What will you do if your axolotl gets out of the tank? These creatures are one of a kind and extremely amusing. They will give you hours of fun and excitement as they wander over in their tank.
Will an axolotl be in danger when it jumps out of the tank? We know that axolotls will quickly die if they aren’t in intimate contact with water. And this will make you worry about your axie spending any time outside water.
If you want to know what makes an axolotl jump out of a tank and what you should do when this happens, then this article is for you.
Continue reading to be illuminated on the same. You will also learn what can happen if axolotls jump out of their tanks.
Contents
What Should You Do If Axolotl Jumped Out of Tank?
Generally, an axolotl is an aquatic animal, and it will spend its entire life inside the water; hence, staying outside water is suicidal to them.
In case you notice your axolotl is suddenly missing from your open-top aquarium, you should make an effort to find it very fast and return it to the water right away.
Axolotls cannot live outside water for a long period because they quickly deplete the little air inside their lungs. Consequently, they dry out rapidly and soon die, hence, the need to act fast before losing your beloved axie.
Before you dash to place an axolotl back to its tank, check if it has any signs of injuries, including stress, bleeding, curled tail, forward-turned gills, etc.
Confirm that the water chemistry or parameters in the tank are within the acceptable range, including temperature, pH, ammonia or nitrite concentration, and water hardness. Adjust any parameter that falls outside the desired range.
You don’t want your axie outside water any longer. Keep the tank water at approximately 60 degrees and change 100% water twice daily.
Provide black tea baths once a day for three consecutive days to avoid infection on any injuries your axie may have acquired. Ensure to keep your little pet calm and call your vet straight away.
Note that axolotls are likely to suffer from a fall, and if not properly checked and promptly attended to, things can turn out to be fatal.
Why Does Your Axolotl Jump Out of The Tank?
Many reasons will push an axolotl to jump out of the tank, and the most common among them is poor tank conditions. Unfavorable habitat impacts stress on axolotls, which propels them to jump out of their aquarium.
Axolotls will feel uncomfortable staying in a small aquarium. Likewise, when the water parameters fluctuate, the tank is unbearable by the axie. See what makes axolotls jump from their tank in more detail below.
Escape Poor Tank Conditions
A slight change in the tank water parameters threatens your axolotl. For instance, when the water is too cold or too warm, it affects most of the physiological activities of these animals, hence causing distress.
Most axolotls will jump out to avoid such an environment. Moreover, water concentrated with pollutants and too strong water current makes an aquarium intolerable by axolotls.
It’s always imperative to give an eye to the water parameters and maintain them at the acceptable range.
If the water chemistry is correct, but your axie continues to jump out of the aquarium, the problem stems from something different, e.g., strong lights, a tank mate hurting or nipping your axie.
Small Tank
Pets are required to stay in a spacious habitat where they can live freely and find a place for exercise, and axolotls are no exception.
A small tank prohibits many activities, which is dangerous because axolotls remain unhappy in such an aquarium. Your axolotl needs a large tank to allow it to stretch out fully and turn around without hindrance.
Ideally, a suitable tank to house your axie should be at least 20 gallons. Anything below this exerts stress to axolotls and forces them to jump out looking for somewhere they can be comfortable.
Other Possible Reasons
Poor water condition and small tank size are chiefs among the reasons that bring about axolotls escaping from their tank. However, these amphibian pets will still desire to venture outside the environment for various reasons.
If you have an active and extremely inquisitive axolotl, the chances of seeking a break from the aquarium are very high.
You might find a post saying that axolotls will jump out from their tank when undergoing metamorphosis. This is not something for every axolotl since they typically don’t metamorphosize.
However, axolotls are forced to go through a metamorphosis through the administration of hormones, a practice called artificial metamorphosis (AM), and it’s common in scientific circles. If you haven’t attempted AM, it’s not something affecting your axolotl.
How to Stop Axolotl from Jumping Out of The Tank
If a tank doesn’t have a lid, it can and will tempt an axolotl to jump out, especially if you have a curious and active axie.
An open-top tank is unsafe since your little pet may jump from the tank, fall on the floor or hard surface and hurt itself. Moreover, the lizard may go outside the aquarium, only to be found hours later dried out or dead.
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Axolotls can jump from as high as seven feet. Provide a tank whose height axolotls cannot jump and maintain a correct water level for security purposes.
The economical and effective way to stop axolotls from jumping out of their tank is by providing an aquarium hood or aquarium lid.
The two contain an easy-to-open compartment for feeding, and the space is enough to accommodate aquarium equipment easily.
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Wrapping Up
Many people love keeping axolotls because they are not hostile and are among the cheap pets to raise and manage. However, they are delicate little critters that can get hurt from a fall, and mishandling them also inflicts injuries.
Axolotls jumping out of their aquarium is common, and it’s something that demands caretakers to be watchful. In your absence, your axie may venture out from the tank, only to find it later helpless or dead.
Axolotls often seek a break from the tank due to poor tank conditions, insufficient space, curiosity, or stress. All these are things you can correct and create a safe home for your axolotl.
Prevention has always been better than cure, and that’s why axolotls’ caretakers are always advised to install an aquarium lid in their pets’ tank. The lid prevents axolotls from jumping out of the aquarium.