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Water Dragon
(Axolotl) Care Sheet
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Philip Vena
Why
is shipping so expensive?
When
you pay a $70 Flat Fee for shipping at Buy-Axolotls.com you are buying Next Day Air shipping and you can ship up to quantity
six (6) Water Dragons for the same price. Quantity six (6) allows you to share shipping cost with friends. Next Day Air shipping
is the best way to ship a live Water Dragon (Axolotl) because it has the lowest risk for your Water Dragon (Axolotl) will
NOT be Dead on Arrival or Dying when it arrives. When you use 3 to 7 days delivery service; the Water Dragon (Axolotl) is
without any food and light and being bounced around like a basketball for 3 to 7 days. When you ship a via UPS your Water
Dragon (Axolotl) will be in transit for 5 to 7 days and the likelihood that you will have a Dead on Arrival or Dying on arrival
is very high. When ship United States Postal Service; Priority Mail you will receive your Water Dragon (Axolotl) in three
or more days, again the likelihood of you receive a Dead on Arrival or Dying on arrival is also very high. If you want to
buy a healthy Water Dragon (Axolotl) then you need to avoid these low cost carriers because of their long transit time. I
do not believe that these carriers should be allowed to accept any live animals for a 3 to 7 days delivery. It
is extremely cruel way to die and should be against the law. How would you like to be in a box for up to seven days with no
food or light and being bounced around like a basketball; if it was you; do you think you would survive?
What size fish tank should I buy?
10
gallon fish tank is good size for Water Dragon (Axolotl).
How
many Water Dragons (Axolotls) can I have in a 10 gallon fish tank?
If you have
an Adult Water Dragon (Axolotl) you can have two Axolotls in a 10 gallon tank. Water Dragons are social animals so you need
to have at least Qty 2 in a 10 gallon fish tank. If it is not possible to have Qty 2 Water Dragon then put a feeder fish
in with your Water Dragon.
It is okay to mix adult females and males
Water Dragons (Axolotls) together. Adult males Water Dragon should not be aggressive to other males or other females. Females
have no problems with other females or males.
What kind of filter is best for a Water Dragon (axolotl)
tank?
A sponge filter is cheep and easy way to keep the water clean. But you still will need to
do water changes; 1 per week.
What about a Tank light?
Water Dragons
(Axolotls) do not need a tank light. We recommended that you do not use a tank light because it could be a possible source
of heat. Also Water Dragons do not like bright lights. Make sure that your tank will not have any direct sun light through
out the day. Also do not use any black light or UV light for long periods of time because it could damage your eyesight of
your Water Dragons.
What about a tank hood?
Water
Dragons (Axolotls) do not need tank hood because their legs are incapable of climbing out of the tank. However it is a good
idea to use a tank hood because it will be a barrier for things that could get in your tank.
Do I need a
heater?
No you do not need a heater; room temperature should be fine as long as it does not
go above 72°. The temperature range for a Water Dragon (axolotl) is below 72° and higher than 57°. Water Dragons
like cold or temperatures rather than hot temperatures. Cold temperatures will just slow down the Water Dragon’s metabolism
while high temperatures will cause stress to your Water Dragon.
Does a Water Dragon (Axolotl) need a
hiding place?
Water
Dragons (Axolotls) do need a hiding place. I use a PVC 6 inch size pipe that has been cut
in half the long way so that it is about 6-8 inches long. I like using PVC pipe because there is no paint on it.
What preparation
do I need to do before I get my Water Dragon (Axolotl)?
