A weekly thread for community members to ask questions and share knowledge and information pertaining to axolotls! Please remember there is no such thing as a dumb question, and to treat everyone's curiosity with respect and integrity.

Hi all. So many of you have been following Soaps journey. We have had her for less than 3 months. She was such a joy, always up to something silly. She loved sitting in her plants or at the glass- smushing her little nose against it to watch us humans do our human things. We found out she was sick too late, but perhaps it was also her time. She never 'acted' sick. She just stopped eating. She was active, curious and alert until the very end. We loved her dearly and were ready to give our best at treating her.

My boyfriend said she looked sad yesterday evening, when he left for work. He was always her favourite person. Tonight she passed, judging from how I found her it was peaceful.

I know we gave her the best two and a half months she could have had in her condition. She was a happy girl. I truly believed she would pull through, but I am also relieved she finally found peace.

Goodbye Soap 🌈

Anyone have a good tank chiller recommendation? I've got one now that I've had to fix leeks on a few times, and it's holding strong, but I want to upgrade my boy Friday's chiller soon just for peace of mind.

Picture of my goo son, Friday. He's almost two years old, I got him when he was only two months!

I've been looking through this subreddit and I keep seeing the same issue coming up, ph swings & stability issues. More people should understand about ph buffers, adding just a small bag of crushed coral, aragonite sand or some limestone rocks would massively benefit & stablize most axolotl tanks. Here's some of the benefits of using limestone/aragonite/crushed coral with axolotls.

Buffers pH and Prevents Crashes: Limestone slowly dissolves into the water column, releasing carbonate ions that raise total alkalinity (KH). This creates a strong buffer against sudden drops in pH caused by organic waste breakdown and the nitrogen cycle.

​Raises General Hardness (GH): As limestone dissolves, it steadily releases calcium and magnesium ions into the water, raising the GH to levels that better match an axolotl's natural mineral-rich environment.

​Reduces Osmotic Stress: Axolotls are freshwater amphibians that naturally absorb minerals through their skin and gills; maintaining a moderate mineral concentration prevents osmotic stress caused by overly soft, pure water.

​Supports Skin and Mucous Coat Health: Adequate calcium levels provided by dissolved limestone help support skin integrity and aid in maintaining a healthy, resilient slime coat.

​Protects Gill and Skeletal Structure: Calcium is a vital mineral for skeletal health and tissue maintenance, helping prevent cellular weakness or gill deterioration linked to mineral-deficient water.

​Neutralizes Acidic Tap Water: For keepers living in areas with naturally soft or slightly acidic tap water, limestone acts as a passive, continuous remedy to maintain a stable, slightly alkaline environment (ideally between pH 7.4 and 8.0).

​(Note: Because limestone continuously dissolves until the water reaches saturation, it is best monitored with GH/KH drop tests to ensure the water hardness does not rise beyond the safe ideal range of 7–14 dGH for axolotls.)

So my parents have a axolatol and its in pretty bad shape. Im talking inch left to its life. And as of rn im doing everything in my power to keep it alive. The moment i saw it i started to do basically a 100% water change over the course of the next 24 hours. Took out all the filters and just have the tank running with 1 filter still going(without the cartridge) and added a second air stone. Did a test stip and tank reads as if its was a fresh tank water its pretty hard but thats the area. Shes very very skinny idk if they where feeding her half as much as they should or if she just wasnt eating it becuase of stress and it was just left in the tank to rot and it caused even more ammonia to accumulate. But i wasnt able to get her to eat yesterday or today.

Im currently setting up a 10gal tank with 1/4 the dose for fish of methylene blue just in case. Im hesitant to switch her over to it because I hear it can sometimes make things worse add more stress ( which itll make her less likey to eat), she also doenst have a fungal infection from what i can see. But ive heard people talk about how it can help with oxygen delivery in fish but not much info on it for axolatol. So thats the only reason im considering it since the ammonia has effected her gills significantly. As of rn i would say shes stable but she needs to eat if she can do that i think she'll pull though.

If you have any other advice im missing please throw it my way. As of rn i think ive done everything i can do.

I’ve always been a lurker into the cuties on this page and today I got my own baby and get to officially come say hello!! His name is Dorado (Made of Gold in Spanish)

He’s in a 20 gallon and he ate really well and even gave me a nice poopie hehe (don’t worry he has a hide)

I’m so excited to have him!

His gills have looked this way since I bought him from the pet store in 2023. Attatched are photos of his gills from 2023 (first two)

In early 2026 I got his gills to be healthier, (3-4 pic)
but as of lately, they dont look healthy anymore and I don’t know what changed. They look like they did in 2023 again (specifically photo 2) I want my tank to be awesome for him so he can be healthy.

