Author: Mark Valderrama

Axolotl tank mates are tricky for two reasons most guides gloss over. First, axolotls need cold water — ideally 60 to 68°F — which immediately eliminates virtually every tropical fish most hobbyists are familiar with. Second, those beautiful feathery external gills are irresistible to curious fish, and even mild nipping causes serious injury and chronic stress. I generally recommend keeping axolotls alone or with other axolotls of similar size; they do fine in a species-only setup and are interesting enough not to need company. But if you want tank mates, the options that actually work share two traits: they tolerate cold water and they have no interest in those gills. Here’s my honest rundown of what works and what causes problems.

Here’s what you need to know when considering tank mates for your Mexican walking fish.

Understanding Your Axolotl

An axolotl is a freshwater bottom-dwelling aquatic salamander that prefers to keep to itself. They do best when kept on their own in an aquarium with slow-moving water.

Despite being antisocial, axolotls are very peaceful creatures. They spend most of their time exploring the bottom of the tank at their own, slow pace. They are also nocturnal which means they will mostly come out at night when the aquarium lights are off.

Keep in mind that Axolotls are carnivores that like to hunt live food¹. This means that they may sneak up on resting fish and make a quick snack out of them. Generally, their slow-moving nature ensures the safety of other small fish.

Axolotls are cold water critters. Due to the temperature of the water being so low, it will be unsuitable for a large variety of other freshwater creatures.

What Makes a Good Mate for Your Fish?

If you’re considering upgrading your axolotl tank into a community aquarium, there are a few things to keep in mind. Axolotls usually thrive when kept in isolation. That said, you can try to keep them with other aquatic critters.

Not all fish are good tank mates for axolotls. Those that make the cut are generally peaceful fish that also keep to themselves. Another requirement is being adapted to cool water aquariums.

You might notice your axolotls having a go at their tank buddies, even if they can’t eat them. That’s why it’s important to choose critters that can’t fit into the axolotl’s mouth.

This brings us to the next point, the critters you keep need to be fast enough to escape. Axolotls will try to hunt any live fish and other critters in the same tank as them. If you’re having problems, rather keep your freshwater fish in separate aquariums.

Why Some Fish Aren’t Suitable

Some critters just aren’t suitable axolotl tank mates. Here’s why.

• Water temperature

Axolotls prefer cool water. That’s why you can’t add any tropical fish to their tanks. The water is simply too cold. You may need an aquarium chiller to keep the water cool in water climates.

• Temperament

Any aggressive or territorial fish is a bad idea. These creatures will harass your salamander and injure it in the process. Highly active swimmers also aren’t suitable. Their movements will stress your axolotl.

• Health risks

Some freshwater critters pose a health risk to your axolotls. Cory Catfish, for instance, have sharp spines on their pectoral and dorsal fins. These can injure your axolotl if it tries to eat them.

Small fish and mini snails can also be a choking hazard and can lead to impaction. Some critters also carry diseases.

• Direct competition

Other bottom-dwelling fish aren’t a good idea either. Bottom feeders are in direct competition for food. This means your axolotl might bully its tank buddies to get to the food.

If the other critters are very voracious eaters, they also won’t do. Axolotls eat slowly which means they won’t be able to compete for food with other bottom-dwelling fish.

How to Set Up A Community Aquarium

Setting up a community tank is quite simple. Here’s what you need to know:

Aquarium Setup

The minimum size for a one adult axolotl tank is 20 gallons. If you’re thinking of adding two adult axolotls to the same tank, this will be an added cost. You will need to jump to a 55-gallon tank for a pair of axolotls. Similarly, if you’re adding other fish or creatures, start with a minimum of 55 gallons. Bigger is always better, so if you have the space, go bigger.

Substrate

The best substrate for axolotl community tanks is sand since they like to dig. This gives the axolotl something to do instead of chasing the other community creatures around.

Great For Bottom Feeders

Fine Natural Sand

Natural sand is excellent for bottom feeder fish to forage around in.

Click For Best Price Buy On Amazon

Water Parameters For The Aquarium

Axolotls have very specific needs when it comes to their tank water. Any tank mates you plan on adding should also have the same preferences. Take a look at the following axolotl water parameters to compare them to the requirements of the chosen tank mates.

• Water temperature: Cold water is a must, keep the temperature in the range of 59 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit (15 – 23°C). The ideal temperature is between 60 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit (16 – 18°C).
• pH: Axolotls prefer a pH in the range of 6.5 to 8.0. The ideal pH for this species will be 7.4 – 7.6.
• GH: 125-250ppm (7-14dGH)
• kH: 53-143ppm (3-8dKH)
• Ammonia (NH3): 0 ppm
• Nitrite (NO2-): 0 ppm
• Nitrate (NO3-): <60 ppm

Filtration

It doesn’t matter if an axolotl is in its larval stage or already an adult, they all require a tank with good filtration and slow-moving water. Any tank mates chosen to join an axolotl aquarium should also be happy with this setup.

Axolotl owners usually prefer to use sponge filters in their aquariums. These filters can circulate a large amount of water in a short time without creating a lot of flow in the tank. This is absolutely essential for the messy axolotl.

Decor Considerations

Make sure there are enough hiding spots in your tank. Axolotls prefer to hide away from light. Other creatures in the aquarium will also need a place to relax where they don’t feel threatened by the axolotl. Add some driftwood, rocks, hides, or plants to your tank to create a range of hiding spots to choose from.

Lighting

Other fish may prefer tanks with lights. If this is the case, make sure the axolotl has a dark spot to hide in. It’s best to get tank mates that also prefer a dim interior for a happy community.

Before running to the pet store, make sure to do some research first. There are only a few fish that can be safely kept in the same tank as an axolotl. Even so, these communities are never without their risks. Here’s a list of some suitable tank mate options for your axolotl (And a video by yours truly for those who would rather watch).

Top 5 Axolotl Tank Mates

Let’s look at the best tankmates for these “walking fish.”

1. Other Types

Adult axolotls make great tank mates. It’s best to keep a male and female together, but you can also keep same-gender axolotls together if you don’t want any babies.

You can tell a male from a female axolotl by looking at the cloaca (opening under the tale). In males, the cloaca protrudes quite a bit while it sits nearly flat against the belly in females.

It’s best to not keep a smaller axolotl with a fully matured one. Don’t keep juvenile axolotls together either. They often display cannibalistic tendencies towards each other. Adults may even eat their larvae if given the chance.

If you see any reoccurring problems, it might be better to separate axolotls into different aquariums. One axolotl on its own is best.

2. White Cloud Mountain Minnows

White cloud minnows are peaceful cool water fish that can make excellent tank mates for axolotls. Their lack of spines and shells makes them safe for axolotls to eat. Even though this might not be your goal, they will get chowed every now and again.

There is no real way to prevent your axolotls from hunting these fish, so you might want to consider keeping them in separate tanks. Fortunately, minnows are quite fast. They should be able to escape the axolotls unless caught off guard.

3. Guppy Fish

Guppies are another fish species that rarely pose a risk to your axolotls. Unlike the fast white cloud minnows, guppies will be eaten more often. They do sometimes carry diseases, however.

The babies of guppies are often used as feeder fishes. This means that owners intentionally provide these fish as a snack to their axolotls. Baby guppies are small enough to not pose a health risk when swallowed by juvenile axolotls.

Guppies, being livebearers, reproduce very fast. The sudden increase in fish numbers may stress your axolotl despite it having an easy snack.

4. Zebra Danios

Zebra Danios are also great peaceful cool-water fish to consider. They will keep to their shoals and mostly stay away from your axolotl. Again you might see your fish disappear every now and then. Fortunately, zebra danios are very agile fish so they might stand a chance in an axolotl aquarium.

Just because they can swim, however, doesn’t mean your axolotls won’t catch these danios off guard every once in a while.

5. Apple Snails (As adults)

Adult apple snails can safely be kept in the same aquarium as young axolotls. They aren’t small enough for your walking fish to eat. Baby cold water snails like juvenile bladder or ramshorn snails are also safe since they have soft shells.

Adult ramshorn and bladder snails are risky. They are small enough to swallow, but not soft enough to fully digest.

If you want to keep snails, avoid mini snails and stick to adult apple snails. Multi snails can also be risky as they can climb on your axolotl and suck off their slime coats.

Fish You Should AVOID

This list doesn’t include all the fish that are unsuitable for axolotl community tanks. The species here, are mentioned because they may seem to fit the description of the perfect tank mate, but they really aren’t. Keep an eye out for the following critters.

1. Goldfish

Many think goldfish are great tankmates for axolotls since they also like the cold. Unfortunately, that isn’t true of these freshwater fish. Goldfish have quite a bad reputation for being fin nippers. They also get big which makes harassing your beloved salamander easier.

Goldfish tend to nip at the fins and gills of the axolotl which causes stress and injury to your pet. They also produce a lot of waste which isn’t ideal when added to the mess axolotls already make.

The only goldfish varieties that may work in an Axolotl tank are fancy goldfish. These fish are just as slow as your Axolotl which gives it a chance to nip back. The goldfish will quickly learn to avoid the axolotl. They still pose a choking hazard when they are small, however, even more so due to how slow they are.

If you decide to use fancy goldfish with your axolotl, make sure to get a very large tank to accommodate the mess. If you don’t have the space, rather choose one of the suitable options mentioned above.

2. Cory Catfish

Cory catfish are very peaceful critters, but they aren’t good for axolotl tanks. These fish have sharp spines on their dorsal and pectoral fins that will injure your axolotl if it tries to swallow them. They are also bottom feeders which places them in direct competition with the bottom-dwelling axolotl.

3. Otocinclus Catfish

The otocinclus catfish is another fish that may seem completely harmless. Unfortunately, it also has spines like the cory catfish. The otocinclus also prefers fast-moving water and will zip around the aquarium at high speed. These are all characteristics that make it unsuitable as a tank mate for an Axolotl.

4. Shrimp

Freshwater Shrimps aren’t ideal for Axolotl aquariums, in fact, many owners use them as treats for their pets. Small shrimp may stand a chance if there’s sufficient plant cover to hide in. Most of the time, however, they will get gobbled up pretty fast.

Ghost shrimp and Amano shrimp are excellent addition to any freshwater aquarium. They help to clean up any leftover food. This in turn helps to keep the parameters in your aquarium stable.

Both Amano shrimp and ghost shrimp make perfect snacks for axolotls. You will need to be okay with them being eaten while they keep the tank clean. Axolotls have an excellent sense of smell so these shrimps may not even be safe in dense plant cover.

FAQS

Final Thoughts

Now that you know a bit about axolotls and the creatures they may get along with, you can make an informed decision on whether or not you should go forward with this plan. Keep in mind that the risks do outweigh the benefits of having buddies in the same aquarium as your axolotls. Isolation is even preferred by these underwater salamanders.

If you have any questions regarding axolotls and the critters that can live with them, leave a comment below.

Breeding axolotls is more achievable than most keepers realize — the bigger challenge is what happens after they spawn. A healthy pair can produce hundreds of eggs, and once those hatch you’re dealing with tiny, hungry larvae that will cannibalize each other if you’re not careful. Juveniles need to be separated by size regularly, and you’ll need a plan for rehoming the ones you can’t keep (keeping in mind axolotls are illegal to own in some states). The breeding trigger itself is straightforward: drop the water temperature for a few weeks to simulate winter, then gradually warm it back up. Here’s the complete process from setup through raising babies to size.

