So I've been wanting one for quite some time now, but finally have the resources to set up an axolotl tank! AAAAAA! :X

I have a temporary 10 gallon setup that will house them while I find a stand for my 33 long. It's going to serve as a sort of footboard for our bed, which is the exact width of the length of the tank. It's gonna be soo cool!

And axies are some of the coolest amphibians ever. Totally aquatic, you feed them fishing worms/salmon pellets, and they can live 25 years.

I've found a breeder that lives in my town not 20 minutes away who said she'll have a pair I can take home, no problem. I have to wait until my tank finishes cycling and I get back from my camping trip in two weeks, but by then all the fancy lighting equipment and cooling fans will have come in the mail and my axolittle will be ready to come home |*

I particularly want a wildtype, though I don't know what name to give it yet.
I also plan to get a golden albino, at the same time if possible, and perhaps name it Ramoth. Points if anyone recognizes the reference :8
My 33 gallon will be big enough for 3 total, so in the future I also plan to get a melanoid. Not presently since they're more expensive and I'd like to start out with fewer right off the bat. Idk what the name will be buuut you can tell why the most popular name is "Toothless"!
ungh I just can't wait. My dragons are rather excited, too, to get other reptilian-looking guys in the house!

If anyone has any dragony name ideas, I'd love suggestions >

OMG they are so adorable! They are so cute!!! You can't snuggle a fish, but if you could, they are too snuggable for words.

creepyhollows wrote:OMG they are so adorable! They are so cute!!! You can't snuggle a fish, but if you could, they are too snuggable for words.

Tell me about it!!

They even eat by hand and interact with their owners quite commonly. I've been reading up about them for months and everyone says they have distinct personalities too. I've noticed that my goldfish do, but these fellas will be even moreso.

:meme:

Aww, they're so cute . I don't have any good name suggestions but the most of the pet names in my house are inspired by mythology.

Ramoth! Pern FTW!

And axolotls are full of SQUEE. From where do they originate? I watch lots of animal shows but I haven't seen these guys before.

How big do they grow? Do they ever come out of the water? Or are they like frogs who can't let their skin dry out?

They're so adorable!!!

are they commonly known as "WaterDogs"?
if they are I used to have 1 when I was a kid and I loved him
awesome lil guys

BlazeTigerNahti wrote:are they commonly known as "WaterDogs"?
if they are I used to have 1 when I was a kid and I loved him
awesome lil guys

I don't know about Waterdogs but I know they are sometimes called Mexican Walking Fish. They aren't actually fish though, they are salamanders |*

Likes2Read wrote:Ramoth! Pern FTW!

And axolotls are full of SQUEE. From where do they originate? I watch lots of animal shows but I haven't seen these guys before.

How big do they grow? Do they ever come out of the water? Or are they like frogs who can't let their skin dry out?

Points! :DD

And they're from a single cave in Mexico. That's why they have an Aztec name C: The original wild population, as of today, is either critically endangered or extinct. The type kept as pets are descended from a few caught in the wild, back when they were a common delicacy there. They are the species that can regenerate limbs without scar tissue, so they were originally taken for research to see if humans could replicate the process to help people who lose body parts.
Some of the scientifically-utilized axolotls were injected with a chemical that makes them glow under blacklights, which ended up being an inheritable trait. It's kind of cruel to put them under blacklights though, because the protein that makes them glow is literally in every cell in their bodies, so they become stressed due to the light. Other than that, it has not harmed them and if you never use a blacklight on them, they won't glow.

The ones used for research were found to be incredibly easy to breed, so they became popularish pets from there C: Throughout time they've been crossbred with other different salamanders to get various traits, so they're kind of like dogs compared to wolves -- wild roots, but far from the endangered critters outside.

There's also people today, including the breeder I'm getting mine from, who breed more 'wild'-based ones as well that are capable of being reintroduced to the wild to support the natural population.

They can grow up to be a bit over a foot long, usually staying around 7 inches. They are fully aquatic, actually -- they are one of the few species of amphibians that never leave their larval stage unless forced using chemicals or very poor water conditions. The feathery things on their cheeks are gills, so they're like a forever-tadpole with legs. One that has fully morphed into an 'adult' loses its gills and becomes a land creature that looks entirely different.

ya that's what I used to have
fair warning, they sometimes eat each other
my female kept eating my males leg (very upsetting as a 6 year old) but with that big of a tank you should be fine
I had both of mine in a 15 gallon tank, so they were probably in each others territory
I feel bad about it now but I didn't know they needed more room back then

they are awesome beasties

Wow they seem so amazing! I totally want one now, one of the Leucistic :p I hope you enjoy your new family members!