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10 or 20 gallon debate.
What do you, the members of our beloved caudata.org think is the best size for an adult axolotl?
Re: 10 or 20 gallon debate.
A 20 gallon doesn't take up that much more space than a 10, but somehow seems to offer so much more internal space.
Bigger is better as a larger volume of water is likely to be more stable in terms of water parameters including temperature, pH, solutes. It'll also provide a larger substrate for nitrogen cycle associated bacteria.
I'm a big fan of giving each critter more than enough room to live. That being said, I like the idea of a 20 gallon tank. Allows more room for creative tank ideas, more space to explore, and I just feel that they are much happier in larger living quarters.
I like a 20 long. Soon I may upgrade to a 40 breeder and add a friend though.
Good for you! Do you intend to breed them?
I generally like the one axie per 10 gallon rule but 10 gallons is just too small, at least 20 gallons to begin, and you can put two in there but for floor space 10 just doesn't give them enough room to go on a casual swim or stretch out in my opinion.
I'm rebuilding my menagerie after a cross-country move; sadly caudate-less at the moment.
When it comes to tank size for any Aquarium animal I think bigger is always better you always want to mimic the environment they are from. When I first purchased my golden albino and wild type (Lilo and Stitch) they were about 3 inches in length and I put them in a 29 gallon which I didnt need its just best to prevent you from buying muliple tanks as they grow and gives them plenty of space from biting eachother as they are canibalistic due to their poor vision. For adult axolotl you want 15 to 20 gallons per axolotl. As a beginner enthusiast I realized these animals grow fast. I've had my axies for 7 months and the golden albino is 9 inches in length and the wild type is 10.5 inches and they are both in a 40 gallon wide bottom tank. Keep in mind when purchasing a tank you want a tank with a wide bottom for the axies to have planty of room to walk as i realized my 29 gallon was built a little more narrow than my 40 gallon now when my silly wild type gets excited at night he doesnt smack his head so much into the tank wall while he circles the perimeter lol with axies floor space matters more than swim space.
I had my adult 8" leucistic in a 10 gallon tank for a while and he just looked cramped in there. If ever something spooked him he would swim right into the decor and injure himself. He likes finding places to hide, so keeping him stimulated without giving him obstacles to injure himself on was a challenge.
Next I tried two 8" adults in a 20 gallon. They looked cramped too, and it was hard to keep them away from each other during feeding. And Falkor found a way to injure himself again.
Now I have them both in a 40 gallon and it's such a relief. They really seem so much more comfortable, and no more booboos have occured.
In general, always, the more space the better.
When people ask me how to keep an axolotl, I always say ten gallon tanks are not enough space. I find 20 gallon long tanks to be the best minimum size. However, I am upgrading my axolotl to a 40 breeder, so I'm always of the mindset the bigger the better.
Feel this is a no brainer. When available, more space is always preferred.