It depends a lot on how you are setting up the thing. Here is a breakdown of the cost of the new axolotl tank I am setting up
40 gallon breeder tank - $50 from Petco. They are $100 now
40 breeder stand - $100
Lighting grid from lowes, cut to size as the lid - $17
fan to keep the temps at 64F - $15
Axolotls (3) $60+$85+$85
Sand - $20 (you can get black diamond blasting sand or white pool filter sand, 50 pound bag for $10. Really easy on the budget)
Decorations (dragon stone, plants) - $50
Tell me a little bit about your setup and I can give you a more customized idea of what the pricing should be.
Some money saving and axolotl care tips that I’ve learned
I highly recommend GillyWater Aquatics. They offer free shipping and great prices on healthy, beautiful axolotls. I got a beautiful Lucy (pink) for $60 in August. He came beautiful and healthy and has grown over an inch! I ordered a second Lucy on Monday and plan to order a golden albino tonight. They should ship out next Tuesday, so I don’t have them yet.
Get sand, not gravel! Gravel can be dangerous as axolotls love to eat anything they can fit in their mouths, they’re like toddlers! Get some sand and a small feeding dish so the axolotl doesn’t get blocked up with sand from being to aggressive when he lunges for his worms. If you want pale sand, I would get pool filter sand. I used Quikrete. Got it at Lowes. If you want black sand, look for black blasting sand typically found at Tractor Supply. Huge money saver as you can get 50 pounds for $10. 50 pounds is great for a 20 gallon. Rinse your sand really well to avoid cloudiness. You can get a bowl or a five gallon bucket and do it in the lawn with a hose to avoid a mess. The bathtub works too if you don’t have grass.
Look around your local craigslist or Facebook marketplace for used tanks. You can find great deals. Petco regularly runs their tanks half off, so watch out for that! Next one should be in February though. Petco is currently running a bunch of sales, I would recommend checking out their website!
Get the right tank size, cycle your tank, and feed the right diet. These are SO important to the axolotls health. If you get a small axolotl, they can eat black worms NOT bloodworms. As it grows you can feed salmon pellets and earth worms. do you know how to cycle your tank? I am happy to explain it. For tank size, a 20 gallon long tank (30x12x12 inches) works for 1 axolotl and a 40 breeder (36x18x16 inches) works for up to 3 axolotls.
Get the right filter and keep the right temperature. Surprisingly this will help your axolotl have full gills because it isn’t stressful. The temp should be 60 to 68 F. I use a clip on desk fan blowing across the tank to accomplish this. Monitor the temp so it doesn’t drop too fast though. For the filter, I recommend sponge filters.
LIVE PLANTS. Live plants are so beautiful and help to create a healthy environment for the axolotl. They provide shelter, help with water quality, and create a beautiful slice of nature right in your home. Because axolotls can be mouthy and not all plants do well in cold water and low light, I would recommend Amazon Swords. You will want seachem root tabs for these though. These grow fast and develop sturdy root systems your axolotl will have a hard time digging up. Anubias are good too, but need to be attached to driftwood or rocks so that their base (rhizome) doesn’t rot. Hornwort and anacharis are good options but a bit fragile. Floating plants are great too. Duckweed, azolla (fairy moss), frog bit are all great choices! If you want to get amazon swords and Anubias, check out My Fish Stuff on Ebay. Great prices, large and healthy plants, free shipping. You should be able to get one of each for $15. The plants are so large it’s worth it. Mine actually came as multiple individual plants, see the picture below. That was one order of Anubias and one order of amazon sword.
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