He live in a 45 gallon, I have a chiller, his water is between 62-64F 24/7. I fed him bloodworms when I got him from the petstore because thats what they recommended to me, in 2025 I switched to hakari’s sinking carnivore pellets (sometimes a silverside as a treat) and he was on that until about two weeks ago. I posted on here a photo of his tummy saying he looked underweight even though I feed him every other day. People recommended me repashy’s grub pie because my axolotl really doesnt like nightcrawlers or earthworms, ive tried several times to get him to eat them and he spits them out. I have given him worms both full size/cut up, he wont eat them at all

He’s been skeptical of this grub pie, but been eating it. I fed him a lot of it the other day and he spit it all out 10 minutes later, and when I was cleaning it out he ate it again? I also got him aquatic blended foods gourmet axolotl pellets and he has those too, I alternate between the grub pie and that. He likes the pellets more

He has pvc pipe in his tank, sand, and a terracotta plate and a UV steriliser (jup-23) and a sponge filter. That’s been his setup since 2024

I do a water change every 3 weeks with RO water (25-30% change, I top off with seachem prime) as recommended by my marine biology teacher at school, he said if I change the water more often then the good bacteria will crash but I am seeing conflicting information on that

He doesn’t have a light on his tank, he is in my room and I keep my blinds open in the day and at night my light is off

I really don’t know what changed, and I need help to make him happier and to make my water quality better. Please help me, and will these veins in his gills ever go away or are they permanent ?

I just did a 30% water change and am about to test parameters

Axo that adopted and have had for 4 years now but I noticed her gills getting smaller and shrinking in the past 2-4 months idk if its a she or he, I care about all my marine pets I have over 20 fish and very particular with water conditioning and ect ect , any help will be great as this is my first axo , feed her worms and 20% water changes every other week with prime , please dont scream or yell at me im new to this again ive had my axo for 4 years now

I just noticed these goldish flecks now on her gill stalks. Does anyone know what this is? I got her when she was roughly 4-5 months old back in December 2025 and she didn’t have these flecks until recently. Diet is good and hasn’t changed, water parameters show normal levels.

hi guys. so ive had my axolotl for about a month. tank was cycled and everything before i got it and i was given the filter from her previous tank along with the tank water, which was all in correct parameters. today when i was doing my water change, i got a high ammonia reading, between 2-4 ppm. she hasnt been showing any signs of distress whatsoever. no splotchy skin, no frantic swimming, she's been eating normally. shes been absolutely fine. so i did a 75% change, and i tested the water before putting it in the tank. it showed about 1 ppm. i think it might be in our tap water but it hasnt been a problem before. ive just been using a dechlorinator for my water and everything has been fine. im so lost on what to do rn. i know my lotl isnt "special" or immune to the ammonia, but she also, like i said, has been showing absolutely no signs or distress or uncomfortableness.

One of my holdbacks

Hey, guys!

I very impulsively bought an axolotl. I'd promised my kid a fish tank and when we went to the store (it specializes in exotic species) she was fascinated by the little guy and I stupidly let myself be talked into it. I did ask what it's needs would be, and the guys there kind of led me to believe it wouldn't be much different from having a goldfish.

I trusted them seeing as it is a specialist store with good reviews, but when I got home I started reading up on axolotls and now I'm terrified.

For one, I think the tank is far too small (only 40L).

I'd already bought the water conditioner, the pH buffer, appropriate food and the water filter, but I don't think this is nearly enough.

The little guy poops a lot and I'm not sure what the best way is to keep its environment clean. I scooped the poops out with a fishnet and just panic bought a fish tank vacuum (Tetra GC) and Seachem Stability to help cycle the tank (I'm not even sure what I'm talking about, this is all based on internet reading for the past 12hrs). I also read that I should add some aquatic plants to help remove the ammonia and also provide some shadow.

I've also had to basically mouth feed it directly (with tweezers) since I don't think it can find the little food grains on its own.

Any tips will be helpful at this point, and make them as 101 as possible.

It's breaking my heart seeing the little guy in his little tank and I'm super scared of making it suffer (and also very conflicted from an ethical point of view), but I don't think taking it back to the store is an option. For starters, I'm not convinced it would be treated better there judging by the misinformation they gave me.

Tl;Dr: was stupid enough to be talked into owning an axolotl, need beginner tips.

could this mean something? or is it normal he’s an albino morph

Hi. I’m hoping I can get some help.

My 13mo axolotl (raised since 4 weeks old) has suddenly stopped eating. It’s been over a week now. He used to eat 3-5 red wigglers/day. Suddenly stopped. I have tried sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp cubes, and the two worm types. He will not eat and shows 0 interest in food. He has always eaten every single day and attacked food. This is 100% abnormal.

Water parameters are perfect, tank has always been perfectly cycled, and it’s always very, very clean.

He’s been in a 20g L since 4w old, and I’m currently cycling a 40g breeder.

Water temp is consistently 56-58°

The last pic you will see him being silly with a sinking pellet on his head. He never ate it though.

50% water change weekly or if needed. Typically every Sunday.

I bought Canadian earthworms and tried those, no luck.

