My Struggles Caring for an Axolotl - 1 Year Update! 

"This has been the most difficult experience" *flashbacks* to iguana whipping face,scratching alexs arms and hitting his groin. *flashbacks* to rosie hissing like a demon *flashbacks* to dead cactus

"This and the Savannah Monitor are the most difficult species I've ever had to keep." You mean besides... *THE* *C* *A* *C* *T* *U* *S* *?*

“It’s a poop sausage- but if you break it, it’s a poop P I N A T A!”

Convinces you she's deceased five times a day lmao. That clip of her just floating is hilarious.

“They just exist....and I hate it” 😂😂 That’s how I feel about most people

It's really refreshing to hear someone talk about the mistakes they've made (and overcome!) when caring for a completely new animal. Aquatic pets are no joke, and how some people can say that fish require no effort still blows my mind. Cycling a tank is probably THE most important aspect of fish keeping, yet a lot of people (even experienced animal keepers, such as yourself) don't know much about it. It's cool to see people learn. :) Your lotl is adorable, by the way.

Water weighs 8.34lbs per gallon, so while Idk what that aquarium weighs by itself, but the water alone in a 20gallon is the better part of 170lbs. I am not at all surprised you can't move it when it's full. With a quarter of the water, I imagine it still weighs close to 100lbs with equipment and filters and decor. You're not a weakling Alex. You're a buffed ass stud and manly man. Your masculinity is safe with us.

That's how I feel about fruit flies. They don't even hurt anybody but I hate them.

No one: Absolutely no one: Axolotl: *floats* Alex: Oh no

Poop sausage. Poop piñata. I’ve had axolotls for 4 years and that is such an accurate description lol.

3:17 That is a much better kit than the strips actually, not because it's fancy but because it is accurate. 4:41 You can use a turkey baster for poop. 12:30 Get like 1 or 2 more java ferns on driftwood. Plants can take in the excess "nutrients" and help with the ammonia.

“She convinces me like five times a day that she’s deceased.” Idk why but that line made me lol

"poop pinata" brought some interesting visuals to mind

Amphibian owners be like: Send newts

Axolotls are close to extinct in their natural habitat, scientists are working on ways to get their numbers up in the wild and with the help of these Mexican nuns that are experts in caring for axolotls they are making some progress.

Those detritus. They aren't harmful, they cant do anything to the axolotl, they cant do anything to you. They just exist. *And I hate them.* (With a burning passion)

I understand the frustration of figuring this all out and getting a tank fully set up. As an axolotl owner with several other fish tanks (all have been established for 2+ years), I hope I can still offer some helpful advice. - First of all, you should never need to do 50% water changes twice a week. That might be causing more problems than good when it comes to the bacteria to set up the cycle. If you need to, she can live in a smaller tank doing daily water changes while you focus on cycling this tank. - There were some comments saying an HOB filter isn't good enough and you need a canister filter... An HOB filter is ABSOLUTELY FINE for the tank you have. You DO NOT need to get an expensive canister filter for it, since it is such a small tank. That being said, I do suggest getting a different filter. A sponge filter won't hold enough filter media to keep the tank clean enough, never mind cycle it. To fully cycle it, try to have a variety of filter media in the tank (bio beads, a sponge, and charcoal). Every month or two, replace ONE of them (and honestly, we go longer than that without replacing the media and the tank is fine). This will keep enough bacteria in the filter to keep the cycle going. On top of this, absolutely never rinse your media out in fresh water and try to only rinse it out in the tank water (while you're doing a water change, put some tank water in a cup) when the media is really gross. - Is your turtle tank cycled? If so, just take some media from the canister filter and move it into the filter for this tank. This will automatically jump-start the cycle on this tank and the bacteria will spread to the other filter media. This is also a great way to quickly cycle any future tanks! - If you're going sand-less because you like the way it looks or because maintenance is easier, just ignore this part. But it sounds like you liked the way it looked more with the sand. Unless it is a very thick layer of sand (more than an inch) with air pockets and poop buried in it, the sand really shouldn't cause problems. I use a turkey baster to suck up the poop and it doesn't disturb the sand (which means you don't have to rinse the sand! :) ). Honestly, the sand will probably help cycle the tank faster. We have always had sand in with our axies and we haven't had any problems. - You may want to consider putting a baffle on the tank to block some of the flow using a 2 liter pop bottle, rather than a paper towel. Here is a link to a similar one using a water bottle. We just used a pop bottle because it looked a little nicer. It's super easy to do, and it lasts a while. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IOkh_BB_OLc.html - Curling gills are definitely a sign of stress, but a curled or ruffled tail can also be a big sign. Mine don't always curl their gills, sometimes only their tail curls. - Topping off the tank is FINE as long as you aren't using it as a replacement for water changes. A water change is still necessary once a week or once every other week. In the meantime, topping the tank off is okay. The problem comes when people are using it to keep their tank full for a month or two, thinking that is good enough to keep the tank clean. I hope this helps! We first got our tanks when we were in college dorm rooms and it was definitely a learning curve to get them set up! If it helps, you sound like you're doing a great job trying to figure the cycle problem out! I think most people would have given up by this point so it is really nice to see you still trying! :)

