Axolotls are becoming very popular aquarium pets, especially with the rise of their fame in the Minecraft game and their similar appearance to ‘Toothless’ the dragon from you know what infamous cartoon.
Since many more people are getting axolotls for home aquariums, they are wondering if axolotls can live together?
Axolotls can live together if they are close to the same size(so they don’t eat each other), of the same sex(so the female isn’t pregnant too much), if they have enough space for themselves(they are not sociable by nature) and if they are fed properly(so they don’t try to eat each other).
- The main thing to remember when keeping axolotls together is that axolotls are predators. This means that by nature they ruthlessly prey on anything that moves, even your finger haha…
- However, axolotls are not as scary as this may sound. They have no teeth so if they menacingly try to devour your finger it may elicit wild laughter.
- Axolotls do suck things into their mouths to digest though so they are very dangerous when being housed with other critters. There is a lot to explain so let’s dive in…
Do Axolotls Eat Axolotls? What Size Axolotls Can Live Togehter?
If you are going to keep axolotls together, they should be as close as possible to the same size because if they aren’t, the bigger axolotl will eat the smaller axolotl.
This is probably the most important thing to remember when housing axolotls together.
They are predators that will try to eat anything that moves so you need to force the issue with axolotls. If they can’t fit it in their mouth, they won’t eat it because they won’t be able to swallow it.
Axolotls have teeth but they are soft and not sharp. Their teeth are mainly for gripping things. They eat food by quickly sucking food in swallowing it whole.
This is why you may laugh if an axolotl terrorizes your finger. When they realize that they can’t swallow it, they will gag and spit it back out.
If you have two axolotls together that aren’t the same, the bigger axolotl will try to swallow the smaller axolotl.
This is a fact… many owners have been horrified in the past when they noticed one of their axolotls was missing or caught their bigger axolotl in the process of swallowing the smaller axolotl.
Especially in smaller axolotls for breeders.
Baby axolotl’s need to start being separated when they are close to 2 cm in length. This is when they become cannibalistic and start trying to swallow each other whole.
Even if you do have two axolotls that are the same size, you need to keep an eye on them until you know they are going to get along with each other.
Sometimes, despite being the same size, one of the axolotls will be so aggressive, they will swallow limbs or gills of the other axolotl and manage to eat one body part at a time.
Owners have been surprised to discover one of their axolotls is missing an entire leg or actually catching the aggressive axolotl in the act.
However, never fear. Axolotls can completely regenerate entire limbs so, if this happens, just replace the aggressive axolotl or put the aggressive axolotl in its own tank.
Axolotls have varying personalities. Some are active and interact with their owners, while some axolotls keep to themselves and rarely interact with their owners if at all.
Some are aggressive and try to eat their tankmate no matter what while others don’t.
It really is that simple. Make sure they are the same size and one isn’t overly aggressive regardless.
Can You Keep Male And Female Axolotls Together?
You can’t keep male and female axolotls together as tankmates because the female axolotl will constantly be pregnant, which isn’t good for her health.
You can only keep male and female axolotls together for a short time if you want them to breed.
Axolotls may be cute salamanders but underneath that cuteness is their predatory personality.
You will also constantly have a tank full of baby axolotls. If you want to breed axolotls, it is okay to have a male and female together for a short time to mate.
As soon as all of the eggs are laid, it is important to remove the male and female axolotls and put them back in their own tanks. You shouldn’t put the female with another male for at least another month as it is not healthy for her to be pregnant all of the time.
Do Axolotls Need A Lot Of Space?
You will find varying opinions online about how many gallons of water space each axolotl needs.
The bare minimum is 10 gallons per axolotl but most axolotl owners will agree that is not enough space for an axolotl to be healthy much less happy. Most Axolotl owners agree axolotls need 20 gallons of space per axolotl because of personality and to keep the tank water free of ammonia from poop.
You could say the two main reasons axolotls need 15-20 gallons of space per axolotl are the two P’s: poop and personality. I personally recommend at least 20 gallons of space per axolotl because that is without a doubt enough space, personality pending. Let me explain…
Axolotl Poop
When you think of a pet aquarium you mainly think of a fish, like a goldfish, not something like an axolotl that is seemingly huge compared to a goldfish.
The point is goldfish make little poops compared to the axolotl’s seemingly giant sausage-shaped poops which sometimes turn into misty poop dust if not removed fast enough.
It is recommended to keep a turkey baster on hand to remove axolotl poops anytime you happen to have time to check for them.
The problem with these huge poops is the amount of ammonia, they create. If your axolotl doesn’t have the proper amount of space, then their water will become contaminated faster and you will have to do water changes twice a week instead of once.
