Axolotl Care: The Easy Little Plants Way!

Savannah Scollar
Jun 29
3 min read

Thinking About Getting an Axolotl? They may look exotic, but axolotls are actually pretty easy to care for—if you set things up right from the beginning.

🐟 Getting Started: What You’ll Need

Tank: Minimum 29 gallons for one axolotl. Check Facebook Marketplace for secondhand tanks (around $30).
- 29 gallons = ~330 lbs of water. Use a sturdy stand or solid wood furniture.
Watering Can: A 1–2 gallon plastic can with a large spout helps you fill/clean the tank with less mess.
Dechlorinator: Must-have for making tap water safe. Choose one with clear measurements (per gallon).

🧼 Cleaning a Secondhand Tank

Use vinegar or Dawn dish soap to clean). Rinse thoroughly with water.
Tools to have:
- Siphon with a pump (so you don’t have to suck on the end)
- Turkey baster (for removing leftover water bits)
- Bath towel (you’ll spill!)

🔄 Filters & Cycling the Tank

Use a Quietflow or Whisper filter (quiet + effective).
Start the nitrogen cycle:
- Add dechlorinated water, a filter, and some driftwood or fish food.
- Wait 2 weeks for beneficial bacteria to build up. If you don't do this, your axolotl can get hurt!

🏖 Substrate: Use Sand, Not Gravel

Best option: CaribSea’s fine-grain sand (safe + good for beneficial bacteria).
Rinse a few times before adding.
Gravel and coarse sand can harm axolotls if they swallow it.
No-sand tanks are harder to keep looking nice.

🌿 Plants

Easy to care for and help keep the tank clean.
Just bury root tabs under the sand. Root tabs are aquatic plant fertilizer!
Great beginner plants:
- Java fern, Cryptocoryne, Amazon sword
Bladder snails might hitchhike in— they're usually harmless
Axolotls love to climb on plants, use them as shelter when they're sleepy, or even grab onto the roots of plants that float! Plants keep your axolotl entertained.

💡 Lids, Lights & Placement

An aquarium lid will give you peace of mind, but it's expensive! Instead, you can use an x-acto knife to score a line into a sturdy clear plastic sheet from the hardware store. Then, snap it and it'll break where you scored it!
Aquarium lights will make the plants grow. Most axolotls are fine with light, as long as you give them a dark spot to take naps in.
Aquarium hoods with lights are best (especially for plants).
If using a clear lid, know it’ll show water marks fast.
Place the tank in its final spot before filling.
Don't put the tank in front of a window. You'll get tons of algae!

🪵 Decorations

Everything should be at least 2x2x2 inches so it can't be swallowed.
Driftwood:
- Great for the ecosystem, but messy at first (expect floating and fuzz).
- Adds tannins, which are good for your axolotl. They make the water yellow for a few months though!
Other options:
- Glazed ceramics (vintage is fine, if dishwasher-safe)
- PVC pipes (make great hideouts)
- If you have a good layer of sand to keep it sturdy, you can prop a ceramic plate up against the glass. It makes a nice cave for your axolotl!

🌡 Temperature

Keep tank 70°F or lower.
If your room gets hot, you’ll need a chiller (expensive!).

🪱 Feeding Axolotls

Most eat pellets or worms.
Worm care:
- Use a bin or plastic drawer with holes.
- Fill with damp coconut coir + compost. It shouldn't be dry, but it should still be able to crumble in your hands. Don't make mud!
- Feed banana peels or veggie scraps (no meat, oil, salt, or citrus). Make sure you don't add too much. Take it slow or things get stinky!
Feed 3 full-size worms or 8 pieces of pelleted food every other day.
Your axolotl’s belly should be as wide as its head—adjust feeding if needed.

🐛 Dealing with Fruit Flies

Add Gnatrol (beneficial bacteria powder) to the worm bin if flies show up.
Mix into water or sprinkle on soil. Don't try to save Gnatrol water in a bottle for more than a day. It'll get smelly!

💧 Weekly Tank Maintenance

Every 1–2 weeks:
- Clean algae off glass and decorations with a scrubber.
  - For tough algae, use a metal scraper (very satisfying!).
  - Siphon out 3-5 gallons of water with debris. The main point is to suck as much of the debris out as you can.
  - Replace with new, dechlorinated water
Sand makes messes easier to hide between cleanings. It'll never be 100% clean. Plants make little bits of debris all the time. At the same time, plants are amazing at keeping the water conditions stable.