"They just exist, and I hate it." 😂😂😂

As an aquarium person, I have one vital question to ask, that may solve the mystery of the ammonia problem (because sand doesn't cause ammonia): How are you taking care of your filter media? Rinsing it? Changing it?

"She convinces me that she is deceased like 5 times a day." Oh, I feel your pain. My husband was at work one night and I came in to find Pickle floating around. I freaked out and called my husband in a panic crying. He's trying to calm me down and the little squirt starts swimming around 🤦‍♀️

Literally been binge watching you for like 3 days😂 love the videos dude!

"She convinces me she's dead at least 5 times a day." Same with my oldest rat😂 I could throw his cage and he'll still be fast asleep but let me bring some treats in and suddenly we've had a resurrection.

Axolotls are from Mexico City and r only native to one lake in the world for anybody wonderingn

my axolotl likes to sit directly under the filter flow and actually gets upset when i cover it up so she cant and tears everything down just so she can sit under it

Those up close shots are beautiful... you never notice all the detail until you look close. (Edit:) Oh yea the axolotl up close is cool too *badum ching*

Topping off is perfectly fine as long as it doesn't REPLACE water changes. You can top off every day if you want to.

If you've got algae and lighting is an issue, you could also try a floating type of plant like duckweed or frogbit. They would give your tank some shade and absorb the nutrients from the water, slowing down the algae growth. Plus since they float they wouldn't get in the way of poop cleanups.

That's one weird Chernobyl dog, APPROVED!

convinced my axolotl would be a stoner if he were a person

i set really high standards for myself dont kill it sameeeee

posting an axolotl care update a day after TND is a power move

"They just exist and I hate it " Me towards my entire school in a nutshell

When I had detritus I removed most of the sand and just left a thin layer. Never got detritus again and my ammonia and nitrate levels are normal!

Your videos are super cool!!! Just so you know I'm 45(I mentioned it because I'm sure I'm not your target audience!!!) And your videos are totally turning me on to reptiles!!! Keep up the great work!!!

Detritus worms usually go away in tanks with fish cause the fish eat them like candy. The worms work like springtails in a bioactive to break down waste into stuff your plants can use. If you're having filter issues, I recommend getting a canister filter (fluval is great) or just another smaller secondary filter. I rip out the cartridge and replace it with a bag of bio rings/balls and a couple hunks of filter floss/polyfil. Whatever you do, do not wash or replace your filter media, that could be the reason behind your cycle issues. Your current filter is a HOB-Hang on Back, not a sponge filter. A sponge filter is a sponge with a air pump blowing air through the middle, creating a low flow.

“They exist.... AND I HATE IT.” I died lmao

I LOVE the name woobeewoo. I smiled so much hearing that. Adventure time will never die 💪 💕

To help cycle a tank before receiving an aquatic animal, you can put a frozen uncooked shrimp in a tank and let the filter run. It releases the ammonia from the dead shrimp and starts activating the nitrites and nitrates. Eventually the ammonia will be zero while your nitrates boost.. give it about 2 weeks or more if you can. I love that you stretched out into unknown territory! You did good 👍

Axolotl: Exists *Pokemon Fans*: "Is this a Mudkip?"

