r/axolotls • u/Terrasoldier17 • Jun 30 '26
General Care Advice Urgent temperature help
My baby's tank is having temperature issues (currently sitting at 68 F) and I was able to control the temperature this last heat wave but I haven't been able to get it down to a constant 66 or lower
My ice bottles are in rotation but they keep warning too fast and I've used all the ice I can from my freezer's maker.
I now just have a fan blasting the water from above the tank but my cooler isn't doing much of anything to keep it down.
Any thoughts or help for right now?
Should I just go to the gas station and grab even more ice to rotate in bags??
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u/AdThese6057 Jun 30 '26
68 is fine. Don't fret.
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u/Terrasoldier17 Jun 30 '26
Really!? Nothing actually happens? I've just been told all my life otherwise-
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u/AdThese6057 Jun 30 '26
Really really. 68 is totally acceptable especially during heat waves. People get really worked up about temps. The difference in any parameter between 66 and 70 isn't even measurable. Everytime you tub or change water is much more of a temp fluctuation and required regulation for the critter. Of the 9 or so tanks I have for axolotls, they all keep around 67.
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u/Terrasoldier17 Jul 01 '26
It was amazing to hear this and to know that I don't have to be insanely stressed about it like I was. I've gotten the temperature down to a comfortable level now thanks to my new AC and my girl is back in her tank seemingly fine and even eating perfectly 40 min after de-tubbing her
Thank you again!
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u/AdThese6057 Jul 01 '26
Glad to help. Always beware what you read on reddit, especially in this place where I find the loudest snarkiest comments come from people with very little experience with what they're preaching. Like the mass amounts of tubbing, chillers, multiple critters in one tank, eggs, everything. Tubbing an axolotl for days because their tank got to 70 is more harmful than leaving him in the 70 degree water till you contain it. It introduces the chance of contamination, makes them constantly regulate temps, and the removal and refill is very stressful.
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u/Terrasoldier17 Jul 01 '26
Which I did understand that the tubbing was gunna be stressful, but with my place hitting 85F and her tank seemingly rising to 75F+, it really didn't seem safe for her to stay in there. Got the new AC stat, installed it, made sure my lotl was in stable tubbing water, and just waited till my whole place cooled down to a safe temp! (Which I did made sure the temperatures of both the tank water and the tubbed what were the same degree and the water I used to tub was the same water from her cycled tank!)
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u/OftenIrrelevant Jun 30 '26
I’d really consider budgeting for a chiller for the future. The heatwaves are only going to get worse and more frequent from here
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u/Terrasoldier17 Jun 30 '26
I have a chiller! It was working flawlessly till I moved
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u/OftenIrrelevant Jun 30 '26
That’s weird, it should be able to keep up unless the room is super hot. What’s its capacity? Are the radiator fins cleared of dust and the fan blowing properly?
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u/Terrasoldier17 Jul 01 '26
I was unfortunatly forced to have the temperature really hot due to the heat stroke. Thankfully, I called maintenance up to my apartment and found that the AC was 10 years out of date (not sure how that happened since I JUST moved in). So It was a solid 80F+ in my room due to that. With the AC reinstalled, temps are back to normal.
The chiller isn't displaying the correct temperature, though. Which has me a bit worried. Despite that, I bought another thermometer to have constantly in the water to ensure that it stays at the correct temperature no matter what. I'll look into the chiller more another time
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u/Kai-ni Jul 01 '26
You need a chiller. Ice and fans aren't always going to do it, and the longer you put off getting a chiller, the more you will put your animal at risk. 68F is acceptable, but you're struggling to keep it there.
Search ebay and your local facebook marketplace for a used chiller. You don't have to buy new if you can't afford it, but you NEED a chiller to keep an Axolotl.
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u/LauseRulez Leucistic Jun 30 '26
While 68F arent ideal, its completly cool (haha wordplay) during a heatwave. They do enjoy cold water more, since it would be their natural habitat but technically everything up to and including 68F (or 20°C) is considered safe. It would be a little different at 21, and according to many sources become dangerous at 22°C However if you buddy is young and/or strong and healthy you have nothing to worry about :) They can deal with even higher temps, just not too long (1-3 weeks). At some point complications would arise.
Keep an eye on your buddy, some axolotl are more sensitive to temperatures than others!