happens to the Axolotl if it is very far from its lifespan, for example, died at 3 years old.

Several possibilities can occur, such as the temperature of the tank, the food that has been given, the pH of the water level, or other tank mates that make them suffer.

If you have found the cause of the Axolotl’s death, you need to bury them and replace the water tank while cleaning the dirt inside like you clean the tank regularly. This is necessary so that the axolotl tank mates are not stressed when they see dead axolotls in the tank.

Axolotl Dead Mouth Open – What Are The Reasons?

If you find dead Axolotl in a tank with their mouths open, the axolotls may have been exposed to ammonia poisoning due to the lack of filtration in their tank.

Starting from lethargic symptoms, the Axolotl will continue to try to surface the tank and gasp for air. If it continues, the poisoning will worsen, and the Axolotl can die because it can’t use its gills properly because of the symptoms of poisoning.

What Are The Reasons Behind Dead Axolotl Eggs?

Dead eggs can arise from several factors. One of them is an unfertilized egg which obviously will not develop and is called a dead egg. Another factor is the female Axolotl is younger than 18 months because they are still not perfect in laying their eggs to be fertilized in large numbers.

Although we already know that after a female axolotl has laid their eggs, there are still many chances that the eggs cannot survive, but unfertilized eggs are still considered dead Axolotl in large numbers.

Are Axolotls Extinct?

The axolotl is an endangered species until some states prohibit anyone from caring for or breeding an axolotl. This is a sign that the Axolotl is starting to get a little bit in the wild. For now, the condition of the Axolotl is critically endangered.

In addition, when axolotls lay their eggs, even though they can lay up to more than 100 eggs, the survivability is also random. Even only 20% can hatch and live healthily.

Caring for an axolotl if you are not careful will cause the Axolotl to become extinct faster. If the person has never known about the Axolotl before, there is a high chance of having a dead axolotl.

For example, why did my Axolotl die due to heatstroke, and I didn’t know that the Axolotl couldn’t start if the tank temperature was over 22°C.

Things To Consider How To Care Axolotl

Some things that must be considered to prevent dead Axolotl are water quality. As long as you can keep the water quality by the Axolotl’s needs, then they can live happily.

Don’t forget to know the Axolotl’s behavior, because they usually live alone and don’t need tank mates. Having tank mates that don’t match will make them more stressed and can experience other threats.

If the axolotls in your tank are the smallest aquatic pets and there are other, more aggressive fish, the axolotls are in danger because they can fall prey to larger and more ferocious fish.

Most Common Reasons Why Axolotl Dies

Dead Axolotl is a serious problem because we also want to care for and maintain this endangered species to live longer and maybe be able to do breeding to reproduce its offspring. Below are common reasons why Axolotl dies.

What To Do With Dead Axolotl?

Immediately remove the Axolotl from the tank, and replace the water tank as much as possible or move all tank mates to a temporary place until the water level returns to normal.

Dead axolotls can stress tank mates and make dirty water faster. If the Axolotl gets an infection or impaction and another fish hunts the Axolotl because it is dead, other fish can also get the same infection.

Final Verdict On Dead Axolotl

Owning an axolotl is a big responsibility because you are ready to take care of an endangered species. You have to understand a few things that can make an axolotl die, and you have to prevent that from happening.

Things to note are the water quality and the food given to the Axolotl. As long as you can take good care of axolotls, they can live up to their life expectancy, and they can die naturally.

If you find dead axolotls, take them out of the tank immediately and clean the water to prevent anything from happening in the tank.

Sometimes axolotls have a behavior for playing dead and that you have to know about because it only lasts for 10-40 seconds. After that, they will return to the water and do their usual activities.

Check the water temperature to ensure they are not overheated to the tank temperature or there is nothing wrong with their condition.

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! ❤️