Fun fact, she could randomly Go through her adult metamorphose at any point in her life now. Its rare but it can happen.

Alex if you end up getting another axolotl and you want to keep them in the same enclosure make sure they are similar in size. Woobeewoo WILL eat a smaller axolotl and a small axolotl WILL bite woobeewoo. Take it from someone who's experienced it. My big guy ate the smaller guy and then became impacted and died. Haven't been able to keep axies since.

Axolotls are criticly endangered, the fact that your able to take care of one proves theres still hope. Your awesome

A-X-O-L-T-L MY TIME HAS COME TO BURN I INVOKE THE ANCIENT POWERS IN WHICH I MAY RETURN

i had one of those tiny aquatic frogs a few years ago and it floated around so much that every day i was convinced it was dead right up until the day it actually died. ironically, his name was ryuk (deathnote), so i guess it was fitting that he did that.

“This is the hardest animal I have ever cared for...” *what about the...* C A C T U S

I used to have 5 Axolotls, but sadly I had to rehome them due to my health. But a couple tips: if you see ammonia it means your tank isn’t cycled, or that the cycle is stalling. You can add liquid bacteria to help with that. Also, use a turkey baster to remove the waste. It’ll save you doing so many water changes, which doesn’t help with cycling the tank. Usually a 25-30% water change once a week is enough when you manually remove the waste. Also, if you don’t want a bare bottom tank and are still against having sand, you could try slate tiles.

Actually axolotls don't really reach a full size. They grow to the space they have, so if an axie is kept in a massive enclosure they can grow up to a foot long on some cases. Keeping your axie where she is is by no means bad, though. Also, you can totally pet them! You just have to wash you hand first

options: at some point, if you wish to rescape: -sponge filter: way easy; can get a quiet air filter. -fans: silent computer fans do the same job cheaper; lots of easy DIY's out there for whatever amount of effort you might want to extend. -silicone slate tile to the bottom: nice visually, good traction for the Axy - floating plants or dwarf water lily or two in a pot; gives cover; she doesn't need much light; better w/ not too bright anyway. as long as she doesn't have difficulty coming up for air. `hope some of that's useful, or gives some ideas.

Axolotls can be pretty curious creatures, so if you move/add an extra hide you'll find them "checking them out" a lot. The same way a cat likes to lay on furniture if you just moved it.

I have had 2 axolotls (in separate tanks) for 18 months and I find them so easy to keep! It’s crazy how people have totally different experiences. I have done a 20-25% water-change bi-weekly since day one and fed them a variety of food (mainly different kinds of worms) and have been really fortunate to have kept steady water parameters without any issues. I don’t really mess with the temperature of their tanks half as much as most people advise and they’ve been absolutely fine. I find the community of fish keepers and keepers of aquatic pets in general can often over-think the hobby and make it more complicated than it needs to be. Good insightful video you have shared with us though and I wish you all the best ✌🏽

i love this kid and need more of him

Dude, your videos are fantastic! Your topics are good and varied and you're clearly transparent about your opinions and how you care for your animals. You're one of the best animal/pet youtubers.

Alex please give us an update on your blue tongue skink we have not seen them in so long 🥺🤲🏽

Friend, that's not a sponge filter. That is a hang on back filter, same type of filter that you had before. Like, what you had was a trash can with a motor, and what you have now is aqua clear (rly good brand).

OMG I just realized that Woobeewoo Is her name lmao best name ever

“We have very few similarities, we both have eyes” DYING 🤣 love this whole video, I just rescued 3 of them and had a lot of learning curves, 100% I’d love to see more videos about her💕

They're just GoDz chilling in their universe

Also Your Sarcasm/seriousness is so real and funny . You are one of my favs

They are not extinct in mexico, but their population has decreased dangerously. They are native to most lakes in the valley of Mexico. In the cities around these lakes (Mexico City for example) there's a big conservation effort being made :)

Turkey baster helps with spot cleaning the evil turd sausages! And ghost shrimp are a yummy snack and also take care of all the micro bodies! Mine eat the copepods and the ugly non parasite worms. Your girl looks super happy! I call the gills on the head floofs. My little boy floofs everytime I call him beautiful. Great job!