Why Are Axolotls Special?

These critters have an amazing ability to fully regenerate missing limbs. For this reason, axolotls are being monitored in many labs to satisfy the curiosity of scientists. Along with lost limbs, they can also regrow other body parts such as the eyes, and even regenerate their spinal cords. This makes them very interesting due to the potential use this ability holds has in human medicine.

How Do They Breed?

Axolotls are egg-layers. The male and female will participate in a mating ritual when ready to breed. To start the courting process, the adult Axolotl male will nudge the hindquarters of the female to see if she is receptive to his advances. The video by Jules Askalotl provides an visual overview of the breeding process.

Once he establishes her willingness to participate, he’ll place himself in front of her and start to lead her around the aquarium. He’ll always make sure that his tail is touching her nose. As he leads her forward, he’ll deposit a packet of sperm known as a spermatophore.

The male will then lead the female over this packet until it lines up with her cloaca (vent or sexual organ). She then absorbs the sperm into her reproductive tract to fertilize her eggs. This process is referred to as indirect fertilization.

Over the next hour, the male will continue leading the female over several packets of sperm until the breeding process is complete. Once done, remove the male to allow the female some peace before the egg-laying starts.

The female will only lay her eggs around 12 to 72 hours later. Your Axolotl may lay up to 1500 eggs on the decor provided, so be prepared. Once the process is complete, make sure to either remove the eggs or the adults. These animals aren’t against eating their own eggs.

It’s also best to remove the breeding pair from community setups with other fish. Some fish will get stressed out by the erratic movements of the adult Axolotl pair during breeding.

What to Do When the Eggs Hatch

Axolotl eggs usually incubate for around 15 days before hatching if kept at 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22°C). The hatching will be delayed for a few days more in cooler water.

For optimal larvae growth, make sure to keep the water in the upper-temperature limit. It is also essential to keep the water quality pristine. Axolotl larvae kept in poor water conditions have very poor survival and growth rates.

This means that once the eggs start hatching, you’ll have your hands full with tank maintenance. You will need to do partial water changes every few days to keep the water clean while your baby Axolotls are growing. This is especially important if you have lots of them in one setup.

If you kept all your eggs in one place, you will need to separate your babies into several 20 gallon tanks once they are big enough to be moved. Make sure to not keep more than 100 babies in one place. It is possible to keep up to 200 young axolotls in one aquarium, but this may lead to several unnecessary injuries and even fatalities.

Aquariums with fewer offspring in them have fewer problems such as damaged fins or lost limbs and gills.

Feeding Requirements

Newly hatched Axolotls won’t start feeding immediately after hatching. They usually only need live foods around 48-72 hours after hatching. In the period between hatching and their first feeding, they will be sustained by the remaining egg yolk in their bellies. The yolk will be visible through the skin as a cream-colored mass.

During this time the young also won’t be moving. Don’t throw them out by accident because they seemed dead. Not moving is completely normal at this stage. You’ll see them start to wiggle around 2 to 3 days after they were born, this is your cue to start feeding them.

Baby axolotls aren’t the easiest to feed. These youngsters require small, live food items in large quantities to keep them sustained. Until the Axolotl larvae grow their front legs, they will also only respond to moving live foods.

Without their legs moving around is a bit challenging for them. This means that they won’t actively try to find food. Make sure to deposit the food in front of them to make sure they are eating. If you fail to provide the right food, they may start to eat each other.

Fortunately, unlike frogs, young Axolotls grow their front legs first. Until they reach this milestone, however, feed easily accessible live food such as newly hatched brine shrimp and daphnia. Once their front legs are developed, they will also have developed a sense of smell. This means it’s time to start introducing dead food items.

You can offer dead food items earlier, but you’ll need to use tweezers and wiggle them around to mimic the movement of live foods to entice your baby Axolotls to eat. This can be time-consuming, especially if you need to feed 1500 baby Axolotls. Rather stick to newly hatched brine shrimp and other foods that can wiggle around like daphnia.

What to Feed

Until a baby Axolotl grows its front limbs, you will be limited to only a few live food items. Here are some great snacks for your young pet:

• Newly hatched brine shrimp
• Daphnia
• Microworms
• Freshly chopped up blackworms (they wiggle for a long time after chopping)

Live Daphnia

Water fleas or Daphnia are an excellent live food offering for fish and fry

Buy On Amazon

Once the baby Axolotl developed its front legs, it will become more mobile and start to actively hunt. At this point, you can start to introduce some dead food items along with fast-moving live food. Here are a few options:

• Frozen brine shrimp
• Frozen bloodworms
• Live mosquito larvae
• Live brine shrimp
• Live bloodworms
• Earthworms

Once the baby axolotl grows its hind legs, it can be fed exactly the same as an adult with the exception of the frequency in feeding. Baby axolotls need a lot of food to grow. To keep them healthy, you will need to feed them at least twice a day.

Once these little amphibians have all their legs, you can also start to introduce foods such as Axolotl pellets to their diet. Also, make sure to feed a variety of live and dead food for optimal health and growth. If you can’t find pellet food specifically for Axolotls, you can try feeding others specifically meant for carnivorous fish.

When feeding your baby Axolotls, make sure not to overfeed. If that happens, the uneaten food will start to rot and affect your water quality. Make sure to remove any uneaten food. Next time feed just enough to make sure they can eat all of it in 5 minutes tops. If it’s not eaten, remove it.

Tank Setup

Just like adult Axolotls, babies also need a proper setup to stay healthy. Here’s what you need to know to set up a tank for axolotl babies (Egg picture source).

Tank Size

The minimum tank size requirement for Axolotl larvae is also 20 gallons. Unlike an adult that requires the whole 20 gallons to itself, you can keep up to 200 newly hatched axolotls in the same tank which isn’t that much of a cost.

Keeping that many larvae together, however, is not advised. It’s better to stick to around 100 baby Axolotls together in a tank. This lower number helps to avoid unnecessary death and lost legs.

Once the larvae develop their front legs, you’ll need to divide the colonies into smaller ones yet again. This means that you’ll need several 20-gallon tanks or a super large aquarium. Keep in mind that bigger is always better. More water means fresh water for longer periods between water changes.

For the breeding tank, use a 20-gallon tank. This leaves just enough space to prevent the female from refusing to participate in the mating ritual.

You can keep the eggs in a 10-gallon tank altogether until they hatch. After that, make sure to divide the larvae into smaller communities or transfer them to a larger aquarium.

Water Parameters

Baby Axolotls are a bit more sensitive to water parameters than adults. For this reason, you need to be more vigilant when it comes to aquarium maintenance. Since you’re keeping several larvae in the same tank, you’ll also need to do more water changes to keep the water clean.

Skipping a water change can lead to water quality problems which in turn causes deaths. Also, make sure to treat any water before you put it into your tank. Tap water contains chemicals such as heavy metals and chlorine that will cause deaths.

Here are the water parameters for keeping your Axolotl larvae healthy:

• Water temperature: Keep the water temperature in the range of 59 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit (15 – 23°C). The ideal temperature for larvae is between 70-72°F (21-22°C).
• pH: Keep the pH in the range of 6.5 to 8.0. The ideal pH for baby axolotl is 7.4 – 7.6.
• GH: 125-250ppm (7-14deg)
• kH: 53-143ppm (3-8deg)
• Ammonia (NH3): 0 ppm
• Nitrite (NO2-): 0 ppm
• Nitrate (NO3-): <60 ppm

Water Temperature

A baby Axolotl does well in the same temperature range as the adults. For optimal growth, however, you want to keep this baby in slightly warmer water. 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22°C) is a good start for hatching eggs and growing out newly hatched larvae.

As your baby axolotl grows, you can slowly lower the temperature to between 60 and 64°F (16 – 18°C). This will allow the baby to slowly adapt instead of getting a shock.

Make sure to put an accurate thermometer in your tank to monitor water temperature changes. If the aquarium water is too warm, your baby axolotl will become stressed. In most cases, you will require a water chiller if the water gets too hot too often or for prolonged periods of time.

In an emergency, you can add frozen cubes of Axolotl-safe water to your aquarium to help cool it down. In the rare event where it gets too cold, simply add an aquarium heater to get it up to the right temperature.

Substrate

The best substrate for Axolotl youngsters is sand. Sand provides some grip on the bottom of the aquarium as well as enrichment. Just like adult axolotls, the youngsters also like to dig through the substrate.

Great For Bottom Feeders

Fine Natural Sand

Natural sand is excellent for bottom feeder fish to forage around in.

Click For Best Price Buy On Amazon

Sand is also safe if accidentally swallowed due to the very small size of the particles. Any kind of gravel should be avoided in larval tanks since it can cause injury and severe health problems.

Setting up a bare bottom aquarium is also possible. This will make cleaning much easier since you can simply suck up any solid waste during a water change.

Tank Decor

It’s always a good idea to have some decor in your tank. A completely empty tank will cause stress to your Axolotl larvae. Aquarium decorations you can consider include the following.

Plants

Plants are great in Axolotl tanks. They provide cover as well as enrichment. Keep in mind that the plants need to grow well in minimal lighting. Low light plants are the best candidates for an Axolotl tank.

Axolotls are nocturnal. For this reason, they have quite poor eyesight and prefer a dark environment. If the lighting in your tank is too strong, your axolotls will always be hiding from it.

It is also best to pick floating plants or those that prefer to grow on other ornaments like Anubias Nana or Java Fern. Axolotls dig a lot. This means that they will disturb and dig up any plants in the substrate.

Driftwood

Driftwood makes excellent places for an Axolotl to hide in and explore. It will also provide a surface for some kinds of plants to grow on. Driftwood also looks great when used on its own.

Hides

It’s very important to provide your Axolotl youngsters with places to hide. You can do this by adding ceramic pipes or other structures to your setup. This is even more important in tanks with lights. Axolotls have very sensitive eye lids and need to escape to a dark corner when the lights are on.

Rocks

Rocks are also an excellent addition to your breeding setup. A large flat rock is ideal for your Axolotls to breed on. Rocks can also be stacked and used to create shelters and hiding spots for the young. If done right, you don’t need anything else in your tank. Rocks make excellent decorations and can also be used to grow some kinds of plants.

Filtration Needs

Baby Axolotls need slow-moving water in their tank. For this reason, you can’t just put any filtration system in there. They also need a strong filtration system due to being such messy creatures, so it’s important that your filter can circulate a large amount of water in a short amount of time.

The best filters for baby Axolotls are sponge filters. These filters can circulate water quite quickly without creating a lot of flow.

Biofoam filters are quite popular for Axolotl setups. These sponge filters will help to clean the water while allowing beneficial bacteria to grow in the filter media. The bacteria in turn will help to keep your water parameters stable.

Baby Axolotls are quite sensitive to parameter changes so it’s best to make sure the tank is properly cycled before breeding with your adults.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Now that you know a bit more about breeding Axolotls and caring for the young, you should have minimal problems doing it yourself. Just remember to set up a decent breeding tank with a proper filtration system and once the young hatch, don’t feed them immediately.

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to comment below.