I recommend
that you set up your tank at least one week before ordering any Water Dragon (Axolotl). This will allow you to see if you
can of maintaining the proper environment for your Water Dragon (Axolotl). First fill your tank with fresh tap water, after
24 hours the chlorine will be out of the water because it turns to a gas. You need to add at least quantity 10
Rosy Minnows in your tank. You can buy them at that Petsmart for about $.13 each. This will test your tank to see
if it's free from chemical contamination. If your Rosy Minnows die, then you have a chemical contamination problem. You
need to find the source of this contamination and correct it. Then test again with more Rosy Minnows. Most of the time the
chemical contamination is coming from a “used” 5 gallon bucket, these buckets are used with cleaning solutions
and are chemically contaminated. What I recommend is that you buy a new 5 gallon bucket. It’s also important that the
water temperature is below 72° for a least one week. If you are having problems staying below 72° I recommend
that you try putting your tank on the floor. Some of the heat sources that you need to avoid are direct sunlight, heat registers
and fish tank lights, all produce heat and will raise the temperature in your tank. If you cannot maintain a temperature
of below 72° I do not recommend that you buy a Water Dragon (Axolotl).
Do Water Dragons (Axolotls) eat gravel?
Yes Water
Dragons will eat gravel. I do not recommend that you use gravel in your tank. You can
paint the “outside” bottom of the tank any color you want. Please note do not paint the inside
of the tank. You can also use sand on the bottom of the tank but it makes harder to do a water changes because you will
siphon up the sand too.
How do
I clean driftwood before I put in my tank?
What I recommend that you do is to put the driftwood in a New Bucket
that has never had any chemicals in it like soap, etc. Then do 100% water change every day for a week, this will wash any
chemicals that may be on the driftwood. Leave the chlorine in the water. By leaving the chlorine in your water it will kill
any harmful bacteria that may also be on the driftwood.
What about Water Dragons (Axolotl) Tank Mates?
An important
consideration for tank mates is that the Water Dragons (Axolotls) like
cold water 57 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Water Dragonscannot be kept
with other fish because fish like to nip at the Water Dragon gills.
Also a Water Dragon will eat any thing they
can fit in their month including other smaller Water Dragons. However,
you do seeWater Dragons with small feeder fish, but these
feeder fish are being used as a live food source for the Water Dragon.
I understand
that axolotls in the cannibalistic stage cannot be housed together. Does this apply to all types of Water Dragons (Axolotls)?
Yes it does apply to all types of Water Dragons (Axolotls).
If a Water Dragons is under one year of age they
are cannibalistic no matter what type they are. If your Water Dragons is
less than one year old you will need to either use a tank divider or separate tank to house these Water
Dragons.
Are Water Dragons Eco-Friendly?
Yes,
Water Dragons are Eco-Friendly and have a very small carbon footprint because they do not require the use of electricity.
You do not need a tank light or filtration system (if you do weekly water changes); because of this Water Dragons are one
of the most Eco-Friendly pet.
Are Water Dragons Child Friendly?
Yes, Water Dragons
are completely child friendly; they do not bite, have no claws and are not poisonous. Also Water Dragons do not
breathe fire. Because of this Water Dragons do not require any safety precautions
Can I hold
my Axolotl?
I don't recommend that you hold your axolotl. First of all your axolotl has a protective
slime coat and by holding him you would remove some of that protection. Also axolotl's protect themselves by doing a tail
flip that turns the axolotl 90° in less than a second, If your axolotl should accidentally fall out of your hand he would
probably die. The reason for this is that the skeleton of the axolotl is very delicate because he spends his entire life in
water. So any fall would probably kill your axolotl.
What is the best food to feed a Water Dragon?
1) Live –
Rosy Minnows, Californian Black Worms, Red Wiggler Worms, then 2) Frozen Blood Worms, then 3) Water Dragon
(Axolotl) Pellets. Use Water Dragons Pellets
when you run out of live food or frozen.
You can
buy Rosy Minnows at Petsmart for about 13 cents each. Before you feed Rosy Minnows you need to drain all the water from the
bag because it may be contaminated with bacteria. You should put the minnows is a separate
tank for 1 day and do a 30% water change. When feeding Rosy Minnows you need to
lower the tank water level to be about 1 inch above your Water Dragon’s head. This will allow him to reach
the feeder fish. It is important that the feeder fish are smaller than your Water Dragon’s mouth. Also make
sure that you buy healthy Rosy Minnows that are not sick. If a minnow is sick, take it out so that it cannot be eaten. Rosy
Minnows are a great food source for an Adult Water Dragon (Axolotl).
