Maybe you’ve heard that some axolotls jump out of their tanks? Is this a myth and how can you make sure your axolotl stays safe in the water?
Even though it is rare, sometimes axolotls jump out of the water, and if the tank has no lid, also out of the aquarium. The reasons can be bad water conditions, high water temperature or simply being frightened.
If you find your Axolotl outside of water, you need to put it back into the aquarium immediately!
Why do axolotls jump out of the tank?
One of the main reasons why axolotls jump out of the aquarium may be due to the water itself. If the water quality isn’t good or the water temperature is too high, then axolotls may try to find better water elsewhere.
Especially a too warm water temperature can stress axolotls quickly, the temperature should be between 60 to 65 °F (16 and 18 °C), but never above 72 °F (22 °C) for a long time.
Another reason may be that your axolotl simply got scared. Axolotls don’t have good eyesight and if something suddenly appears in front of them or touches their sensitive gills, they may panic and try to flee. Here is an article that explores the eyesight of axolotls.
If you keep your axolotl with other animals, they may also be a reason. Axolotls don’t mix well with other animals and especially aggressive or territorial animals, like fighting fish or cichlids (which should never be kept with axolotls), can easily injure or stress an axolotl.
Thus, it may try to avoid its tank mates and take the plunge because of it.
How to prevent axolotl from jumping out of the tank?
Fortunately, it is very easy to prevent axolotls from jumping out of the aquarium. A good aquarium cover or lid that is always closed except when you are feeding your axolotl or cleaning the tank is the first step.
If you want to be extra safe, make sure that the water level is at least 4 inches (10 cm) below the aquarium edge so that there is enough space between the water surface and the cover.
How long can axolotls survive outside the water?
Axolotls can survive outside of their tank for a while, how long depends on how warm and how high the humidity is. Once their skin dries out it becomes dangerous for the Axolotl, this can last from a few minutes to 15 min or even longer.
When the skin of the Axolotl dries out, it slowly dies and since Axolotls also use their skin to breath, this can quickly lead to a lack of oxygen. Afterwards, the axolotl is also more sensitive to pathogens due to the stress.
An axolotl that has jumped out of its aquarium should of course be put back into the water as soon as possible.
Can axolotls breathe outside of water?
Yes, axolotls can breathe on land, but only for a short time, they can’ survive longer periods without water.
Axolotls have lungs in addition to their gills. With these, they can breathe air by swimming to the surface and swallowing air. They can also breathe with their lungs outside of the water, but that is not very efficient.
Axolotls meet another part of their oxygen needs through cutaneous respiration (skin breathing). As long as their skin remains moist on land, they can continue to use this form of breathing as well. Here you can find an article with more details about the 4 breathing methods used by Axolotl.
Can you touch your axolotl?
In general you can touch axolotls and if you follow a few rules they won’t get hurt.
- Always wash your hands and arms well before and after touching them
- Make sure that there is no soap left on your hands
- don’t touch their head and gills
- don’t pet them
There are always many microbes on our skin, which aren’t harmful to us, but can attack the thin skin of the axolotl, so you should always wash your hands thoroughly before interacting with your axolotl.
You should also wash your hands afterwards, of course, and generally make sure that there are no soap residues left on your skin when you come into contact with your axolotl.
In addition to your hands, you should also wash your arms up to the elbows to be on the safe side, because in order to catch an axolotl, you will quickly find yourself with more than just your hand in the water.
When handling or picking up your axolotl, be careful not to touch its gills or head. These areas, especially the gills, are very sensitive and the axolotl could quickly panic.
Furthermore, you shouldn’t pet your axolotl, since their skin is very thin, this can easily cause injury even if you are very careful. Safe areas to touch on your axolotl are its belly, torso, and tail.
Some axolotls like to play with your hand, while others panic. If you notice that your axolotl is backing away from your hand, you shouldn’t stress him more than necessary. If, on the other hand, he is curious, feel free to feed him out of your hands. If you wonder whether axolotls can bite, here is the answer.
Conclusion
Even though Axolotls fortunately don’t jump out of the aquarium very often it is important to have a cover. Because if your Axolotl does jump out of the aquarium it can be very dangerous or even fatal, depending on how long it is outside the water.