Discus are the fish I call the King of the aquarium — and for good reason. I’ve kept discus in dedicated setups and they’re unlike anything else in freshwater. The challenge is real: they demand pristine water, specific temperatures, and more patience than most fish require. But when you get the conditions right, there’s nothing more impressive in a planted tank.

The Discus Fish. To many who are fans of this fish, they are often called the Kings of the Aquarium. The are large, striking, and very beautiful freshwater fish. They are also to many considered a very difficult fish to keep. It is our dream fish and the one we wish we could have, but intimated by what others have said about proper Discus Fish Care.

Today’s blog post is all about Discus Fish Care. My goal here is to really break down Discus Fish care into critical key concepts. If these concepts are followed, you will have much better success than the average Aquarium Discus Fish keeper. I want to make you well informed and armed with the knowledge to become successful and happy with your Discus Aquarium.

A Quick Overview

History

Discus fish originate from the Amazon River. There original homes were around submerged tree roots and branches. This water was very clean and calm. The Discus Fish is a member of the cichlidae family. The cichlidae family is the largest group of freshwater fishes. However, Discus do not share the characteristics of many other Cichlids. Discus are very peaceful by nature while many Cichlids are aggressive and built for speed.

The first Discus was identified in the early 1800s by Johann Natterer¹. Natterer was instrumental in the identification of many animal species in the Amazon. His name is associated with several animals such as the Natterer’s bat.

The fish Discus to be imported happened around 1921. The shipping handling method for these fish at the time where not very good. Many died during the shipping process due to stress. It wasn’t until the mid 1930s that Discus started getting bred in captivity. These happened when the first Discus Fish were imported to the United States and Dwight Winter became the first person to successfully breed Discus in capacity.

As breeding techniques advanced and shipping improved, we started to see more varieties of Discus. Between the 1970s and 80s Discuss breeders started to create more colorful and vibrant varieties of Discus, like the Powder Blue Discus shown below.

Discus Fish Care – The Keys To Success Keeping Discus

Discus to many are considered very challenging to keep (video from our YouTube Channel). They are more difficult to keep then the average freshwater tropical fish, but not impossible. It is a matter of getting all the care elements dialed in so you have a stable tank. Discus Fish require a high investment. They need bigger tanks and higher quality equipment to provide the best environment for them. Let’s break down the keys to success for Discus Fish. They are:

• Housing
• Filtration
• Source Water
• Temperature
• Oxygen
• Decor
• Substrate (Or no substrate)
• Diet
• Tank Mates

Tank Size (Housing)

Adult Discus are large fish. They can grow up to 6 to 8 inches long, they also grow height wise as well due to their dish shape. Like most Cichlids, they are territorial to their own kind, so they need space to thrive and and a natural looking environment to curb their aggression.

The best tank to start a Discus Tank with would be a 75 gallon aquarium. Some people say a 55 gallon aquarium is okay, but I prefer the 75 gallon because it is both wider and taller. These are both factors we want to keep in mind when it comes to the taller disc shapes of these fish.

For a 75 gallon aquarium, we are looking to house 6 adult sized discus fish. Some people will start these tanks up with 10-12 younger discus and allow them to grow. Eventually, they will reduce their numbers to 6, with two being males. Reducing the male population reduces the aggressiveness. A 75 gallon aquarium is not an aquarium you can easily order online.

My suggestion would be to either purchase the aquarium from a petstore when they go on sale or attempt to purchase a cheap used tank from a hobbyist or classified ad. Marineland is a good brand to purchase a first time Discus Aquarium. They are well built and have black silicone instead of clear.

Tank Filtration

DIscus require very clean water. Their natural environment has clean water and the average home aquarium does not provide the quality water or filtration they need. Many hardcore discus keepers will sort this out with daily or every other day water changes. These water changes are very large – usually 50% or more. We can do the same thing here, but if you to build a foundation of proper equipment that can help keep your levels down you won’t be a slave to water changes.

Our first option is a Power Filter like a Hagen Aquaclear. The aquaclear always makes it into our fish tanks if one is looking for a hang on the back filter. It will do a great job for you and will work trouble free for years.

Our next option is a premium piece of equipment like a Canister Filter. Again, our focus on Discus tanks is very clean water. A Canister filter is ideal for this as we can stuff these with premium level biomedia like Biohome Ultimate Filter Media. This media is one of the best out there in the market and has the ability to reduce nitrates in the aquarium. We are going to pair this media inside the best canister filter on the market today, the OASE Biomaster Thermo. This canister filter comes with a heater bay to place your heater and with a ton of media space.

Editor’s Choice!

OASE Biomaster Thermo

The Pro’s Choice

The top choice among professional aquascapers. German engineering and equipped with an intregrated heater.

Buy On Petco Buy On Amazon

This is a premium option, but let’s keep in mind that Discus are a premium level fish. These fish are not cheap and they demand proper equipment and maintenance. Let’s set ourselves up for success by getting high end equipment.

Source Water

Discus Fish need very clean water. I will say this over and over again in this blog post to drive in the point. It is one of the most critical factors to your success. Sometimes, the source water of your tap water is not going to be good enough for your Discus Fish.

It’s going to depend on your city’s water report. I would suggest you get a city water report and get the readings of levels in your tank to determine if an RODI Unit is going to be needed. The main thing we are going to need to look for are high nitrates. If you have high nitrates coming out of your tap water, you may need to consider an RODI Unit or RO Unit. RO water becomes a major purchase when it comes to breeding or raising Discus fry.

Budget Option

Aquatic Life RO Buddie

Budget Option

Compact and great for smaller tanks. This is the best unit if you live in an apartment or dorm

Buy On Petco Buy On Amazon

The RODI unit shown above is an example of a good unit that will get the job done. If you are going to use RO or RODI water, you will want to use a trace element supplement. Seachem’s Discus Trace is just the supplement to use. Distilled water can also work in a pinch, but given the tank size needed for these fish, it’s usually not a good long term choice.

For those of us using tap water, it is very important to age your tap water for 24 hours then treat it with a declorinator like Seachem Prime. You can further prep with a heater and airstone or submersible pump. The preference is aged tap water + prime if your source water is good enough.

I know not everyone’s tap water is going to be adequate. If you cannot obtain your city’s water report, I would suggest getting an RO unit. Nearly all units designed for aquariums will be an RODI unit. For Discus, you can remove the DI stage to save on the resin as long as your TDS output is within 50-100.

Temperature

Next to clean water, temperature is the second big factor to Discus Fish care success. Discuss thrive on temperatures from 85 to 86 degrees. That is a lot warmer than most tropical fish that likes 78 degrees. What will usually happen with Discus under lower temperatures is that they will not fare well under typical tropical fish temperatures.

We want higher temperatures for a Discus fish for multiple reasons. Warmer water keeps our Discus active. It increases their metabolism and tends to produce a more colorful fish. Many Discus are also keep at higher temperatures.

Imported Discus from Germany and Malaysia will often keep their temperatures higher. You will also want to see what temperatures the Discus you are looking to buy are kept at as you may need to accumulate. The main issue you will deal with higher temperatures is bacterial infections. If you have an outbreak, they are tougher to deal with at higher temperatures because the bacteria will produce faster. 

We want to use the Best Aquarium Heater we can get our hands on. For a Discus aquarium, the Eheim Jager heaters are the best heaters to go with. It would also be wise to get an aquarium heater controller like an Ink Bird to ensure you have temperatures that are accurate and fail proof.   

Tank Aeration

With higher temperatures and larger fish we will be dealing with oxygen issues in our aquarium. Also, Discus Fish prefer calm waters so we cannot use a Wave Maker for our setup. We are going to want to use a proper Aquarium Air Pump to provide a high amount of oxygen to our Discus tank.

Whisper AP Series

A great air pump option for larger tanks. The AP series is Tetra’s best product among all its offerings

Buy On Chewy Buy On Amazon

Since we are dealing with larger tanks with Discus, a powerful air pump is in order. The Tetra Whisper AP series is the ideal aquarium air pump for Discus tanks. It is powerful and can handle the needs of these large fish while not making you lose your mind with their noise. 

Tank Decorations

From what we know about the history of Discus Fish, they lived near submerged tree roots and branches. The best decor for Discus is going to be Driftwood. However, we need to be very careful in our handling and selection of driftwood. We want a wood that will not alter the pH of our tank and we want something that is not going to rot away and leech nutrients all over the place.

Editor’s Choice

Manzanita Driftwood

Editor’s Choice

Manzanita offers it all. Great shape, low tannins, quick to water log and reasonably priced. It’s the ultimate driftwood!

Click For Best Price Click For Branch Pieces

Manzanita wood is probably the best wood to use for a Discus tank. It is clean and looks the part for their natural environment. Sandblasted Manzanita is what we want to look for. There are large showpieces you can purchase from the link above. These large sizes will show better in a large Discus tank.

Prepping the wood for the aquarium is a major process we must undergo for our Discus. Prepping driftwood for aquarium usage requires us to boil it for 10 to 15 minutes. This is to clean the rock of decaying, dead material and to remove tannins. Tannins being released from driftwood will dark the water of your aquarium giving it a tea-colored look.  Below is a video by Long Island Fish Guy showing the process.

The main challenge with boiling a large piece of driftwood is you cannot fit it in a pot. To work through this there are two approaches. One is to boil in parts that you can dip into a cooking pot. Another is to put the wood in a bathtub or outside and pour the boiling water on the wood. Be very careful if you have to do this as you can hurt yourself. 

Tank Substrate

Discus keepers fall into two camps. Those who want to do a bare bottom tank and those who want the look of a natural substrate. There are pros and cons to both.

For a bare bottom tank, we are working to create a very clean tank. The bare bottom approach is the preferred approach for breeders and those raising Discus fry. You can do a bare bottom tank for adult discus. For many, they will feel that the look of a bare bottom is odd. Painting the bottom of the aquarium white will help with the look. Other hobbyists have used aquarium safe tile to decorate their bottoms.

A discus tank with a natural substrate will provide a natural aesthic look. The problem you run into with a substrate is waste accumulation and dealing with potential nutrient issues. The best way to work with a substrate is to use it for aesthic purposes only.

We aren’t going to make an active substrate and we want a thin substrate similar to what I suggested with my prior Goldfish Tank post. We want no more than a half inch for our substrate. This will limit our ability for using rooted Aquarium Plants, but we will see later on that rooted plants are not the best for Discus Tanks.

The easiest substrate to maintain for a Discus tank is sand. We also have to consider the colors of our Discus. Discus fish are bright in color so a dark color would make them look darker. A lighter substrate will make our Discus look more bright. Light substrate is what we are going to want. 

Ideal For Goldfish

Caribsea Super Naturals Sand

This sand by Caribsea is perfect for supporting the foraging habit of goldfish. Also works with bottom feeders and discus fish.

Buy On Amazon Buy On Petco

A sandy grain size substrate like the one pictured above from Caribsea is what we are looking for. Again, we only want a half inch of substrate. This substrate is also pH neutral – something we will desire as most Discus for keeping purposes will need acidic water to neutral. This range of pH is 6.8 – 7.6 for most Discus varieties. If we are breeding discus, pH needs can be different. But, the best practice for breeding Discus is bare bottom.

Diet

Discus are big and colorful fish. They are demanding when it comes to diet as they need a varied and balance diet in order to keep their immune systems and colors healthy. Discus also require to be feed multiple times a day. They also have small mouths for their size and are slow eaters.

