Green Axolotl

Overview

Everything you need to know about Green Axolotls, at a glance:

• Common Names: Mexican Salamander, Mexican Walking Fish
• Scientific Name: Ambystoma mexicanum
• Max Size: 25-30cm
• Temperature Range: 14.5°-20.5°C
• pH Range: 6.5-8.0 (7.5 ideal)
• Compatibility: Generally solitary animals, should be kept in a species-only aquarium
• Area Of Origin: Mexico
• Suitable Foods: Live foods, especially earthworms
• Special Requirements: Low lighting, avoid gravel substrates, at least 75 litres per Axolotl

What is a Green Axolotl?

Axolotls, or Ambystoma mexicanum, are unique-looking salamanders native to several lakes around Mexico City, Mexico. They’re fully aquatic salamanders that spend their entire lives in a ‘larval’ stage, retaining their distinctive feathery gills through adulthood.

This green colour morph is a rare variety of Axoltl, with a mottled, lime green back, pale green belly, and purple gills. There are many different colour morphs available, from wild-type forms like Brown Axolotls, to striking forms like these Green Axolotls.

In the wild, Axolotls are critically endangered, with a population of only 50-1,000 adult individuals left. They’ve thrived in the aquarium trade, however, and are readily available from aquatic retailers across the UK thanks to the fact that they’re quite easy to breed.

Axolotls are known for their ability to regenerate their limbs. But did you know they can also regenerate their gills, eyes, and even parts of their brains?

How do I care for a Green Axolotl?

Just like other Axolotls, Green Axolotls require a moderate level of care and, as a result, aren’t a great choice for beginner aquarists. They’re quite sensitive to changing water parameters and need to be kept in a large aquarium (at least 75 litres per Axolotl) that’s equipped with a powerful filter capable of maintaining pristine water quality.

Axolotls don’t require a heater in their aquarium and prefer to be kept at cool temperatures between 14.5 and 20.5°C. These kinds of temperatures aren’t too difficult to maintain year-round, but during particularly hot summer days you may need to cool down your aquarium with an electric fan or specialist aquarium chiller.

An important thing to consider when caring for Axolotls is what type of substrate you keep them on. A bare-bottomed aquarium, or one covered in a layer of fine sand is best, while gravel should be avoided. This is because Axolotls are prone to intestinal impaction and will regularly swallow things that are far too big for their digestive systems to pass, like gravel and small stones.

Lighting is another important thing to consider when caring for Axolotls. These aquatic salamanders don’t have eyelids, so their eyes are highly sensitive to sustained high lighting. For this reason, choose a dimmable aquarium light and/or cover the surface of your aquarium in a layer of floating plants to create a shady canopy.

In the wild, Axolotls will feed on almost anything that can fit in their mouths, from worms and insects to fish and other salamanders. In captivity, they’re fed readily available live foods, like earthworms, bloodworms, and brine shrimp, as well as specialist pellets that offer them a complete and balanced diet.

How is this Green Axolotl delivered?

All of our aquatic animals are dispatched from our livestock distributor and delivered directly to your doorstep. Our distributor dispatches and delivers livestock packages Tuesday through Friday to avoid animals being in transit over the weekend. To further minimise time spent travelling, all livestock deliveries are made before 1pm on the day of delivery.

After placing your livestock order, you’ll receive all the information needed to track your livestock order via email. If you have any problems regarding delivery, or concerns about the health/wellbeing of your animal(s) upon arrival, please contact us, Swell UK Ltd, immediately, or at least within 48 hours of receiving your livestock order.

Any other, non-livestock items that you purchase alongside livestock will be sent via standard or express delivery and arrive at your delivery address in a different package. This means that, depending on when you place your order, you may receive your non-livestock items before or after your livestock package.

For a detailed breakdown of when you can expect to receive your livestock package depending on the day you placed your order, be sure to check the delivery details in the specifications below.

How do you acclimate a Green Axolotl to an aquarium?

Acclimation is the process of gradually adjusting an animal to its new environment. This is especially important in an aquatic setting as sudden changes in water temperature, pH, and nitrates can cause an animal stress, illness and, in some cases, even death.

As Axolotls are particularly sensitive to changing water parameters, they need to be acclimated slowly. To do this, float the bag containing your Axolotl in your aquarium for at least 30 minutes. This will get your Axolotl used to the temperature of your aquarium slowly and safely.

While doing this, add a small amount of aquarium water to the bag containing your Axolotl every few minutes. This will get them used to your pH levels and background nitrate levels. After acclimating and adding your Axolotl to your aquarium, keep a close eye on them. They may take a while to settle and may not immediately accept food, but after a day or two you should see them start to confidently explore their new home.

You should always set up your aquarium prior to purchasing your Axolotl. It’s also a good idea to let your aquarium mature for at least a few weeks prior to adding your Axolotl, to make sure that it’s fully cycled. For more information about how to cycle an aquarium, check out our help guide here.

Above photos are for illustration purposes only; livestock received may not exactly match those photographed.