Axolotls are considered adorable pets because of their appearance and the way they interact with their owners. However, even though axolotls and their teeth are too small to do much damage to their owners, you may be shocked about what I tell you next.
Axolotls do eat other axolotls. Axolotls are cannibalistic predators and will try to eat anything in front of them, especially juvenile axolotls. Axolotls will not try to eat each other if they are the same size. To keep axolotls from eating each other, only keep axolotls of the same size together.
Wow! Crazy, right? I figured, as adorable as these little critters are, there’s no way they would try to eat each other. So, why do they?
To completely explain this let me explore this topic in greater detail by explaining these topics:
Axolotls Are Predators by Nature
Will Axolotls Eat Other Aquarium Critters?
Can Axolotls Live with Other Axolotls?
How to Keep Axolotls From Eating Each Other
Okay axolotl fans, let’s dive into these topics.
Axolotls are Predators by Nature
Even though axolotls are cute little critters, if you are going to own one, you must remember that they are predators. The key word here is predator! This literally means an animal that naturally and ruthlessly preys on other animals, just like the creature in the infamous ‘Predator’ movie by the same name.
It is the very nature of the axolotl to prey on anything that moves. It really doesn’t have any choice because it is a natural instinct.
When you stick your finger in the tank and your axolotl tries to eat it, it may be funny and entertaining to watch. Be grateful that its mouth and teeth aren’t big enough to do any damage or axolotls probably wouldn’t be such popular pets after all!
There are numerous encounters online from horrified, inexperienced axolotl owners about their axolotl biting off the limb of another axolotl that they had in the tank.
One specific encounter that I remember was about two axolotls that were in the same tank but divided by glass. One was bigger than the other one.
They seemed to be getting along fine, so the owner pulled the glass out of the way so that they could be together. Apparently, they got along great for two months until…
The bigger axolotl decided to take a chomp out of the smaller one. The owner walked by the aquarium in the nick of time to find the leg of the smaller axolotl inside the mouth of the larger axolotl. The owner had to physically reach into the tank and force the larger axolotl to let the smaller axolotl go.
Upon further evaluation, the smaller axolotl had a broken leg, was missing its long tube-like gills behind the head, and was very skinny. The smaller axolotl was probably skinny from the larger axolotl chasing it around the tank when the owner didn’t notice.
Will Axolotls Eat Other Aquarium Critters?
Yes, axolotls will try to eat anything in front of them as stated above if it is small enough. It doesn’t matter if it is a fish or your finger. As we have already said, this is normal because axolotls are predators, so it is natural for them.
It is recommended that you don’t keep other critters with your axolotl anyways since they are susceptible to disease and parasites.
Can Axolotls Live with Other Axolotls?
First and foremost, axolotls do very well by themselves. It may seem mean and you may feel like your axolotl needs a companion, but this is not the case. Your axolotl will be completely happy, maybe even happier by themselves.
You can have an axolotl by themselves and still enjoy their personality. They will not hold back their personality if they are by themselves.
With that being said, axolotls can live with other axolotls. Starting with breeding, when you have a lot of babies together, you need to start separating them as soon as they start to grow to different sizes if you want them all to live. If you keep them together, they will eventually decrease in number, and will all be the same size because the larger axolotls will eat the smaller axolotls.
Even when the axolotls are grown, you need to make sure they are the same size, so they don’t eat each other. You can keep two or three grown axolotls together if you have enough tank space. About 10 gallons for each axolotl. However, many people swear that you should start with 20 gallons for one axolotl and then add 10 gallons of space for each additional axolotl.
Never let different sex axolotls live with each other. Females breed too many times if they are always with a male and it is not healthy for them to continually breed. So, if you are going to keep axolotls together, make sure they are the same sex.
If you buy a new axolotl, you should place it in a quarantine tank for a few weeks to make sure your new axolotl isn’t sick before placing it in your tank.
Anytime you place a new axolotl in your tank, make sure to watch them interact for a few hours. You may need to chase one of them away from the other if one is too aggressive. Even though they are cannibals, as long as they are the same size, they shouldn’t want to eat each other and should get along just fine.
Axolotls will eventually get along great and even lie next to each other or one on top of the other.
How to Keep Axolotls From Eating Each Other
Not much more to touch on here. The key things to remember if you are going to keep axolotls together are:
- Make sure they are the same size.
- Make sure they are well-fed.
- Make sure they have at least ten gallons of space.
- Make sure they are of the same sex.
Conclusion
Voila! There you have it axolotl fans! Axolotls are cute entertaining creatures but if you are going to mix them together, you have to remember that they are ruthless predators at heart. Axolotls will try to eat each other if they aren’t the same size.
They will even try to eat your fingers even though it just makes you laugh.