When it comes to food, the smaller is better. We want a mix of bloodworms, blackworms, and vibra bites. The delivery method is important as well. I have mentioned in past posts the amazing nutritional value of blackworms in the past. Blackworms would be my go to here. Freeze Dried Blackworms with a vitamin boost like Vita-Chem is a great mix.

My Pick

Vita Chem

One of the best nutritional supplements you can use for freshwater fish. Works great with pellet and fried dried foods.

Buy On Amazon Buy On Chewy

For pellet food, Vibra bites is perfect for discus. It has the worm like shape that get your Discus going. 

Great For Discus

Hikari Vibra Bites

A color enhancing formula that has a worm shape. Excellent for discus fish.

Buy On Amazon Buy On Petco

For feeding worm food like black worms a feeding cone can useful for keeping the food in place. Discus are slow eaters so this keeps the food in one place so your Discus can eat while keeping your tank clean. The video below by Canadian Aqua Farm shows a feeding cone in action.

Tank Mates

Finding tank mates for a Discus Fish tank can be quite the challenge. Because we are going to keep our Discus in hotter waters, this is going to hard on many tropical fish. Also Discus are slow feeders so an aggressive feeder is going to out compete and stress our Discus.

Aquarium fish like barbs are going to be bad tank mates due to how aggressive and active they are. Angelfish and Rams should also be avoided. We will also want to be careful about adding too many schooling fish like tetras who as a group can out compete our discus for food.

When we think about good tank mates, Cardinal Tetras and Corys come to mind. It is doable, but my recommendation is to make your Discus the centerpiece of your aquarium. Start with a dominant Discus Tank first then consider adding tank mates if you really want to. 

Live Plants for Them

A planted tank with Discuss is one of the most challenging setups you can attempt in the freshwater hobby. You are working against multiple factors when trying to add plants with Discus.

The first is the temperature. Because Discus do better in warm weathers, many plants will struggle to thrive at 85-86 degrees. The second factor working against is the lack of nutrients. Remember when I said that Discus Fish like clean water? Clean water means low nutrients. Low nutrients means that plants are going to have a hard time getting the food they need and we cannot use an active substrate.

Active substrate like the ADA Aquasoil I recommend in our Best Planted Tank Substrate post will cause higher nutrient levels in the tank. Great for rooted and carpeting plants, but bad for Discus. 

So what does this leave us with? We just eliminated a number of possible aquarium plants from the list. We are going to want live plants that can not only tolerate the higher temperatures of our Discus tank, but also will still grow in a low nutrient environment. We also want plants that can tolerate a non CO2 injected environment as we want to ensure we have a rich amount of oxygen available with our higher temperatures.

This leaves us with the hardiest of live plants, preferably ones that are column feeders versus root feeders. These will will do well without CO2 These plants are:

• Anubis
• Java Fern
• Shallow Rooted plants like
  • Bacopa Caroliniana
  • Micro Swords
  • Vallisneria

All of the plants above are considered Low Light Aquarium Plants. All you need to do to if you want live plants is to upgrade your lights to a proper Planted Tank LED System. I would recommend Current USA’s Serence Pro lights.

Best Value

Serene RGB Pro LED

Current USA’s offering into aquascaping is an incredible value. Spectrum, spread, easy to program and great PAR output.

Click For Best Price Buy On Amazon

When planning a planted Discus Tank, we will need to keep in mind spacing. We will want our plants either attached to our driftwood or in the background of our aquarium. We want to keep the rest of the aquarium open for our Discus to swim and not feel crapped.

We want to avoid densely planted tanks. Lastly, our fish population decreases in a planted setup. For a 100 gallon fish tank, we would drop down to 5 to 6 Adult Discus. We do this because our substrate become an issue with waste with a planted tank. We want to keep our tanks very clean for Discus, so our best approach here is to reduce our aquarium fish population. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that Planted tanks are not good for raising fry or breeding. If you are looking to breed, the best practice are bare bottom tanks.

Different Types

There are tons of breeds of Discus. They are all long-lived, get large, and can be breed under the right conditions. We have two types of Discus in our hobby:

• Wild Discus
• Domestic Discus

Wild

The wild discus are the original Discus where our domestics come from. The Blue Green wild discus is where most of our Domestic Discus come from.

The Heckel Discus is one of the most sought after wild Discus. They are found in the Rio Negro. They are one of the most demanding Discus to keep in the aquarium due to their pH requirements. They prefer a pH closer to 4.0, which is a challenge for many aquarium keepers. 

All wild Discus are imported and difficult to keep in comparison to domestically bred Discus who are used to aquarium environments. Wild caught Discus are best kept to the experts and Discus enthusiast.

Domestic (Captive Bred)

There are more than 1000 types of Discus Fish available in the market, day by day count is increasing because of cross breeding and demand on market. And this video below shows the diversity of Discus fish. One thing to keep in mind is that Discus with a yellow coloring have difficulty maintaining their color.

I’ll go over the various discuss types in another post to keep this one short. Check out the visual below by Knock Out Aquatics to see how varied Discus get!

How To Select Them

Discus are very sensitive fish. They require careful selection when choosing a quality store to purchase from an a healthy specimen. Here are a few things to look for:

• Round shape – look for deformities
• Clear eyes – no nicks or cloudy eyes
• Good color – poor color indicates stress or poor diet
• Fins – Look for straight fins. Watch out for bent or clamped fins
• Body mass – Your Discus should look thick. Do not purchase a thin Discus
• Good appetite – Your Discus should actively eat when fed
• Swimming activity – The Discus should be swimming in the open not in a corner

How To Quarantine Them

While I believe you should quarantine all fish, I know most people will not. Discus fish are a premium fish and require quarantine into to thrive. The quarantine process generally takes 8 weeks and involves frequent water changes – as often as every day!

In the second week, Discus experts would recommend prophylatic treatment with Prazipro or Levamisole to treat for internal parasites. Internal parasites are very common with Discus and is a mild treatment².

You would stop treatment in the 6th weeks and do a 2 week observation period. You should not use antibiotics or external parasite treatments unless you see signs of disease. To learn more about diseases check out this fish disease article. Some commmon factors that cause health issues would be:

• Chemical poisoning – from poor water conditions
• Dissolved gases – from low oxygen or high CO2 levels
• Poor tank hygiene
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Gill flukes, parasites — which is why we quarantine!
• Bacterial infections

Your quarantine tank should be bare bottom with a cycled filter. It should be away from your display and you should use a separate net for it. Given the time involved of quarantine, do not plan on traveling or vacationing during this time. Know your schedule and plan ahead!

Breeding

This could be a separate post in itself, so I’ll keep it brief. There are two methods for breeding Discus fish – artificial and natural.

Artifical Breeding

This involved removing the eggs after they have been fertilized. Fry are hatched and fed slime when they are initially born. As they grow, they are transitioned to baby brine shrimp and commercial foods. This is a common method of breeding for commercial Discus breeders. PVC is used as a surface to lay eggs and collect them. It is efficient and more profitable from a business perspective

Natural Breeding

Natural Discuss breeding allows for the eggs to be tended by the parents. The fry hatch and are free to swim in the aquarium. The fry will eat their parent’s slime coat when they are born. They eventually will be transitioned to baby shrimp and commercial food.

This is considered one of the most fulfilling experiences in our hobby. The parents take takes tending to their babies. They fish fry receive antibodies from their parent’s slime coats. As a result, they can develop a stronger immune system.

Where To Buy

Discus fish are one of the more difficult fish to purchase. You will want to purchase them from a high quality local fish store if you are looking to buy locally. If you do not have a good local fish store, you can purchase high quality specimens at tradeshows.

A more recent development has been the emergence of What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) online fish stores. Most are small specialty fish stores. When looking at one, make sure they offer a arrive live guarantee and a warranty of at least 7 days.

Additional Resources (Books To Read)

There are many books out there that go beyond the scope of this blog post. However, not all are created equal. There are two books I recommend when it comes to Discus care.

Discus World

Discus World

A great deep dive book on Discuss keeping for a beginner. Written by a discuss breeder

Buy On Amazon

The Discus World book is a good casual dive into the world of Discus keeping and breeding. it is informational enough to get you beyond what I have covered here, yet friendly enough for a beginner to pick up.

The Discus Book

The Discus Book

First published in 1989, this book is an update with a full color edition. Written by Alastair Agutter, who has been an authority on aquariums since 1967

Buy On Amazon

The Discus Book is the book to purchase if you want a comprehensive guide on Discus. This book is written by Alastair Agutter. Alastair has been involved in the aquarium hobby since 1967. He is a veteran in the industry. He offers a no sales approach to proper care. It’s a refreshing perspective to read as our aquarium hobby evolves into a gadget first approach. He’s all about the biological and science. It’s a must read if you want to get serious about Discus!

Closing Thoughts

Discus fish are the known as the king of the aquarium. They are beautiful but difficult to keep. If you are up to the challenge, they can be one of the most rewarding experiences in our hobby. I hope I showed you what Discus fish can offer you as a pet by reading this post. If you have any questions, leave a comment below. Thank you for reading.

Are you considering an exotic fish breed to spice up your hobby? Getting a Flowerhorn Cichlid will definitely not disappoint. In this article, we will look at everything you need to know about Flowerhorn Cichlid Care.

Let’s dive right in and start learning all we can about this extraordinary aquatic critter.

Species Overview

Origins

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aquarium store depot (@aquariumstoredepot)

Flowerhorn Cichlids (video source) are manmade freshwater fish that were first bred by fish keepers in Thailand, Malaysia, and Taiwan. That means this aquatic animal does not naturally occur in the wild. The closest wild relatives to this hybrid fish, are African Cichlids.

They first appeared in the market in 1996 and have been rising in popularity since. These large Cichlids also have quite an impressive lifespan adding to their popularity.

Unfortunately, some Flowerhorns have been illegally released into the wild. They can now be found in a few wild habitats around the world where they’ve become an invasive species.

Flowerhorn fish is a result of selectively breeding different African Cichlid species. The idea of breeding these fish was based on the earliest manmade fish called the Blood Parrot.

Interbreeding Cichlids gives them the same unique head and body shape as the parent species. Fortunately, this process is fairly simple since Cichlids will spawn with just about any fish of the opposite sex as long as it’s another Cichlid species.

A few of the naturally occurring species that were used to create Flowerhorn strains are Red Devil (Amphilophus labiatus), Redheaded Cichlid (Paraneetroplus synspilus), Midas Cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus), Red Terror (Cichlasoma festae), and Trimac (Cichlasoma trimaculatum). Parrot fish also played a role, but nobody seems to know (or aren’t telling us) exactly to what degree any of these species were involved.

There were originally only five strains of Flowerhorns. These were referred to as Luohans. These strains include the golden-based group such as Faders and Golden Trimax as well as the Golden Monkey, Kamfa, and Zhen Zhu varieties. These are sometimes referred to as Cichlid fish breeds, but in reality, they are only hybrids and not full breeds.

Other strains have also since been developed. Some of the most popular Flowerhorns are currently Golden Monkey, Red Dragon Flowerhorn, and Thai Silk.

What Do Flowerhorn Cichlids Look Like?