When feeding
earthworms you need to chop them up into bite size portions. Any leftover food needs to be removed after 24 hours to prevent
bacteria in your tank.
My
Water Dragon sick and won’t eat what should I do?
You need
to hand feed Rosy Minnows to your Water Dragon. You can buy them at Petsmart for about 13 cents each. The best way to feed
minnows is to net a minnow then grab it by the back fin. Put the minnow in front of your Water Dragon mouth and he should
eat it. It is a Water Dragon natural instinct to grab and eat the minnow. If he does not eat the minnow the first time try
again in an hour. If he will not eat minnows then try live Californian Black Worms or live Red Wiggler Worms.
How
often do you feed a Water Dragon?
I feed Water Dragon (Axolotl) Pellets two times a week Monday and Friday. It is
okay to feed up to three times per week, after 24 hrs remove all uneaten food to prevent bacteria in your tank. It
is better to feed too little than too much.
What is the best way to feed my Water Dragon while on vacation?
I
would recommend that you buy Rosy Minnows. Petsmart sells these feeder fish for about 13 cents each. You need to lower the
tank water to be about 1 inch above your axolotl's head so that he's able to reach the feeder fish. Also it is important
that the feeder fish are smaller than your Water Dragon’s mouth.
How much waste does an axolotl produce
a week and how often must I clean it?
A Water Dragon (Axolotl)
produces about 2 to 3 pieces of solid waste per week. The waste can easily be cleaned up by using a small net.
What is the
best way to clean my tank?
Use only clean water and a new plastic scouring
pad to clean your tank. Please do not use any soap or any other cleaners because they contain chemicals that may be harmful
to your Water Dragon.
What is the best way to take the Water Dragon (Axolotl)
out of the shipping bag?
The best way to remove the Water
Dragon (axolotl) from the shipping bags is to use a scissors to cut the top of the bag. Then
slowly pour the water and the Water Dragon in to the tank.
I have noticed
my Water Dragon (axolotl) is floating around on top of the tank. Is there a problem?
This
behavior should not be a problem; most times it is just normal behavior for a Water Dragon
(Axolotl). However, if your axolotl is struggling to reach the bottom of the tank then
you may have a medical problem. You need to lower the water level so that your Water Dragoncan
reach the bottom without struggling to feed. Also you need to seek the advice of a veterinarian.
My room temperature
is around 76F with no cooling what do you recommend?
I
would recommend that you put the tank on the floor. It should be cooler on the floor away from any heating vents. You need
to maintain a temperature of less than 72F degrees.
What about the water?
Water
Dragons (Axolotls) like Cold Clean Water.
You can use tap water for your water changes but let the water run so that it gets as cold as possible. You need to change
water once per week and up to 100%. It is better to
change too much water than too little. If your tap water is safe for you to drink then
it will be safe for a Water Dragon that is
3 months or older, so you can leave the chlorine in your water. However, if your tap water is not safe to drink then it would
not be safe for your Water Dragon. Water Dragons have
lungs and are air breathers and unlike fish that has gills and would breathe the chlorine in the water. The chlorine will
turn into a gas and be out of the tank within 24 hrs. By leaving the chlorine in your water it will kill any harmful bacteria
that may be on the Water Dragons or in the tank. By taking
time to do water changes each week this will greatly extend the life of your Water Dragons.
You should keep the water flow at a minimum because the water current can cause Water Dragons to
be stressed from fighting the current. You will see that the Water Dragons spend
most of the time in the same spot, moving their gills occasionally to disperse carbon dioxide and circulate new oxygen. The
water in the Water Dragon aquarium should have a pH
of between 6.5 and 8. A Water Dragon prefers relatively hard
water. If the tap water available is soft, it can be supplemented with added salts solutions.
How do I do
a water change?
