Question: Just Some basic Info

[Riddick]

So i'm very new to having an axolotl, and just a few things i want to know.


So Pretty much i've been feeding my axi, Crickets, BloodWorms, worms ect,


1. i would like to know how many Crickets would YOU give your axi on a daily basis?
2. Should i get a heater for him?
3. Do they ever get lonely?

Pretty much straight forward advice so that my axi can live a long happy life & Any helpful tips that you have discovered over the years Would muchly be appreciated, very new to this & eager to learn Cheers.

 

[laulen]

That's really interesting. I've never heard of feeding axolotl crickets before, so as for the amount I'm not sure. I would assume only once daily, if even that considering you're feeding it bloodworms too.

No, do not get a heater!! Axies like cold water. The temperature should be below 75F at the hottest. I believe a comfortable water temperature for them is around 60 - 65F though. If you're having trouble keeping the temperature down, you could try a desk fan placed pointing angled towards the water. You could also try freezing water bottles and then alternate putting them in the water.

I've read somewhere that Axolotl don't get lonely. I don't agree with that at all, though. Axolotl are very intelligent animals, so they must get bored. I know my Rosa gets mad at me if I'm in classes, or gone all day. And she stares at me while I do my homework. Just sitting next to the tank obviously makes her happy (that's usually the only time she comes out of her hidey hole during the day). I think the only reason some pet shops or vets say they are solitary creatures is because they don't get so depressed they'll die because of loneliness.

Hope that helps!

 

[Riddick]

That's really interesting. I've never heard of feeding axolotl crickets before, so as for the amount I'm not sure. I would assume only once daily, if even that considering you're feeding it bloodworms too.

No, do not get a heater!! Axies like cold water. The temperature should be below 75F at the hottest. I believe a comfortable water temperature for them is around 60 - 65F though. If you're having trouble keeping the temperature down, you could try a desk fan placed pointing angled towards the water. You could also try freezing water bottles and then alternate putting them in the water.

I've read somewhere that Axolotl don't get lonely. I don't agree with that at all, though. Axolotl are very intelligent animals, so they must get bored. I know my Rosa gets mad at me if I'm in classes, or gone all day. And she stares at me while I do my homework. Just sitting next to the tank obviously makes her happy (that's usually the only time she comes out of her hidey hole during the day). I think the only reason some pet shops or vets say they are solitary creatures is because they don't get so depressed they'll die because of loneliness.

Hope that helps!

Thanks heaps for that, was very helpful!

 

[Skudo09]

No heater at all. Axies prefer temperatures between 16 and 18degrees Celsius. You may find you will need to cool your tank in summer using fans and a screen/mesh lid.

Crickets have a hard exoskeleton which can be hard to digest. I would only feed as an occasional treat as too often you may find may cause some constipation. I would stick to earthworms as a staple diet. They are much easier to digest and more nutritional.

Axies do fine on their own but if you did decide to get another one make sure your tank is big enough (I would allow one foot of tank length per axolotl plus one extra foot to allow for ornaments etc) and there is not too much size difference between axolotls.

 

[michael]

I would skip the crickets unless you want to pull the legs off of them. The legs can cause blockage. Problems from blockage can cause bloat and or prolapse.

Checkout the care info on axolotl.org