A Flowerhorn Cichlid is a large fish with a unique body shape and nuchal hump also called a Kok. The nuchal hump is the large protrusion on top of your fish’s head that gives them an easily recognizable silhouette. The size can vary from massive nuchal humps on males to nonexistent on females. The size can also change depending on the situation the fish finds itself in.

Both the dorsal and anal fins start about two-thirds of the way back on the body and stretch all the way to the base of the tail. The dorsal fin matches the bulk of the anal fin and ends in a fleshy, braid-like protrusion. The dorsal and anal fins also dwarf the caudal fin.

The tail fin, on the other hand, is usually round and much thinner than the other fins but the shape may vary. The pectoral fins are quite short and often almost see-through.

Flowerhorns also have quite a lumpy ‘chin’ area that extends right to the ventral fins. This feature is much more prominent in males.

Male Flowerhorns also have more brightly colored, pearlized scales. The female Flowerhorn will usually be an inch or two smaller than the male.

The unusual patterns of Flowerhorns evolve and change as the juvenile fish grow into adulthood. Once this critter reaches mature size, the patterns are usually set. This means that you may not know what you’re getting if you choose a juvenile fish. Most will end up with horizontal black stripes, however.

The eyes of these aquatic pets are usually quite prominent. The King Kamfa variety tends to have white or yellow eyes.

Feeding a Flowerhorn Cichlid is fairly easy as long as you get the balance right. Due to these fish being so large, they have quite a big apatite. These freshwater fish will quite happily feed on just about anything that ends up in the tank.

If you’re unsure which meaty treats your fish can eat, consider adding the following foods:

• Brine shrimp
• Shrimp
• Bloodworms
• Mosquito larvae
• Earthworms
• Other aquatic worms
• Fish fillet
• Dried crickets
• Dried grasshoppers
• Krill

Keep in mind that what you feed will depend on the size of your fish. Small treats like brine shrimps are for small fish. Bigger fish can have bigger snacks like earthworms.

For greens, you can consider adding the following vegetables:

• Boiled peas (No shells)
• Zucchini
• Shredded lettuce
• Cucumber

Give Them Live Foods

To keep your fish in tip-top shape, it is best to feed both live and frozen foods. Live foods, like mosquito larvae, will provide your fish with some entertainment. Hunting these creatures will also appeal to the foraging instincts of your Flowerhorn Cichlid.

How Much and How Often to Feed Them

It is best to feed your Flowerhorn Cichlid just enough to finish the food within five minutes after feeding. If you notice any food left at the end of five minutes, consider reducing the amount fed.

Any food that is allowed to settle to the bottom of the tank will usually just stay there to rot. This reduces your water quality and will lead to ammonia spikes if you’re not careful.

On the other hand, if your fish isn’t fed enough, it will start to dig up plants, chew on the leaves and break the stems. To reduce this destructive behavior, make sure to feed your fish regularly.

Adult fish need to be fed around two to three times a day. Young fish need five to 10 feedings to help them grow. If your fish aren’t interested in every feeding, reduce the number of feeding per day.

Their Temperament and Behavior

Flowerhorn Cichlids have a reputation for being quite aggressive. For this reason, they don’t do so well in community tanks with other fish. If you keep these fish with other species, you can expect fights to break out quite often. Even when kept in tanks with others of their kind, their aggressive nature will often lead to fighting.

Funny enough, Flowerhorns do prefer to swim in pairs. Keeping a male and female together in the tank will often reduce aggression and lower the stress levels in the aquarium.

It is possible to add in a few tank mates for your Flowerhorns if you do some careful planning. It’s usually an idea to keep them with peaceful fish of a similar size.

These Cichlids also won’t just stay in one layer of the tank. You can expect to see your fish moving up and down the water column as they, please. They will also claim territories in the aquarium which can lead to fighting. This is why it is very important to have enough space if you’re planning on having more than one Flowerhorn Cichlid in the tank.

If you’re planning a planted aquarium, you’ll also need to do some planning. These fish aren’t the best when it comes to living plants. They will often dig up the plants and even eat them. To avoid this, make sure to feed your fish correctly and plant unpalatable specimens that don’t require the substrate to thrive in your tank.

Tank Mates

Flowerhorn Cichlid tank mates aren’t easy to find. Generally, these fish don’t do so well in a tank set up with other aquarium fish. Their aggressive nature and territorial tendencies tend to get in the way.

Fortunately, there are a few suitable tank mates out there. It will also help to select a large tank to reduce possible aggressive behavior. Before you select tank mates, keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Avoid other species of aggressive fish. Choosing fish with peaceful dispositions is best.
• Avoid slow-moving fish. Any species that gets selected must be able to escape any conflict.
• Avoid shrimp and snails, they will definitely only serve as a great snack for your fish.
• Avoid fish that are significantly smaller than your Flowerhorns. They will usually end up as snacks and targets for aggression rather than Flowerhorn tank mates.
• Any tank mate you select must be big enough to hold its own and be fast enough to swim away when the need arises.

If you’re still considering getting some friends for your fish, keep the lists below in mind.

Best Tank Mates for Them

It can get quite frustrating to select some fishy friends for your giant terrors. To make it a bit easier, consider the following species:

• Another Flowerhorn Cichlid (Best choice)
• Sailfin Plecos
• Leopard Plecos
• Bichir (Go big to avoid problems)
• Silver Arowana
• Bristlenose Plecos
• Jaguar Cichlids
• Common Plecos
• Clown Plecos
• Giant Gourami
• Lowland Cichlids
• Spotted Hope
• Armored Catfish
• Oscar Cichlids

Least Compatible Fish for Them

• Any aggressive fish species besides other Cichlids
• Very small fish like Rasboras
• Shrimps of any kind
• Snails of any kind
• Danios
• Tetras
• Livebearers
• Betta fish
• Loaches
• Red-Tailed Sharks
• Rainbow Sharks
• Iridescent Sharks
• Goldfish
• Koi
• Bala Sharks
• Angelfish

Care

Despite being a manmade fish, the Flowerhorn Cichlid is quite hardy and fairly easy to care for. If keeping fish is new to you, you shouldn’t have any problems, but having some experience is better. New fish keepers are often put off by the required tank size as well.

Flowerhorns are big fish. They are also quite aggressive and messy. This can complicate things when it comes to keeping other fish with your Flowerhorn. You’ll also need to do regular maintenance to keep the tank clean and the water conditions perfect.

Tank Requirements

Flowerhorns need quite big aquariums to satisfy their territorial needs. You will also need some decorations in your tank setup to keep them out of trouble.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to know exactly what these fish prefer in terms of habitat since they were bred in captivity. In other fish species, you may set up the aquarium with plants or lots of rocks to mimic the natural habitat of that specific freshwater fish. In this case, your guess is as good as mine when it comes to tank decorations.

Despite not having a natural habitat, you can still create a stunning home for your pet. Here’s what you need to know.

Tank Size

To keep your fish healthy and stress-free, you will need at least a 75-gallon tank. These are very messy fish so if you can go bigger, go for it. Bigger tanks will prevent sudden changes in water parameters due to rotting fish waste and uneaten food.

If you’re thinking of keeping a breeding pair in the same tank, make sure to allocate at least 150 gallons to these fish. The bigger the tank, the less likely it will be for them to show aggression due to territorial battles. If you want a tank with different Cichlid species or other fish in it, make sure to give them a tank with a minimum volume of 215 gallons to prevent aggression.

Tank Setup

Setting up a Flowerhorn tank is really quite simple. After you’ve selected the tank you want, you will need to add a few things to create a suitable environment for your fish. Here are a few decor ideas to think about.

Plants

A Flowerhorn Cichlid does well in a tank with some added plants. Unfortunately, they do tend to dig up plants from the substrate. It’s best to keep them in tanks with plants that prefer to grow on other objects like driftwood and rocks with their roots exposed.

If possible, also select plants that aren’t the most palatable. Flowerhorns are omnivores and will nibble on your plants from time to time. A few live plants you can consider are Anubias Nana and Java Fern. Be prepared for some casualties, however, since these big fish will damage some of your plants.

Editor’s Choice

Java Fern

Editor’s Choice

Hardy, easy to care for, and requires only basic lighting to grow. This is the perfect aquarium plant for beginners!

Buy On Buce Plant Buy On Glass Aqua

Substrate

By now you probably noticed that Flowerhorns love to dig around in the substrate. For this reason, it is very important to choose something safe to put at the bottom of your tank.

The best substrate will be sand or large tiles without any sharp edges. Sand allows the fish to dig to its heart’s content without the risk of injury. Avoid coarse gravel. The substrate is often ingested during digging which may lead to impaction if the grains are too large.

Some aquarium enthusiasts prefer to have a bare bottom tank. Bare tanks are very easy to clean and also completely remove the likelihood of impaction due to substrate ingestion.

Decor

To create a bit more structure in the tank, you can add large heavy rocks or driftwood to your tank. Just make sure that the items you add are large and heavy enough to not be knocked over by your fish. If you can, secure any decorations to the bottom of the tank.

Water Quality and Filtration

Flowerhorns prefer clean water in their tanks. They are quite sensitive to pollutants which means regular water changes are necessary to keep them healthy. It is also best to have a moderate flow in the tank to circulate oxygen and remove toxins.

Filtration

Flowerhorns are very messy. For this reason, they need a strong filtration system to help maintain the correct water parameters. Your filter should produce a moderate flow to circulate water around the aquarium.

A canister filter is an excellent choice when it comes to these Cichlids. It will create the correct flow while removing any solids from the water. It will also help to remove toxins by allowing beneficial bacteria to grow in the filter media. The Fluval FX Series is designed for large fish like Flowerhorns.

Great For Large Tanks

Fluval FX Series

High flow, large filtration capacity, and quality plumbing – The FX series is designed for monster fish keepers

Buy On Amazon Click For Best Price

Water Parameters

Despite being quite hardy fish, you will still need to keep an eye on the water conditions to keep them healthy. Here’s a quick breakdown of the parameters for Flowerhorn Cichlids:

• Water Temperature: 75-86°F (24-30°c)
• pH: 6.5-7.8
• GH: 161-358ppm (9-20 dGH)
• kH: 54-107ppm (3-6 dKH)
• Ammonia (NH3): 0 ppm
• Nitrite (NO2-): 0 ppm
• Nitrate (NO3-): <20 ppm

Aquarium Maintenance

Since Flowerhorns are such slobs, it is very important to do regular aquarium maintenance. You should do weekly water changes and replace at least 20% of the aquarium water. On top of that, you can do monthly water changes of up to 70% of the total volume of water.

Doing these water changes will remove solid waste and excess nitrates in the water. Nitrates may not be dangerous in small quantities, but they will become toxic in large amounts.

Testing Tank Conditions

To keep your fish health excellent, make sure to do weekly water tests. To achieve this you will need a water test kit. The ideal kit will test all the water parameters except for the temperature in your tank. For that, you will need a thermometer.

Breeding

Breeding these fish is very difficult. Fertile specimens are extremely rare in this hybrid breed. A fish keeper also needs to wait for around 8-10 months or even longer before they can test breed their male and up to 2 years for a female. For this reason, it can become very frustrating trying to breed these Cichlids.

If you still insist on breeding them, you’ll need a breeding tank and some knowledge.

Sexing

Male and female Flowerhorns are quite easy to tell apart. Males tend to be around one to two inches bigger than females. They are also more brightly colored.