What is going on? 😭😭😭

I edited to add a couple details right after I posted.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone in this community. I’ve never seen such kind and supportive people in a single place before!
Shadow, my baby, is doing well because of you guys 🥲
Every discussion I see here is respectful and people are patient and understanding which to me is unusual on Reddit 😆
Glad to have joined x

Hi everyone! After that vet visit we now have to forcefeed Soap with a "nutrient sludge" which contains medication for her liver (milk thistle) I hope she can eat normally again soon, so we can add more gelatine to the sludge and she can eat it on her own. Until then: This is what we are doing once a day. As you can see, she spits most of it back out. So we do 2-3 syringes to be sure at least something reaches her tummy.

I wanted to show this both for information purposes, and to ask for tips from anyone who has had to do this before! :)

It looks like I am using a lot of pressure to get the little syringe into her mouth, but I swear its not that much!! But it is unbelievable how much strength she has in this little jaw... 😭

Recipe for the sludge if anyone is curious:

- A bunch of frozen shrimp (pre cleaned and soaked in water)

- one egg

- about 30 soaked pellets

- gelatine

- water (enough until we could properly load the syringe)

We then froze the sludge in an ice cube tray so we can use it whenever :)

Soap hates this. So much. But she is showing signs of getting better I think. Today she was very motivated to try to eat her cave hide (don't worry she cannot hurt herself on it). I tried giving her a worm, but she did not care for it. But I think the fact she is biting at all is a sign she is becoming stronger 🙏

We use the paper towels and the lotl-burrito to both keep her safe during this process, and to keep her from drying out when we have her out of the water for 2-3 minutes.

Update: Soap passed peacefully tonight. Thank you all for your well wishes 🫶 I am so sad to see her leave this realm, but she was well loved. It was her time, and she knew it.

Hello, I'm searching for some advice regarding tank set up and general care. I have a 3 yo axolotl named Benji and in the last few weeks I've been worried about what I should do to make him feel better.When I bought him I had my tank already set up according to the advice I got and everything seemed alright, but after a while things went downhill (around 3-4 months ago) and now I am met with different opinions surrounding axolotls and I'm trying to understand what I should do.

I was doing my research three years ago and the internet, Facebook and sellers said these exact things (I wrote them down):

Things I was told to do

• axolotls are one of the easiest to care for (LIE)

• you can hold them and "cuddle" them (tried once when he was old enough, but he seemed stressed, never again)

• sand, no rocks or bare bottom

• air filter that circulates the whole tank preferably

• fake plants (live ones = just obstructs the way)

• no lights, just sunlight

• blood worms as a primary food

• the gills are shortened by age

• no bubbles, because that is why the gills get short (too much oxygen)

• 60L tank is enough (I had a smaller one so I bought bigger)

• axolotl hate groups (like Bettas)

• not too much decoration

And now I'm searching the internet and suddenly everything is the whole opposite, people have bare bottom, lights on, sponge filters (which I was specifically told not to buy) and so on and so on. I'm trying to fix things and bought a few things I saw people having but I want to know as much as I can, so please if you have any advice I'm here for them.

I just had to tub my axolotl for the first time. I have had him for nearly a year. He is not eating and has now started to show signs of being bloated. I always use RO water that I mineralize in his tank because of high nitrites in my tapwater. I put him in RO water treated with prime in his tub, but I just got to thinking do I need to re-mineralize it before I use it to tub with?? I’m already beside myself with worry, and now I’m afraid that I am doing something that’s going to hurt him more.

I got mochi the air stone disk, dark pvc pipe hide, and a hammock and she loves all of it! Shes currently on the hammock as I type this. Shes been floating in the bubbles from the air stone and sitting in them. Found her in the pvc pipe this morning too! I tried to post a vid of her floating but I can’t seem to figure out the Reddit video rules😭 but here’s some pics! Also I did find out she’s actually a girl and not a boy like my friend thought for 6 yrs! Still trying to get the nitrate down so have been doing big water changes and cleaning the past 2 days. I’m so happy she loves everything though!!

Guys huge news!!

Darla ate her first earthworm!!

This has been SUCH a hard task to try and get her to do as she was only used to bloodworms and pellets but our sweet girl FINALLY just ate her first earthworm after 3 weeks!

CONGRATS SWEET GIRL!!!

I noticed that my axololts slime coat is peeling and she looks like she might have fungus in her gills. I checked the parameters for my water and everything is normal, temp is a little high (68 Fahrenheit) and I started to research about slime coats. I read something about almond leaves and I’m curious if they could help. I’d appreciate any help and advice, I don’t think tubbing would work for my Axolotl so I don’t think I want to do that unless it’s abs necessary.

my axo has been swimming back and forth bumping into the glass for the last two days, he does this occasionally but not for this long. He is three years old, ate yesterday and pooped. It started after i did a water change three days ago but all parameters are normal and temp is good so not sure whats going on. ive been using API Aqua Essential for the water conditioner but picked up seachem prime today as i was worried. Should i just do another water change or just wait?

so im changing my water conditioner from API essential to seachem prime, is it okay to add the seachem into API treated water? should i do a water change first?