The parameter chart
| Parameter | Target | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 60-68°F (15.5-20°C) | Above 74°F = heat-stress EMERGENCY |
| pH | 7.4-7.8 | Stable beats perfect - avoid chasing it |
| Ammonia | 0 ppm | Any reading above 0 = emergency water change |
| Nitrite | 0 ppm | Any reading above 0 = emergency water change |
| Nitrate | under 20 ppm | Control with water changes + live plants |
| Chlorine | 0 - always dechlorinate | Every water change, no exceptions |
The 74°F emergency line
Axolotls are coldwater animals with no way to escape a warm tank. Above 74°F their immune system collapses fast - fungus and infections follow within days. If a heatwave pushes your tank up: move it to the coolest room, run a clip-on fan across the surface, rotate frozen water bottles, or use an aquarium chiller. A thermometer you trust is the single most important piece of axolotl equipment.
Setup rules that prevent 90% of problems
- Fine sand or bare bottom - never gravel. Axolotls swallow substrate; gravel causes life-threatening impaction.
- Gentle flow. Strong filter output stresses them (forward-curled gills are the tell). Baffle the filter if needed.
- Dim light, real hides. They have no eyelids. Skip bright aquarium lighting; give caves they can disappear into.
- Cycle the tank first. An uncycled tank is the #1 cause of ammonia burns in new axolotls.
Feeding (the short version)
Axolotls are carnivores: earthworms and nightcrawlers are the staple, plus sinking axolotl pellets and occasional frozen bloodworms. Food should be no wider than the gap between their eyes. Juveniles eat near-daily; adults every 2-3 days. Skip mealworms (hard chitin) and live feeder fish (parasites). Remove uneaten food within an hour - it becomes ammonia.
Red flags and the medication warning
Never dose these
Melafix, Pimafix, and anything containing tea tree oil are toxic to axolotls. Most general fish medications are unsafe. When in doubt: test the water, do a water change, and use fridging + plain non-iodized salt baths for fungus.
- White fuzzy patches on skin or gills = fungus - test water first, then fridge + salt baths
- Shrinking or curling gill filaments = water quality or stress
- Red, inflamed skin = ammonia burn - test and change water now
- Floating and unable to stay down = impaction or gas buildup
Log it weekly, catch it early
Parameters drift slowly, then fail suddenly. A weekly test logged over time shows you the nitrate creep or temperature trend before it becomes a fungus outbreak.