You can also expect a V-shaped vent on the male where the female has a U-shaped vent. The most prominent difference is the nuchal hump. Males tend to have massive nuchal humps while a female has no hump or just a very small protrusion.

It can be difficult to sex juveniles so make sure to buy from an experienced breeder to be sure.

Getting Your Fish Ready to Breed

You don’t need to do anything special to prepare your fish for breeding. Simply place them in a breeding tank with a similar size to their normal tank. If the male is too aggressive, use a divider that allows water flow between the male and female. This should encourage breeding as soon as the divider is removed.

Your breeding tank will function as both a spawning tank as well as a fry tank.

The Breeding Process

During the breeding process (video source), the female Flowerhorn will lay around 900 eggs on a smooth surface somewhere in the tank. The male will then swim over and fertilize the eggs.

Once fertilization has taken place you can remove the female. The male Flowerhorn will care for the eggs until they hatch. Once the fry hatched, you can also remove the male.

Caring For Fry

Caring for the fry is quite simple. It is best to feed the fry with live food like brine shrimps to help them grow. You will need to do this 5 to 10 times per day to keep up with their ferocious appetite and nutrient needs.

Once they turn 6 months old, you should be able to sex your offspring and separate them into different grow-out tanks.

Health And Disease

You’ll be happy to know that Flowerhorns aren’t susceptible to any particular disease. Unfortunately, there are still a few things you should be aware of. Let’s take a look at your Cichlid’s health.

Evaluating Their Health

It’s very important to keep an eye on these amazing creatures. Fortunately, it’s quite obvious when your pet isn’t feeling so well. Look out for the following red flags:

• Reduced apatite
• Obvious sores on the body
• Reduced activity level
• Change in normal behavior

Common Health Issues

These Cichlids are amazingly healthy pets. This doesn’t mean they are completely immune against diseases, however. Here are a few health issues you should be aware of:

• Mechanical health issues

Due to these fish being so aggressive, you can expect a few injuries every now and then. These shouldn’t be a huge problem unless they affect the fish’s ability to swim. Injuries can also happen during the exploration of the tank and while digging through the substrate.

Avoid these issues by checking the tank for any sharp objects and providing a large enough aquarium to avoid conflict.

• Ich

Ich shows up as white spots on the body and gills of your aquatic pet. Make sure to treat this disease immediately to prevent serious complications. To understand ich better, take a look at this article.

• Hole-in-the-head disease

This disease looks like holes in the nuchal hump of your fish. Fortunately, it is curable, but some scarring will remain. Treat this problem by doing daily water changes and removing any activated carbon in your tank until the water conditions improve.

Where to Buy

Flowerhorn Cichlids are quite popular. They can be found in almost any aquarium shop around the world. Unfortunately, these hybrid species are not cheap to obtain. The average price they go for is around $35 for just one fish. To get the best of the best, you will need to venture to an online fish store, connect with breeders locally, or at tradeshows.

FAQS

Closing Thoughts

Flowerhorn fish is very popular in the aquarium trade. They are fairly easy to keep as long as you do regular tank maintenance to keep the water quality pristine. It is also important to monitor the water temperature to keep them healthy.

If you have any questions, please comment below.

📘 Want to learn more? This article is part of our complete Freshwater Fish Guide — your ultimate resource for freshwater species, care tips, tank setup, and more.

The rainbow shark is one of those fish that looks fantastic in the store and can create real headaches if you don’t plan the tank properly. After 25 years in this hobby, I’ve seen the same pattern play out many times: someone buys a 2-inch rainbow shark because it looks striking, puts it in a community tank, and then discovers it has claimed the entire bottom level as its territory and is chasing anything that enters that space. Rainbow sharks are territorial bottom fish — one per tank, plenty of cover and hiding spots, and they do best with tankmates that swim higher in the water column. Get that right, and they’re one of the most visually impressive freshwater fish you can keep. This guide covers everything you need for successful rainbow shark care.

Let’s get started!

Brief Overview of Rainbow Sharks

Origin and Natural Habitat

Rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum) is nothing like true sharks; they are freshwater fish, live peacefully with their kin, and feed on algae and plankton. However, they were named after the mighty sharks because of the upright dorsal fin that strikes a close resemblance to sharks while swimming.

The rainbow sharks originated from Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, and are now commonly found in the freshwater basins of Mekong, Chao, Phraya, Xe Bangfai, and Maeklong.

Unfortunately, the habitat destruction in the wild resulted in the decreased population of rainbow sharks. However, in nature, they are bottom dwellers and mostly live in sandy substrates.

Even though rainbow fish is a peaceful breed, it gets territorial and might give a tough time to their smaller tank mates. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep a few fish in the aquarium, that is closer to their own size. Also, rainbow sharks are a little high-maintenance and might pose a challenge to novice fish keepers.

So, choose wisely!

What Do They Look Like?

As I mentioned before, Rainbow sharks are commonly known as red-finned sharks, which earned their name because of the dorsal fin.

And if you see them swimming, you might mistake them for baby ocean sharks for once!

However, rainbow sharks are small and have elongated and slender backs with flat stomachs. Their fins, as the name suggests, are bright red with somewhat orangish hues. The bright red-orangish fins pop out against their dull grey bodies.

The dorsal fins of rainbow sharks comprise 11 branched rays with a prolonged fin tail. Like ocean sharks, the rainbow shark’s face is flat, but the snout is somewhat rounded along with an elongated body that tapers off at the tail.

What’s the difference between the males and females?

Before stating the differences here, I’d like to emphasize that male rainbow sharks are very dominant and aggressive toward their gender. Therefore, I always recommend keeping rainbow sharks carefully; one male in a tank is enough!

Coming back to the variations, there’s not much to name their gender, especially for juvenile rainbow sharks. To clearly reveal the gender, it’s always best to wait until the sharks grow completely and reach adulthood.

An adult rainbow shark has a thin body with bright red-colored fins and black lines on its tailfins. Comparatively, female rainbow sharks possess faded coloration with more pronounced bellies and the black, grey lines on the tailfins are absent in females.

The lifespan of rainbow sharks depends on:

1. Overall tank and water environment
2. Diet rich in vegetable and protein matter
3. Perfect sandy substrate for bottom-dwelling

Temperament and Activity Level

One thing that I genuinely love about the Rainbow shark breed is its agile and lively nature (video source).

Also, since they are bottom dwellers, they enjoy their time in the water grazing for food.

Therefore, many aquarists discourage tanks or aquariums for the rainbow shark as the confined space might trigger their aggressive side. As a result, they might attack smaller sharks and ultimately kill them.

Nonetheless, if you want to keep a group in home aquariums, make sure to install a large tank.

Mature ones are territorial

Juvenile rainbow sharks are social and get along with other fish pretty well.

But as soon as they reach adulthood, they become standoffish and solitary, asserting dominance in the presence of other fish.

To cater to this, I advise making tunnels, caves, and crevices for hiding. Also, it’s advisable to plant dense and healthy vegetation for the well-being of other fish and thriving a healthy community that involves fewer accidents.

What are Good Tank Mates for Them?

Well, if you ask me, I’d say, no mates are always better!

You might argue that they get along with true loaches and plecos really well.

Yes, I agree!

But in the wild only. In captivity, the rainbow sharks are quite aggressive and territorial. And like I mentioned before, they are bottom-dwellers; they don’t enjoy the company of other scavengers.

And this brings me to the conclusion that bottom dwelling tank mates should always be avoided for Rainbow sharks.

However, if you’re still adamant, I advise you to introduce your red-fin shark to a pre-occupied tank with only a few fish to reduce the likeliness of harassment.

Red-fin sharks are compatible with upper and middle tank dwellers, including.

• Danios
• Rasboras
• Gouramis
• Barbs
• Rainbowfish
• Clown Loach
• Indian Loach
• Snails

Also, while introducing rainbow sharks to their tank mates, be wary of their size and personality so that they could defend themselves.

Least Compatible Tank Mates

The worst tank mates for Rainbow sharks are shy and small fish, which are easily dominated.

Also, avoid bottom dwellers, very large, and aggressive tank mates including.

1. Red-tailed shark
2. Bala sharks
3. Loaches
4. Catfish
5. Red Devil Cichlids
6. Green Terror Cichlids

What do they eat?

The fact that rainbow sharks are omnivorous makes them voracious eaters. Also, they are not finicky and enjoy plants and prey.

The feeding habits in their native habitat rely on decaying plants, plankton, algae, insects, larvae, worms, and much more.

However, in captivity, since we target good coloration and a healthy lifespan, it’s best to include high-quality vegetable and protein matter.

For exquisite coloration and luster, I recommend feeding plants to the fish, such as lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, etc.

Also, they are bottom-dwellers, so make sure you get sinking pellets so they don’t miss out on some good nutritional diet.

Juveniles should munch on a protein-rich diet (brine shrimp, worms, and live food) to remain healthy and become brighter and stronger as they age.

However, since rainbow sharks are scavengers, they sometimes might overeat, which results in some illnesses. Therefore, it’s best to start feeding once a day to understand their pattern and adjust the diet accordingly.

Normally 2 feeding sessions a day comprising 5 minutes of feeding works the best for rainbow sharks.

Below is the list of recommended food you should incorporate into the diet of your rainbow shark.

• Insect larvae
• Algae (tablets/wafers)
• Bloodworms
• Tubifex Worms
• Brine Shrimp
• Daphnia
• Artemia
• Pellets
• Flakes
• Vegetables (peas, cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, and spinach)

Albino

The most common and popular variation of Rainbow sharks is the Albino variant.

The Albino rainbow shark possesses white abdomens with bright red eyes and fins that make them stand out in the tank. Though the variety is extremely rare, it is fondly loved by aquarists.

Albinos are very active, bottom-dwellers that feed on biofilm, plankton, and other organisms in the freshwater. Juvenile Albinos are sociable and amicable. However, as they age, they become more distant and aloof. Hence, they don’t get along with fish of their own kind including Flying Foxes, and Siamese bottom feeders. 

If you’re planning on keeping your Albinos in a small tank, think again!

Albino rainbow shark is known to be a very active jumper, so it demands large tanks with ample water flow and decent filtration. I also recommend installing protective aquarium lids, just so you don’t have to deal with accidents.

As long as the diet of Albinos is considered, get your fresh veggies ready, as Zucchini, Cucumber, and other high-quality vegetable and protein matter (brine shrimps, frozen bloodworms) are ideal for Albino Rainbow Sharks.

 Personally, I would recommend Albino Rainbow shark to experienced fish keepers because:

1. High-maintenance
2. Slightly aggressive

Breeding

Let me be very honest here.

If you’re raising rainbow sharks for the purpose of breeding, it’s time to move on!

That’s because the chances of breeding rainbow sharks, especially in captivity, are close to none.

Firstly, in their juvenile years, it’s impossible to distinguish between males and females. Secondly, rainbow sharks are so dominant and aggressive that they barely allow other fish to share the tank.

Therefore, there are few successful results of breeding rainbow sharks in aquariums (video source).

In nature, it’s a different story.

Rainbow sharks or Ruby sharks, like mentioned earlier, reach their sexual maturity as soon as they are 4 inches. The females lay eggs and males fertilize them later.

