Everything You Need to Know About Caring for Mosaic Axolotls

If you are an aquarist looking to diversify from keeping the regular fish, an axolotl is a unique type of fish to keep as a pet. This walking Mexican fish is fantastic, and with its baby face features that make it seem like it's smiling, you'll forever enjoy looking at it.

Axolotls come in a wide array of colors, such as white, green, red, brown, and blue, enhancing the aesthetics of your home. The only thing that will seem like a hassle is creating their aquarium. Axolotls are not exclusively aquatic; they enjoy walking on the aquarium floor, so they'll need plenty of space. Let's look at the various types of axolotl and the things you'll need to do to care for one..

Types of Axolotl

There are various types of axolotls, all named according to their colors. These include:

• White albino
• Leucistic
• Piebald
• Golden albino
• Copper
• Mosaic
• Lavender
• Black melanoid
• Firefly

Irrespective of the many types, the methods of caring for them are pretty much the same. This article focuses mostly on Mosaic Axolotls.

What is a Mosaic Axolotl?

The mosaic axolotl is rare and very hard to find in stores. And if you happen to find one, you probably won't meet the price. Mosaic axolotls are created when two sets of genes are fused: one from the albino axolotls and the other from the dark or wild axolotls.

You may wonder why the resulting salamander can't have two colors, black and white. No, the result of fusing the two eggs is a beautiful and unique walking Mexican Fish with black, white, and golden spots; sometimes, your mosaic Axolotl will sport some red or purple gills to enhance its special appearance.

How Much is a Mosaic Axolotl?

It's pretty hard to find a mosaic axolotl in a pet store, making their price very steep. The next rare walking Mexican fish is the enigma axolotl, whose price is about 1.500 $, so you can be sure that if you find mosaic axolotl, the price will be higher. You may ask, why are mosaic axolotls rare? Because it's a pretty rare genetic combination.

How Do You Get a Mosaic Axolotl?

he mosaic Axolotl is not easy to get as you'd have to fuse two sets of genes one from the albino axolotl and the other from the dark or wild Axolotl. And the resulting axolotls have black, white, and golden spots with their gills spotting red and white stripes to enhance their appearance.

The female mosaic axolotls are slightly different from the males, as the males have a longer body length than the females. If you look closer, you'll notice that the males have larger vents and deeper vertical grooves on the sides.

How Long Do Mosaic Axolotls Live?

Mosaic axolotls are slow-growing sea creatures and gain most of their body mass in the first 2 years of their life. But, their ability to undergo metamorphosis makes it possible for them to grow for the rest of their lives. This makes it economical to keep Axolotl as a pet, as they will last a while.

Like every other Axolotl, mosaic axolotls have a long lifespan, of about 10 to 15 years. They can live longer, provided with optimal living conditions and a healthy diet. But, if you offered poor tank conditions and nutrition, they would die faster, as these conditions would make them susceptible to diseases.

Tank Size and Setup

To keep a mosaic axolotl as a pet, you have to consider their living conditions. Mosaic axolotls are aquatic, so they live in water; you'll have to set up their tank accordingly.

Mexican walking fish are unlike other fish, as they have a long body, which grows up to 18 inches. But, Mosaic axolotls' body length ranges between 7 and 9 inches. So, you will need a large tank to allow them to walk freely, as they are not exclusive swimmers.

The best tank size for one mosaic Axolotl is 20 gallons; ensure it has a lid to prevent it from jumping out. You'd have to size up if you want to add tank mates. Ensure the tank is sturdy and durable to withstand the weight of an axolotl, as an adult weighs between 5 and 12 ounces. Note that food and water are the main contributors to the growth and development of your axolotl.

Tank Setup

You must set up the tank to mimic their natural habitat. As such, you need to ensure the water conditions are the same as wild ones.

• Substrate

In their natural habitats, axolotls spend most of their time at the bottom. They love walking on the floor of the lake or river rather than swimming, so you'd have to pay extra care to the type of substrate.

