This episode is your go-to guide for raising happy, healthy axolotls, with expert tips and real examples from Ninaâs Axolotl Nurseryâone of the Pittsburgh Reptile Showâs popular vendors. Amanda and Rick break down axolotl tank setup, feeding, health, and water care for hobbyists at every level. Stick around for tried-and-true advice and interesting vendor stories straight from the show floor.As always come meet Nina and other amazing vendors at the Pittsburgh Reptile Show the 1st Sunday of every month! www.pghreptileshow.com
Chapter 1
Amanda
Hey everybody, welcome back to the Pittsburgh Reptile Show & Sale podcast! I'm Amanda, joined as always by Rick, and todayâoh man, Iâve been looking forward to this oneâweâre spotlighting a species that always seems to draw a crowd at the show: axolotls. Specifically, weâre gonna dig into what makes a great axolotl setup, and weâre sharing some tips I picked up from Ninaâs Axolotl Nursery, which, honestly, is where half the newbies at the show wind up their very first visit.
Rick
Yeah, axolotls, little smiling salamanders that arenât really fish, arenât reptilesâtechnically theyâre amphibians, but you knowâŠtheyâre the âitâ animal this year, for sure. And theyâre quirky! So, to kick off, what does a great axolotl home actually look like, Amanda?
Amanda
Well, Nina always stresses: bigger is better! Minimum is a 20 gallon long for one adult, and if youâre adding moreâfigure at least 10 gallons extra per axolotl. You donât want them cramped, trust me! It helps avoid stress and weird health issues, not to mention aggression. Too many people try to squeak by with a 10-gallon tank and that just...ends badly.
Rick
Totally, and since axolotls are waste machines, you need double the filtration for your tank size. Butâand hereâs what most folks mess upâyou want a filter that doesnât churn up the water. If that currentâs too strong, axolotls get totally stressed and their little gills get hurt.
Amanda
Exactly! I actually learned this the hard way. My first visit to Ninaâs booth, I saw she was using all sorts of clever hacksâlike propping up plants or loofas under her filters to slow down the flow. And she had these tiny, battery-powered cooling fans over the tanks in summer. Axolotls need chilled water, like 60 to 67 degrees. Otherwise, youâre just asking for fungus and appetite issues. Where was I going with thisâŠoh, rightâthe fans and even just adding more plants like hornwort or pennywort, make a big difference.
Rick
Hides, too! They arenât fans of bright lights; they want dark, cavey spaces, not some Vegas show. And, uh, I always sound like a broken record, but no rocks or pebbles. Theyâll eat them and then itâs a trip to the vetâif youâre lucky. Bare bottom or fine sand, nothing else.
Chapter 2
Rick
Haâokay, fair. Letâs dive into feeding and this whole âtubbingâ thing, because thatâs probably the number one question we get at the show. What do axolotls actually eat? I mean, theyâll snap at anything, right?
Amanda
Pretty much! But the best staples are earthworms, blackworms, or those soft sinking axolotl pellets. Frozen bloodworms are fine as an occasional treat, but theyâre kinda like the french fries of the axolotl worldâno real nutrition there. Oh, and those fancy feeder goldfish? Huge no. Guppies and ghost shrimp, okay. Goldfish have thiamine issues thatâll actually poison your axolotl. So justâŠdonât.
Rick
Seriously. The feeding thingâs tricky with babies and new adopters. And another big thing, especially for first-timers who maybe grabbed an axolotl at the show before their tank was ready, is âtubbing.â Itâs literally keeping your axolotl in a clean, dechlorinated plastic tub for a bit. Like a shoe box, basically. You gotta do daily water changesâSeaChem Prime, shout out!âor youâll get a slime buildup or ammonia burns fast.
Amanda
And donât be afraid to use two tubsâswap between them so you always have a clean, slime-free home for your axolotl each day. Wipe down the dirty tub between changes, thatâs key. I actually love how Nina always just demos this at her booth, super hands-on, no judgement. Sheâll even give you a step-by-step printout if you look lost. Makes a big difference for new keepersâactually, Rick, didnât you have a rescue story about this from a couple shows back?
Rick
Yeah! There was this kid, first-timer, super nervous, picked up a rescue axolotl at the show. Tank wasnât ready yetâthey followed Ninaâs printed tubbing guide to the letter, changed the water every day, used the right dechlorinator, the works. Over a couple weeks, that axolotl went fromâman, really rough shapeâto super perky and healthy. Just a good reminder, temporary tubs arenât cruel; theyâre a lifesaver when done right and clean. Not a substitute for a big tank, though!
Chapter 3
Rick
Yeah, cycling. Itâs not the most glamorous part of axolotl keeping, but honestly, itâs what makes or breaks their health. So, for anyone confused, cycling is prepping your tankâs bacteria so it can handle axolotl wasteâammonia, nitrites, all that. You do it before adding your axolotl, andâpleaseâdonât try to shortcut this!
Amanda
Yup. You need to dose the empty tank with pure ammonia, get that up to about 4ppm, then add a beneficial bacteria booster, like SeaChem Stability or API Quickstart. Watch with a test kit as ammonia turns to nitrites, then nitrates. If ammonia and nitrites both hit zero and your nitrates are up to 5-20ppm, congratsâitâs cycled! Just donât do big water changes during cycling, unless your numbers are way out of whack.
Rick
And after that, itâs all about maintenance: weekly water changes, always dechlorinated, and check your parameters monthly. Keep the pH between 7.2 and 8.0, ammonia and nitrites at zero, nitrates below twenty. Neverâlike, everâuse anything with aloe; it destroys their slime coat, which is how they fight off infection.
Amanda
Iâve gotta share a quick story. We actually had an exhibitor last season who brought an axolotl in for helpâshe skipped cycling, and her tank crashed hard. Ammonia off the charts, axolotl was in trouble. Long story short, it turned into a live demo at Ninaâs booth. Instead of just a rescue, a bunch of folks got a real, hands-on lesson about cycling and test kits. Whole Pittsburgh crowd around her table, asking questionsâkind of the spirit of the show, if you ask me!
Rick
Thatâs the best partâevery mistake turns into a chance to teach. If you stick to these basicsâcycle first, keep water cool and clean, feed the right stuff, and donât panic about tubbing if you need toâyour axolotl will thrive. And hey, weâre always around at the show to answer more questions. Amanda, this was a fun one.
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Amanda
And if youâre thinking about adding tankmatesâhonestly, stick to similar-sized axolotls, guppies, ghost shrimp. Most fish will nip or, worse, poison the axolotl. Plecos are a nightmare, they scrape off the slime coat. Seriously, just donât. I could talk tank setup all day but...weâd better move on or Rickâll start telling sand boa stories again!
Amanda
Exactly, tubs are plan B, not forever. But, done right, theyâll save your axolotlâs life if you need time to cycle your tank...which is the next crucial piece.
Amanda
Yeah, thanks to Ninaâs Axolotl Nursery for being such a great resource for all of usânot just new keepers, but old hands too. Next episode, weâll shift gears again, but if you have more axolotl questions, bring âem to the show or send them in. Rick, take care. And to everyone out there, thanks for listening and being part of our community. See you next time!
Rick
Catch you next time, Amanda. And everyoneâkeep your axolotls cool and your tanks cycled. Bye!