The ideal breeding months of Rainbow sharks are October and November. Thereafter the male fertilizes the eggs and the eggs are then transferred to a separate tank until the fry appears after a week.

The fry depends on high-quality protein so that they develop vibrant red fins and a healthy luster.

Care

Luckily, you don’t need to care much about the rainbow shark as it enjoys its own company and eats whatever is accessible to them.

However, if you are someone who believes in the healthy nurturing of their pet fish, the tank size, balanced, and water quality of the aquarium should be your top priority.

Tank Size

While keeping the rainbow shark, know that we don’t start small here.

That being said, 50 gallons tank size is the bare minimum, that too for one rainbow shark.

If you’re planning on keeping multiple rainbow sharks, be sure to provide substantial tank space.

Also, the length of your tank should at least be four feet long and 18 inches wide, considering a single fish.

Since rainbow shark is an active jumper and avid swimmer, it’s best to keep the tank big and wide so that your adorable red-finned pets can get the most of their lives.

Water Parameters

An interesting factor that keeps most aquarists from raising rainbow sharks is their fondness for their natural environment.

It’s almost impossible to recreate the natural conditions for rainbow sharks to reduce their aggression and dominance.

However, all we can do is try!

Rainbow sharks originally come from Southeast Asia’s freshwater basins where the water temperature ranges between 72°F to 82°F.

Therefore, the optimal water temperature for the rainbow shark falls somewhere between 77°F.

So, I suggest maintaining the water temperatures of your tank between 72°F to 82°F with the help of a premium heater that sets the temperature effectively.

Also, in the wild, these sharks enjoy river water that flows at a higher speed.

Therefore, maintain the water movement of the tank between moderate or fast to mimic their natural habitat.

Water pH and Hardness

Water pH and hardness are essential to maintain for keeping rainbow sharks calm and stress-free.

The ideal pH level ranges between 6 to 8 pH while the water hardness should be no less or more than 5 to 11 dH.

Substrate and Water Flow

Being a freshwater fish, the rainbow shark loves sandy bases. Also, many aquarists believe that’s a plus point because the sand is easy to clean and seldom collects food and other fish food waste that may be harmful to your fish.

Great For Bottom Feeders

Fine Natural Sand

Natural sand is excellent for bottom feeder fish to forage around in.

Click For Best Price Buy On Amazon

Besides sand, you may opt for round gravels that are not too edgy or sharp to avoid potential injuries.

Additionally, as I mentioned before, the water flow should also be maintained to entertain your rainbow shark. I recommend installing small jets and air-stones to control the constant water pressure and flow.

If your tank houses more than one rainbow shark and is over 125 gallons, you can make use of controllable wavemakers, including EcoTech, IceCap, and several others.

Aquascape Decors

If you want to keep Rainbow sharks as your pet, I cannot stop stressing enough about recreating their natural habitat as they get quite upset in plain captivity.

The river basins in Thailand are filled with hiding places and natural vegetation. Therefore, you should consider freshening up the aquarium experience.

The sandy substrates help their scales from damaging when they are scavenging at the bottom and the hiding places give them plenty of space to spend their time in solitude.

I recommend setting up a tank with driftwood, boulders and pebbles, caves, and rock formation with lots of other decorations to keep your red-finned shark busy and happy.

Aquatic plants with hard foilage are also an excellent option to change their game. Since they are omnivorous, they like to munch on plants and green algae. Therefore, aquarists suggest keeping hard-leaved plants in the aquariums.

Also, the plants and decorations reduce the chances of conflicts between the different fishes. Nevertheless, if your tank houses just one rainbow shark, the decors and plantations are pretty straightforward.

Furthermore, it helps them to have a peaceful corner for themselves to feel safe and secure. When they feel unharmed, they are pleasant and lively.

The best plants for rainbow sharks are.

1. Java Fern
2. Anubias
3. Hornwort
4. Lemon Bacopa
5. Vallisneria
6. Amazon sword

Lighting

If you ask me, I’d say lighting isn’t a requirement for rainbow sharks. However, it’s always best to follow a natural day and night cycle to offer them their natural lifestyle.

Also, stronger illumination help algae to develop in your tank, which allows easier grazing for your rainbow minnow.

However, sometimes the bright lightings might get a little overwhelming for your sharks. Therefore, I recommend installing LED lights that are more economical and programmable.

Proper Filtration

The rainbow shark demands exceptional water quality, tank size, and proper sanitization and filtration.

Rainbow sharks cannot stand low oxygen levels and toxins such as nitrates, nitrite, and Ammonia. So, a filter would be essential for raising a healthy rainbow shark.

For filters, I recommend investing in a canister filter better than the HOB.

That’s because the ideal range of rainbow shark filters should be 360GPH and above, and the canister filter will provide just that.

If you have small sharks in your aquarium tank, fret not!

Canister filters can be easily adjusted and provide the perfect volume for your tank.

Diseases

In terms of diseases and other illnesses, rainbow sharks are pretty hardy. But like any other freshwater fish species, they sometimes catch illnesses that are common and can easily be treated.

Some of the diseases are discussed as under.

Swim Bladder Disease

If you notice your rainbow fish swimming queerly, you might mistake it with the fun behavior.

However, it’s much more than that!

The swim bladder disease is a serious medical condition when a fish cannot swim properly and have difficulty controlling their ability to swim or float.

Symptoms

• Standing on the head
• Swimming upside down
• Distended belly
• Loss of appetite
• Curved back
• Floating on the sides

Causes

The major cause of swim bladder disease is the compression or squeezing of the swim bladder by overeating, gulping air, or constipation.

Some other causes also include.

1. Bacterial infection
2. Cysts
3. Egg bound, in females
4. Parasites
5. Fatty liver tissues

Constipation

If you have spent much time looking after aquarium fish, you might have noticed stingy feces, usually hanging from the fish.

That’s the major symptom of constipation.

When that occurs, wait for a few days and it should be gone on its own. But in severe cases, feeding a balanced diet that includes peas, brine shrimp along salt baths should help alleviate the symptoms.

Symptoms

1. Stingy and hanging feces
2. Bloating
3. Laziness

Causes

1. Lack of fiber

FAQs

1. Rainbowfish
2. Barbs
3. Indian Loach
4. Gouramis
5. Clown Loach
6. Snails

Final Thoughts

Rainbow shark is a beautiful freshwater aquarium fish that adds grace to your home. However, if you cannot afford a bigger tank, I suggest you keep looking for other better and smaller alternatives like nano fish.

One thing that I would strongly advise is recreating the natural environment within the tank with the recommended decors and aquascape.

Also, a happy rainbow shark is mellow and decent. So, make sure to gear up all the essentials before you bring one home.

📘 Want to learn more? This article is part of our complete Freshwater Fish Guide — your ultimate resource for freshwater species, care tips, tank setup, and more.

The single most important thing to get right in an axolotl tank setup is temperature — and it’s also the most commonly overlooked. Axolotls need water between 60 and 68°F. At 70°F and above, they become stressed, stop eating, and become vulnerable to bacterial infections. In most homes, especially in summer, that means you need an aquarium chiller. It’s an extra cost that surprises a lot of new axolotl keepers who assumed a heater was the only temperature equipment they needed. Beyond temperature, the other non-negotiables are fine sand substrate (axolotls will swallow gravel and get intestinal impactions), gentle filtration with low flow (they stress in strong currents), and nothing sharp or abrasive near those external gills. Get those right and the rest is straightforward. Here’s the complete tank setup guide.

Before we get started, however, let’s make sure you know a little about this awesome amphibian.

Species Overview

Axolotl Tank Setup Guide

Ambystoma mexicanum, commonly referred to as the axolotl, Mexican walking fish, Mexican salamander, or Mexican axolotl, are salamanders that stay in their larval stage.

This means that axolotls will never morph into their adult forms and are thus known as neotenic salamanders. This, however, means that an axolotl will never take to land and thus needs to be housed in a fully aquatic tank setup.

Lifespan

Axolotls are only for those who are ready for a long-term commitment. If cared for properly, these critters will bless you with up to 15 years of cuteness.

Make sure you choose a healthy axolotl to start off with. It can become quite challenging to nurse them back to health.

The stress of moving house won’t help either. This means that a sick axolotl is more likely to get sicker due to stress. Healthy axolotls tend to handle rehoming much better.

Appearance

Adult axolotls are usually dark brown with black speckling. Since they remain aquatic, you can expect to see dark gills extending from both sides of the head.

It is also possible to find other color morphs such as albinos and specimens with both white and brown markings. In albinos or white varieties, you can expect the feathery gills to be a pink color (like the one pictured above).

Mexican walking fish have pretty long tails, while their legs and feet are small in comparison. There is a fin along the spine that extends from the tip of the tail all the way to the back of the head. You can expect to see another lower fin that extends from between the hind legs all the way to the tip of the tail.

Axolotls should always be kept in water due to their permeable skin. If left outside of the water for even a short amount of time, your axolotl will dehydrate and die.

Permeable skin also makes axolotls vulnerable to chemicals in the water. For this reason, you need to make sure only tap water treated with a water conditioner is added to the tank.

Amazingly, these animals can regrow their limbs. Mexican walking fish scientific studies have become quite popular for this particular reason. Everyone would like to know exactly how they do it and if it’s possible to replicate the process for human use.

Average Size

Mexican walking fish may be bigger than you first imagined. The average size of these exotic critters is around 9 inches (23cm).

They can get to about 12 inches (30cm), however, so make sure your tank is big enough to accommodate the size of your fully grown adult axolotls. Many keepers will tell you bigger tanks are always better to house axolotls.

Temperament And Behavior

Ambystoma mexicanum are very peaceful pets. They do very well in community setups with other aquarium fish.

The slow nature of an axolotl makes them relatively safe to have around small fish and other aquatic creatures like shrimps. Pet axolotls prefer to keep to themselves most of the time, even when you have more than one of them in the same tank.

If you have a brightly lit tank, you may never see your axolotl. These critters are nocturnal and very sensitive to bright light. For this reason, they will hide in dark areas of the tank while the lights are on.

During times when the lights are off, the axolotl can be seen digging and sifting through the substrate. This is entertaining for them and appeals to their natural foraging behavior.

Health Considerations

Axolotls are very sensitive creatures. To keep them healthy, you will need to set up an axolotl-friendly tank.

When doing this, keep in mind their behavior, sensitivity, and also how much waste they produce.

For these reasons, axolotls need a tank with good filtration but no extreme currents. The most common signs of distress in axolotls include holding the gills more forward than usual, refusing to eat, and hiding a lot.

Stressed axolotls are also more prone to bacterial infections. If you see any injuries on your pet, make sure to get veterinary advice to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

Diet

Axolotls are highly carnivorous creatures. Fortunately, it’s fairly simple to feed these little wonders.

Feeding axolotls starts with gathering the right foods. They prefer meaty treats like aquatic insects or brine shrimp. What exactly they snack on will also depend on the size of your axolotl so don’t be surprised if brine shrimps just don’t cut it anymore.

If you’re worried about providing the right axolotl feed, consider getting some commercial fish food. Sinking pellets for carnivorous creatures are specifically designed to contain all the nutrients your pet needs to stay healthy. The food from Invert Aquatics below is a great choice.

Great For Axolotls!

Invert Aquatics Soft Pellets for Axolotls

Made in the USA with raw quality ingredients. This food is specially designed for Axolotls!