The
first thing you need to do is remove the Water Dragon from the tank. You can do this by using a big net so that your Water
Dragon cannot jump out. Put the water dragon in a container that has never been contaminated by soap and any other chemicals
that may harm your Water Dragon. Make sure that this container has enough water to cover the Water Dragon completely. Now
that your Water Dragon is out of the tank you can use a New 5 gallon bucket, by
buying a New 5 gallon bucket you will be sure that this bucket has never been contaminated by soap and any other chemicals
that may kill your water dragon. Use a 3 foot hose to siphon water out of the tank and into a 5 gallon bucket. If you have
a 10 gallon tank then they should take you to three trips before all the water is removed from the tank. Then use cold water
only let it run to make sure that it is as cold as possible. Then fill your tank up using the New 5 gallon bucket. If
you have no filter on your tank I recommend that you do a 100% water change once per week. If you have a filter on your tank
you need do at least a 30% water change once per week. Whether or not you have a filter you will need to do water changes
every week. By doing water changes every week this will help stop the build up of ammonia in your tank. The ammonia is coming
from your Water Dragon’s urine and if left at high levels will kill your axolotl.
Is a Water Dragon (axolotl) disease-prone?
Water
Dragons are very hardy animals, however they are prone to a bacterial and fungal problem
if you do not do change the water weekly or if the water temperature is too high you will be putting your Water
Dragon at risk for these problems. I also recommend that you keep the chlorine in the
water as a preventative to kill any bacterial and fungal problem that may be on your Water Dragon or
in your tank.
I
had two Water Dragon (axolotl) and now they are both dead. Can you tell me what happen?
More often than
not, when you have two or more Water Dragons die at the same time in the same tank the cause is usually chemicals based. Either,
you did not change the water and there was ammonia build up in your tank or chemicals like cleaning solutions came in contact
with your tank. You need to make sure that you only use clean water to clean you tank and the 5 gallon bucket you use has
never had any chemicals like cleaning solutions in it. Also make sure that you change your water weekly to avoid the build
up of ammonia that comes from your Water Dragon’s urine.
How do I know if my Water Dragon (axolotl)
is sick and what do I do?
It is very hard to detect a sick Water
Dragon (axolotl)
and usually when you do it's probably too late to help. So the preventive is the best cure…you need to maintain
cold clean water for your Water
Dragon.
Should I use
ice bottles to keep the temperature down?
Please do not use ice bottles,
you can kill your Water Dragon (Axolotl). Changing temperature rapidly is an easy way
to kill your Water
Dragonthan
if you maintain a high stable temperature. Ice bottles cause the temperature to go down too fast. After the ice melts
the temperature will begin to climb back up once again. This is a very effective way to kill your Water Dragon because the temperature
changes are too rapidly.
I found Websites that have conflicting information regarding the
care and feeding of Water Dragon (Axolotls), what should I do?
There are literally
hundreds of Self-Appointed Armchair Water Dragon (Axolotl) Experts out there on the Internet and some these guys even have
impressive sounding names like PhD. If you put 100 of these so-called Axolotl experts in one room you would have 100 different
opinions. A vast majority of these internet posting are only from book knowledge or from very limited personal experience
breeding axolotls. So a good question to ask these so-called Axolotl experts: Are you currently breeding Axolotls? If so how
long?
More importantly, you need to understand what is motivating the writer to make these
postings. Are these postings emotional? Or are they trying to scare you? Or do they try to make you think that you need
a PhD to raise an Axolotl's? Could the real purpose be that they want you to join a club or send a donation? If so,
the information they are posting is probably questionable at best.
At Buy-Axolotls.com
we have over eight years of continuous practical experience in care and feeding of Water Dragons
(Axolotls).
The information we provide on our website is time-tested, hands-on practical experience from working with our Water Dragons. We continue
to take a practical common sense approach in the care and feeding of our Water Dragons and hope that you will too.
If you have any questions please email us at Sales@Buy-Axolotls.com or call Phil Vena at 630-242-0151
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