The scientific name of Axolotl is Ambystoma mexicanum which is found naturally in some regions of Mexico. Axolotl is very popular as an exotic pet and many people also keep it as a pet in their homes and keeping it at home is a very interesting and unique experience.
Axolotls live inside water just like fish but in reality, they are not fish and are a type of amphibians. If you do not know about Amphibians then understand it like this that the creatures which spend some part of their life in water and some part on land are called amphibians like frogs and toads. But in contrast axolotls spend their entire life in water which makes them completely different from other amphibians.
Nowadays axolotl is seen as a very
famous exotic pet and if you also want to keep it in your home and take care of
it like a pet, then you will have to understand all the information given below
very well so that you can take very good care of it.
Natural habits of axolotl pet:
This
is the most important factor related to taking good care of axolotl which we
all have to understand very carefully. Always keep in mind that if we
understand how and in what environment axolotl naturally lives and what it
naturally eats, then by understanding this we can provide them the same kind of
environment in our home too, so that we can take better care of them.
Setting up an aquarium to keep axolotls:
Whenever we want to keep axolotl pet at our home and take care of it,
we have to set up an aquarium for it at our home and the size of the aquarium
should be at least 20 gallons or 2 square feet area. If you adopt more than one
axolotl, then the size of the aquarium will also have to be kept bigger
according to them. You have to keep in mind that for one axolotl, a minimum of
20 to 25 gallons and at least 2 square feet area is required so that it can
move well. So keeping this measurement in mind, you can increase the size of
the aquarium according to their calculation.
Water management for Axolotl:
After arranging a tank of proper size, now we should use clean and naturally
fresh water for axolotl. Always remember that axolotl is originally found in
Mexican lakes where the water does not contain salt, hence we should also use
only fresh water for keeping them which can be from any other source like lake
like pond, river, well etc. We just have to remember that the water should
always be clean and not ocean water which contains salt.
If you want, you can use RO or UV
water also but it is necessary to add minerals to it. Therefore, always keep in
mind that your RO or UV filter must have separate mineral adding tubes.
Apart from this, we also need to
keep in mind the pH of water which should be between 6.5 to 8.0.
Setting the tank at the perfect location for axolotl:
After this the next thing we have to keep in mind is in
which part of the house we keep them. Always keep in mind that axolotl lives in
a very calm and cool environment so we should also set them at such a place in
the house where there is no direct sunlight, noise, and direct wind. Apart from
this they should not be kept near the air conditioner also. If possible you can
keep them at the following location in the house like study rooms, office, and
basement where they can get a stable and cool environment just like their
original leaving place.
Managing water temperature for Axolotl:
This is also a very important thing which we have to manage on
priority. Axolotl always survive in cool environment where the temperature is
around 16 degrees to 18 degrees. So if we also have to maintain this much
temperature of water, for this it is very important to have a chiller in their
tank.
Their water temperature should
neither be less than this nor more, for this it is important to have a proper
monitoring system otherwise they will not be able to survive.
Taking care of axolotl's diet:
Always keep in mind that axolotl is a carnivore and it only eats meat.
Naturally it eats worms found in lakes, small fish, insects found in water,
larvae etc. Their diet is mainly protein based, so we should give them the same
diet in our home.
You can also use commercial millets
and those specially made for axolotl but as much as possible you should feed
them only what they naturally eat.
Some important things required for Axolotl
Just like other pets, we should always take care of cleanliness of axolotl which can happen like this.
We should always keep the water in their tank clean and it should be changed or filtered once a week.
Whenever you give them food and if they do not eat it then the food should be removed from the tank otherwise fungus will develop in the water and it can affect the axolotl.
The gravel, stones and other things
used in the tank or aquarium should be soft so that the axolotl does not get
harmed by them.
Always keep in mind that axolotls
are solitary creatures, so we should keep them alone as much as possible but if
we are keeping more than one axolotl in the tank then it is important to take
care of their gender. If we keep two male or two female axolotls together then
there are more chances of them fighting for their territory like other animals
and their mating behavior will also be affected.
An interesting fact about axolotl:
The biggest reason for axolotl being so famous is that it can regenerate its
organs from its own. This is one such quality which makes it different from the
other animals. It can regenerate its hands, pair of hands, brain, heart, spinal
cord, skin, tissues and all the internal organs from its own. It means that if
due to any reason any of its organs gets separated or damaged, it can
regenerate it.
Legal rules and regulations for keeping axolotls as pets:
Axolotl is a very romantic and
exotic animal and keeping it as a pet is exciting for you but first of all we
should check what are the rules for keeping axolotl as a pet in our country or
state and whether it is legal or not. Below we have given information about
some countries and states where you can keep axolotl as a pet.
United States:
It is legal to keep axolotls as
pets in the US but some states like California and Maine have different rules
regarding it. It is not legal to keep them there.
United Kingdom:
It is still legal to keep axolotls
as pets in the UK but the pet owner has to follow certain rules regarding
breeding them to take care of them.
Australia:
There are certain rules for keeping
axolotls as pets in Australia and by following these rules you can keep them as
pets and take care of them.
Germany:
It is legal to keep axolotls as
pets in Germany and you can commonly keep them like other aquarium pets.
Canada:
It is legal to keep axolotls as
pets in Canada but it is restricted to put them in any other water sauce in the
open.
Japan:
It is legal to keep axolotls as
pets in Japan. Here axolotls are seen as other aquarium pets and there are no
separate rules related to their care.
France:
It is legal to keep axolotls as
pets in France and axolotl is also famous as an exotic pet here.
India:
It is legal to keep axolotls as
pets in India and axolotl is also famous as an exotic pet here.
Netherlands:
It is legal to keep axolotls as
pets in Japan. Here Axolotls are treated like any other aquarium pet and there
are no separate rules for their care.
Countries with Restrictions or Bans for axolotl pets:
Below are details of some countries
and states where it is not legal to keep axolotl as a pet and if you are from
one of these countries and are considering keeping an axolotl as a pet, please
take guidance from local government authorities and follow them.
California (USA)
New Zealand
Hawaii (USA)
South Korea
Conclusion:
Axolotls are a unique and
low-maintenance pet which is very famous for their beautiful look, peaceful
nature and unique regenerative abilities. If you want to adopt them as a pet,
you can keep them by giving them proper tank setup, balance and protein rich
and stable environment and regular care.
Axolotl is seen as an exotic pet
and it has a different experience. You must check the rules and regulation
regarding axolotl in your country and region before adopting them as a pet.
We hope that you liked today's
information. If you have any concern or query related to this, you can write to
us in the comment box and we will try to answer it as soon as possible.
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