Buy On Amazon

Ultimately, what axolotls feed on will depend on what you provide. It’s best to feed a variety of fresh and frozen foods for optimal health.

In addition to the above-mentioned foods, you can also try feeding live mosquito larva, bloodworms, chopped earthworms, strips of meat, or even raw fish. Just keep in mind that you need to feed appropriate amounts to avoid uneaten food spoiling your water quality.

Handling

Handling axolotls should be done with care. If you can avoid it, don’t touch your pet. Instead, use a fine mesh net to catch and relocate your axolotl.

The net will prevent any unnecessary injuries and make it much easier to catch your axolotls when you need to.

Tank Setup

Now that you know a little more about the aquatic animal known as an axolotl, you can start thinking about what you’ll need to create the perfect habitat. Axolotls aren’t very picky about how their tanks look as long as you pay attention to a few critical needs (video source).

Here’s what you need to know.

The Tank

Axolotls don’t need much when it comes to tanks. They can be placed in just about any tank as long as it has enough floor space and has a minimum capacity of around 20 gallons. The main Axolotl cost is upfront with the tank, equipment, and animal. maintenance cost is pretty reasonable.

Beginner pet owners may be incorrectly informed on the care of an axolotl. Some pet stores suggest an axolotl tank with as little as 10 gallons capacity. While these tanks can house younger axolotls just fine, it’s not ideal for fully grown adults.

Axolotls create a lot of waste. If the tank is too small, the water parameters will fluctuate quite drastically. This will affect the health of your axolotl in the long run.

It’s always better to go bigger for this exact reason. Bigger tanks have more water in them which means changes in the water parameters will happen slower. This makes it easier to keep your pet axolotl healthy.

You can start off with a small 10-gallon tank for your young axolotls, but keep in mind you’ll soon have to upgrade. If you can go up to 40 gallons from the start, your axolotl will stand a better chance of staying healthy for its entire life.

Substrate Considerations

Most axolotl keepers often create their axolotl tank with a bare bottom. This makes it easy to keep the tank clean, but might affect the health of your pet.

Leaving the tank bare will simplify doing water changes. You can simply suck up any waste at the bottom of the tank without worrying about the substrate. There’s also less chance of anaerobic bacteria causing problems in your axolotl tank.

Unfortunately, bare bottom tanks can cause some stress in your axolotl. They don’t like slipping on the bottom of the tank and may develop sores on the toes due to the effort they exert to hold on.

They also need something to keep them occupied to prevent boredom. Having a bare bottom tank prevents natural foraging behavior such as digging.

Sand is the best substrate for axolotl tanks. Fine sand will prevent slipping and provide endless entertainment. Axolotls love to dig and sift through sand to mimic natural foraging behaviors.

Great For Bottom Feeders

Fine Natural Sand

Natural sand is excellent for bottom feeder fish to forage around in.

Click For Best Price Buy On Amazon

If your pet accidentally eats some of the sand, the particles are also small enough to pass through the digestive system without any problems.

It’s best to avoid any fine gravel. These particles are small enough to be swallowed but too big to pass through the digestive system. This can cause problems such as impaction that will lead to the death of your beloved pet.

Coarse gravel should also be avoided. Even if the particles are big enough not to be swallowed, they will irritate the sensitive skin of your axolotl and cause injuries.

Tank Decorations

Axolotl care includes providing enrichment as well as escapes. By adding tank decorations you can do just that. Here are a few things you should consider adding to your axolotl tank.

Driftwood

Driftwood without any sharp edges is great for axolotl tanks. You can create interesting aquascapes as well as some perfect places to hide.

Driftwood can also be used to grow plants like java fern and anubias nana. These plants prefer to grow attached to objects like driftwood with their roots exposed to the water.

Rocks

It’s always a good idea to add a few rocks to your axolotl tank. River rocks can be stacked to create caves and tunnels for your axolotl to hide in and swim through.

Cichlid rocks are an excellent addition as well. These are fake rocks with holes in them specifically made to provide shelter.

Plants

Live plants are a great choice for an axolotl tank. These creatures produce a lot of waste that is turned into nutrients with the help of the beneficial bacteria in your tank.

These nutrients make excellent plant fertilizer. This means that live plants will remove excess nutrients in the water which in turn improves water quality. Low light plants are ideal given the nocturnal nature of these animals.

Plants are also soft and flexible which means your axolotl can swim in between them without the potential of getting snagged or otherwise injured. Axolotls can also use them as shelter when the need arises.

It’s best to stick to plants like java ferns that prefer to grow on other ornaments instead of in the substrate. Axolotls have a habit of digging up plants that are rooted in the substrate.

Fake plants are an option for axolotl tanks, but they aren’t ideal. They tend to have sharp edges that can injure your axolotl. They also don’t bring any benefits to the tank.

Hides

If your tank doesn’t already have enough hiding spots, then you can consider getting a hide. These are especially important in tanks with extra lighting in planted aquariums.

A hide will create a nice dark hiding spot for your axolotl to relax while the aquarium lights are on. Axolotls are quite sensitive to light so they will appreciate this little getaway.

Reptile Hide

Hides are common place in the reptile word. Excellent for creating a safe space for your reptiles and amphibians

Buy On Amazon

Hides can be just about anything from an aquarium castle with little holes, to ceramic pipes strategically placed around the tank. Just make sure that whatever hide you choose has no sharp edges that can injure your beloved pet axolotl.

Filtration System

Axolotls are known to produce large amounts of waste quite quickly. For this reason, it is very important to have a strong filtration system.

Unfortunately, this can be quite tricky since an axolotl prefers a filtered tank with a relatively low flow compared to most aquarium critters. The next challenge is providing adequate aeration at the same time. Canister filters are excellent as they can work in lower water levels and won’t make the noise a power filter will make with water splashing from the outflow.

You can also utilize an internal filter, but you will want to consider oversizing given the waste production of these animals.

These not-so-small amphibians are quite clumsy swimmers. If the flow in your filtered aquarium is too strong, your axolotl will quickly become exhausted fighting against the current. This exhaustion will lead to stress and ultimately illness and early death.

If you’re unsure if your tank has too much flow, observe your axolotl. Most axolotls will hold their gills more forward than usual when stressed by the flow in your aquarium.

Sponge filters are an excellent choice for axolotl tanks. Despite how effectively they filter waste, they still create a relatively low flow compared to many other filters and pumps available on the market. Sponge filters also increase aeration and oxygen levels which takes care of both problems in one go.

Lighting

Amphibian enthusiasts will tell you that axolotls do just fine without any lighting in their tanks. In fact, they even prefer tanks without any aquarium lights. Axolotls are nocturnal animals, and this means they will be most active in the dark or in the dim lighting provided by the room’s external lighting.

If planted tank lights are required in your aquarium for growing living plants, it is very important to make sure your axolotl has a dark hiding spot to get away from it all. Axolotls don’t have great eyesight, but their eyes are very sensitive to bright light.

You will notice your axolotl only emerging once the lights in your tank go out. To minimize the time your axolotl needs to hide, make sure to choose plants with low light requirements such as anubias nana, cryptocorynes, and java fern.

Water Parameters

Axolotls aren’t too picky when it comes to their water parameters. As long as you stay in the tolerated range, you should have minimal problems.

This doesn’t mean you can skip on doing tank maintenance, however. Aquarium water can go from good to terrible fairly quickly.

If you have some experience in the aquarium hobby, you will know how important it is to test your water regularly. To do this you will need an aquarium water test kit.

This water test kit should give you an idea of what your water parameters look like with the exception of temperature. You’ll need a thermometer to check that.

If you’re wondering what normal axolotl water parameters are, take a look below:

• Water temperature: The acceptable range for water temperature is 59 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit (15 – 23°C). The ideal temperature for this species, however, is between 60 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit (16 – 18°C).
• pH: The acceptable range for pH is 6.5 to 8.0. The ideal pH for your axolotl tank will be 7.4 – 7.6.
• GH: 125-250ppm (7-14deg)
• kH: 53-143ppm (3-8deg)
• Ammonia (NH3): 0 ppm
• Nitrite (NO2-): 0 ppm
• Nitrate (NO3-): <60 ppm

Water Temperature

Try to keep the temperature within the temperature range provided. If the tank water constantly warms up to beyond the acceptable range, you might need an aquarium chiller.

The warmer the water, the more stressed your axolotl will become. Warmer water contains less oxygen than cooler water. Axolotls require lots of oxygen to stay healthy which means better aeration is required. If the axolotl just can’t adapt to the change or the aeration isn’t sufficient, it will become stressed and die.

In an emergency, cool the water by adding ice cubes made from fish-safe, treated water. In the case of the water being too cold, simply install an aquarium heater to regulate the temperature.

Make sure to install a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature in your tank.

Tank Mates

Not all creatures do well as tank mates for axolotls. Some fish tend to nip at their feathery gills. Axolotls are also nocturnal which means they can easily ambush sleeping fish for a quick meal. If you’re still wondering what to place in the tank with your walking fish, take a look at the following suggestions.

Suitable Tank Mates

• Other Axolotls (Best choice as long as they have enough space and are of equal size)
• Small Shrimp (ghost shrimps)
• Guppies
• Mini soft-shelled snails (Ramshorn snails)
• White cloud minnows
• Other species of peaceful cool water fish

Tank Mates To Avoid

• Goldfish (Fancy goldfish may work as companions for axolotls)
• Cichlids
• Cory catfish
• Otocinclus catfish
• Any species of aggressive or very large fish

Cory catfish and otocinclus catfish may seem harmless to your axolotl. Unfortunately, these fish do have spines on their dorsal and pectoral fins which can cause fatal injuries to your axolotl if it attempts to eat one of them.

Cycling The Tank

It is very important to prepare your axolotl’s tank at least one month before your new buddy arrives. This allows good bacteria to grow in your tank which in turn stabilizes the water parameters.

These bacteria are responsible for breaking down ammonia which is produced by uneaten food particles as well as axolotl waste. Ammonia is a toxic substance if left untreated.

After being broken down by the bacteria it will be turned into nitrites and then nitrates. Nitrites are still toxic, but the ultimate product, nitrates, is relatively harmless.

If your tank is maintained properly, you should never have spikes in ammonia and nitrites as long as your aquarium is properly cycled beforehand.

Tank Maintenance

Axolotl care starts with proper aquarium maintenance. You will need to do 20% water changes weekly to control the water quality in the tank. A gravel vacuum will come in handy here for siphoning waste from the bottom of the tank.

Before adding new water to the tank, however, make sure it is treated with a water conditioner. Conditioning tap water removes any harmful chemicals such as chlorine from the water.

Your axolotls will spend their entire lives in this tank, so make sure they have the healthiest environment possible.

Keeping Multiples in Your Tank

If you plan on keeping more than one axolotl, start with a minimum tank size of 55 gallons. For every additional axolotl after that add another 10 gallons.

This will allow for the appropriate amount of water to prevent ammonia spikes, prevent aggression, and ultimately unnecessary deaths. Some hobbyists take interest in breeding Axolotls. I have a separate article for that if you are interested here.

FAQS

Final Thoughts

Now that you know a bit more about setting up an axolotl tank you should have no problems designing your own. Just remember to set up a decent filtration system and provide lots of hiding places for your axolotl to relax in.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to comment below.