The best substrate for axolotls is sand; avoid gravel. This is because axolotls tend to swallow the substrate, so if you use gravel, you risk causing internal damage. And if you do use rocky substrate, ensure the pieces are pretty small.

• Filtration

Mosaic axolotls thrive when the water is clean. Ensure that the tank is outfitted with a filtration system that does not make much noise, as they prefer still water. You cannot use a standard canister filter; the best filters in this situation are the hang-on-back with the low-flow head, as they break the current to ensure minimal water movement.

Axolotls produce a large amount of waste, so having a high-quality filter is paramount. It also, And you'd also have to change about 20% of the water per week to maintain the water parameter. You'll have to change the filter once in a while.

Axolotl Care

Provide optimal care if you want your mosaic axolotl to live to its full lifespan. This includes taking care of their water conditions and food. You'll also have to know all the ailments they are susceptible to and monitor for these conditions.

Water Conditions

An essential factor about caring for mosaic axolotls is checking the water conditions and ensuring they are optimal. Axolotls are sensitive to water changes, as they have permeable skin. Always ensure that the water conditions are within acceptable levels, as it could be bad for their health otherwise.

In the wild, axolotls love staying in warm water, so ensure that the water in the tank is as close to their natural habitat by maintaining the temperature between 60 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit. The pH levels should range between 6,5 and 7,5. The degree of water hardness should be between 7 and 8.

Conduct regular tests on the water to ensure the water is always in optimal condition. And if you notice a shift, adjust accordingly.

Food and Diet

In the wild, axolotls are not picky, as they feed on everything, from snails to small fish, plants, and other amphibians. But, their diet is customized in captivity to meet their dietary needs.

Then, So, what do you feed a mosaic axolotl?

It's pretty easy to feed a mosaic axolotl in captivity, as you just need to give them a balanced diet of live food, frozen food, and pellets.

Some of the live foods for your Axolotl include water fleas, brine shrimp, blackworms, and bloodworms. These live foods are protein-rich. You can opt to grow your own live food to reduce the chance of introducing diseases. You can get pellets from an online retailer or your local pet store.

You must have a feeding schedule to avoid over- or underfeeding your Axolotl. Juvenile axolotls should be fed every day with a small amount of food. But, However, adult axolotls should be fed about 3 times weekly for 5 to 10 minutes. The feeding days are spaced to give your walking Mexican fish time to digest the food.

You can drop small pieces of food in the tank or use forceps and tweezers to feed your axolotl. You can get their attention by waving the food near their face or lightly tapping the tank to notify them it's time to eat. Ensure that the foods are not big enough to pose a choking or digestive issue.

Health Problems

Although they are hardy animals due to their regenerative superpower, they are prone to stress-related illnesses, especially ones brought about by poor water conditions.

Poor water conditions can cause your axolotl to contract bacterial and fungal infections, manifesting in sores, skin irritation, and inflammation.

Your Axolotl may also encounter impaction when they swallow a large piece of gravel, which impairs digestion, calling for surgery. Ammonia buildup in the tank due to improper filtration also causes damage to the gills, resulting in breathing difficulties and, sometimes, sometimes, brain damage.

So, avoid all these problems by maintaining a clean habitat. You can do this by checking the water parameters, adjusting accordingly, and changing 20% of the water weekly.

Are Mosaic Axolotls Real?

Mosaic axolotls are as real as any other axolotl; it's just that breeding them is very difficult.

Tank Mates

You can keep mosaic axolotls with other axolotls. But, remember their cannibalistic nature, as some may fight and lose limbs. Thus, it's better to have a single axolotl.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking for a fun and unique aquarium pet, axolotls are your best bet. Not only do they have a smiling baby face, but they come in an array of colors, so you can choose the one you want. The mosaic axolotl is pretty rare and has stunning hues featuring black and white with golden flecks, and their gills can be seen to have red and purple stripes.