Whenever I see an axolotl, I convince myself that I want one. Then I remember the care requirements and I decide to stick to my polypterus lol.

had my axolotl for 4 years, glad to see yours is doing well. I really like the darker/wild types.

One can have a reaction to detritus worms. They make my arms itch, requiring Benadryl! Wear gloves during water changes if you have to. I learned the hard way.

When they float upside down that usually means they aren't getting enough O2/Oxygen (which floats up to the surface). They cope by pulling O2 from the surface, if their gills curl back towards the body it means that they can't get enough O2 even by pulling from the surface.

Hey man I have 2 axolotls and the way i fixed the ammonia problem was removing my live plants and actually doing less water changes.

My axie is very active. She goes full force one way, lets herself float and then rams into the tank wall. She then swims around a lot, presses herself up against the glass with her belly showing, then to turn around by curling up in a ball against the glass, with her belly still in full view then springing away. I love her anyway

“They just exist and I hate it.” I think I feel this way about 7 different times a day about a lot of things.

Thank you for all that you do. Your videos are great. I’ve learned so much from you thank you. I’m a 74-year-old grandmother who loves learning everything you have to teach us

3:57 Nobody: axolotl: wWwWwWeEeEeEeEeE

The only advice I can give is test your water parameters once a week (minimum). Besides that you're looking good. They are super sensitive to water conditions (including dissolved O2 in the water).

I watch alot of videos like this on RU-vid, but if I ever have a chance to own one of these animals I would turn to your channel for information ^-^

we got ours on accident and have had just as many/the same problems you have had and the worse mistake we made was listening to so called experts on a so called axolotl website .. we took the same approach you did we quit listening to them and did what worked for us.. now our baby is healthy and huge and looks better than before she got sick (ammonia problems too) she even had a burn in her tail that went all the way through and is completely healed now .. we have albino (pink with pink eyes) her name is swim shady (we though we had a male at first) but has bar none been the hardest but most rewarding year but now she is thriving and beautiful... thanks for the vid .. made me feel good knowing i did right for my axi

Omg I just realized I did a thing where I watched like all of your videos in a row, but you just showed up in my suggested videos and homepage so much that I never realized I never actually subscribed 😂 oops!

The Nitrogen cycle and water changes are KEY! Good on you for trying something new. All the best from Montana!

“It’ll just pop right back!… D-don’t … don’t pop your axolotls leg off…” 😂😂😂

Good for you ignoring all the negative opinions of others! Most keepers know their animals, love them, know their specific needs and do what's right for them. A lot of people seem to feel the need to disagree because they just want to talk, and/or think they know what's best for YOUR animal based on their own experiences or only base their opinions off of a single articles first few sentences. People are stupid. We know what's best for our animals and if we're concerned, we ask questions to people who can give us legitemate feedback. That's what differentiates us from them

Yay squishy water lizard!!! I love theeem!

I'm happy you changed out the sand! I remember last time you were considering doing so. The ammonia has been SO much better in my axolotl tank ever since I removed the sand. A lot of people will tell you that having no substrate whatsoever for an axolotl will stress them out but as you've probably noticed with yours, it really doesn't. Mine has been completely fine without it. And if you ever do decide to get another one, I would recommend keeping them together when they're close in size. My two girls stayed separate for the first few months I had them and once they were big enough, I slowly introduced them together and it's honestly one of the best things I've done. They love each other and I often find them cuddling up next to each other. It's definitely an adorable sight to see. I'm so happy your girl has been doing so well and I really hope things get a lot easier!

I got detritus in one of my fish aquariums when I was in grade school and I lost my mind! They were everywhere and I thought they were hurting my fish so I took all my fish aquarium and called PetSmart to ask them what to do. I had to get transferred four times before someone knew what I was talking about. First thing the lady said was "don't take your fish out of the aquarium." So I'm like, "well I already did."

What I got from this is that Axolotls are the Deadpool’s of the reptile world- cool, unique, goofy looking, but also they regenerate body parts.