Anyways, since we are talking about axolotls living together, the point is that it will get worse with two axolotls together.
This is why we recommend 20 gallons per axolotl. They are not fish so they need extra space for their size and waste management.
When you house a wild creature at home, you are trying to mimic their natural environment. Axolotls originated in lakes, where their poop was taken care of by an ecosystem.
An aquarium is an unnatural environment, so you as the owner have to be their ecosystem by cleaning their tank and making sure they have enough room.
Axolotl Personality
Axolotls have a wide range of personalities.
Some axolotls will be happy in a tank with 10 gallons per axolotl if they are sociable. Some axolotls won’t be happy together, no matter how big the aquarium is.
Even if you have two axolotls in a 55-gallon tank, they may not get along. Some axolotls are just too aggressive or want to be alone.
Remember, they don’t have the big lake anymore to establish their own territory so they may have to live by themselves, depending on their personality.
20 gallons per axolotl is easier to work with in case the axolotls need some space to themselves but are still willing to share an aquarium with another axolotl.
Axolotl personalities are the same with you the owner. Some will be more interactive with you as far as laying in your hand or tapping on the glass when they see you.
Some axolotls will even eat from your hand.
On the flip side, some axolotls will never have anything to do with you and even hide whenever they see you.
Are Axolotls Cannibalistic? If Not Fed Properly
Axolotls are cannibalistic predators. If axolotls are not the same size the bigger axolotl will eat the smaller one. Sometimes an aggressive axolotl will eat limbs from the other axolotl regardless. If not fed properly, a starving axolotl may try to eat the other axolotl.
Axolotls are meat eaters plain and simple. If you don’t keep them fed they may attack each other from starvation.
Even if the axolotls are the same size they can still manage to eat the legs or gills of another axolotl.
Sometimes an axolotl will try to eat the other axolotl even if they are well fed. This is rare and usually, the axolotl will realize the other axolotl is too big to eat and leave them alone.
Sometimes the aggressive axolotl will keep at it even if they are well fed. Sometimes, the aggressive axolotl will have to be removed regardless of whether they are properly fed or not.
Do Axolotls Get Lonely?
Axolotls are perfectly happy by themselves. They do not get lonely, so you don’t have to worry about having a tankmate for them. There is less risk involved in keeping one axolotl because you don’t have to worry about an aggressive axolotl trying to eat the other one or causing stress for the other axolotl.
This is something I wanted to bring up since we are talking about keeping axolotls together. It really is not necessary to keep more than one axolotl in a tank.
However, if that is what you want to do it is possible as long as they get along with each other.
How Do You Introduce Another Axolotl?
To introduce another axolotl into your tank, follow these guidelines:
- Make sure there are 10-20 gallons for each axolotl(preferably 20). The larger the tank, the easier it will be for the axolotls to get used to each other.
- Male sure both axolotls are of the same sex. Otherwise the female will be pregnant too much, which is not good for her health
- Make sure you have plaeny of hides(tank decorations like caves) for the axolotls to hide in under or behind. Each axolotl will have their own hiding spots. Make sure the hides dont have soft edges as axolotls are soft and vulnerable to cuts
- If you are introducing a new axolotl, put it in a quarantine tank first for a few weeks to make sure there are no diseases or parasites. If buying from a local dealer, they may have had the axolotl long enough to know this so chat with them.
- After putting the new axolotl in the tank, you need to keep a close eye on them to make sure they get along.
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Put Two Axolotls In The Same Tank?
You can put two axolotls in the same tank as long as the axolotls are the same size (so the bigger one doesn’t eat the smaller one), there are 10-20 gallons of water per axolotl for poop waste and personal space(preferably 20 gallons), the axolotls are the same sex(so the female isn’t constantly pregnant) and the axolotls do not attack each other causing stress.
Should Axolotls Be Kept In Pairs?
There is a lot of information online that says aloxotls should be kept alone because they are not social creatures but you can keep axolotls together as long as they are the same size, same-sex, get along, and have 10-20 gallons of water space per axolotls.
What Size Tank Do I Need For Axolotls?
Axolotls will be fine with 10 gallons, but most axolotl owners like to give their axolotls 20 gallons of tank space to allow more room for poop waste and for personal space to explore. If you have less than 20 gallons, it is more important to have a long tank to allow for more exploring since axolotls like to walk along the bottom of the aquarium.
How Many Axolotls Can I Keep Together?
You can keep as many axolotls together as you want if you’re willing to pay for the tank space as long as the axolotls are close to the same size, same-sex, get along well, and have 10-20 gallons of water space.