How to keep ammonia levels down. Feed less or put more live plants in

I thought this was gunna be a boring video but actually super entertaining. Can't wait to get my axolotl

Yep, there seems to be little fact and more opinion in the axolotl community. I have 5 myself. Things I have noticed about mine is they love to swim. I have a 400/liter tank 1.5 meters long. Also it's a myth that they don't like light. They don't like sudden light. So if you have a timer they will be just fine. Warmer temps are also ok depending on the axolotl and keeping some fish depending on the fish. Water changes are your best friend. I have a friend that keeps his at 69-70f. One of his actually evolved because he provided land. I keep a zebera high fin fish with mine because it eats everything they don't. Pellet wise mean. It's also nice and keeps to its self never bothering the axolotls. But your axolotl is very cute. And your doing a great job.

All creatures are different, what stresses or upsets one, won’t bother another in the slightest and vice versa. Don’t listen to all the people bitching that there’s only one right way to do something. Your animals seem happy and healthy and that’s all that matters, and you obviously care a lot about the animals and have educated yourself well. Personally I’m a bird person and although many people hate seeing birds in cages, some birds actually love being in their cages! My birds are free as they please- one only ever went into the cage at night to sleep, another loves her cage so much and would prefer to be in it most of the time, she comes out for cuddles but after 10-15 minutes will want to go back and play in the cage- it’s her territory and she obviously feels better protected and more comfortable while in it, and I don’t care as long as she’s happy- she’s still playful and has a great personality, she just prefers to spend most of her time in the cage- it’s no different from a young teenager who might prefer to hang out in their bedroom most days lol 😉 Great video- I’ve been really loving your channel 👍

axolotl is pronounced more like a-sho-lote, nahuatl which is the language of prehispanic mexicans do the tl sound in their special little way

I'm actually considering getting an axolotl when I go to college, so I'm going to take notes on what not to avoid lol

thank you for taking care of our little god!!

There’s around 700-1000 axolotls left in the wild. They come from lakes in Mexico, but due to pollution, the population is rapidly decreasing. Some have even begun morphing into salamanders to adapt. Also, the detritus can sometimes be helpful with keeping the water clean. So they can be useful too! Edit: if you want to do less water changes, try to get some amazon frogbit or water lettuce! It will filter the water very efficiently!

Yeh that's not a sponge filter .3. that's a hang-on-back (with sponges in it maybe?). A sponge filter would probably be quieter, if you wanted to do some more research on them; they're just a few pipes, a sponge, and an air pump. Not much water flow at all, just bloop bloops.

I am currently looking into getting an axolotl because an owner in my area had 2 axolotl's who had babies. This was very helpful and informative! Thankyou!

Detritus: **EXISTS** Alex: **'They need to die!'**

Axies are great 👍 I’m glad that you have found a system that works for your animal and situation. I have three of them, and my oldest is turning three in a couple of months. The only advice I would give, and something that worked well for me when I started, would be the use slate tiles (like from Home Depot) for a substrate/floor. They look good, are an inert stone, and are a lot grippier than bare glass. Glad that it’s worked out!

Boy don’t I know about detritus. I almost cried cus I thought my fish were gonna die bc i literally saw my pleco eat one. Scariest thing ever

I have sand in my enclosure and do not have ammonia spikes. The difference is my tank is heavily planted and I have a cannister filter with a wide spray bar that it directed towards the glass. Only one plant is a 'real' aquarium plant (anubias I think). The other plants are actually water rooted pothos, spider plant, and monstera adansonii that hang out the top. Good job taking care of her!!

“Axolotl poop is so easy to clean cause they go in these little packets” Yeah me too

Fish love to eat detritus worms. Endlers will take care of them. Also, I guarantee if you get a larger filter it will take care of all ammonia problems. The 20-50 will work better, and there are ways to limit the flow if that's an issue.

"I set really high standards for myself... don't- kill it." The cactus ghost is present here

I don’t have any reptiles, I don’t plan to get any reptiles, but I’m still here watching this reptile keeping channel. I guess good content is good content...

hi dad edit: omfg i cant its to cute 1:42

I dont know how accurate this is, but I was told that axolotls can get impacted if they ingest too much substrate being clumsy and all, but the easy cleaning is a good point aswell.