Aesthetically and by their nature, axolotls, frogs and toads might seem like the coolest tank mates. After evaluating the needs of these pets and trying things out, it turned out that they don’t get along at all. Now it is well-known among axolotl keepers that keeping them with amphibians is actually a big mistake.
This is due to various reasons such as aquarium conditions, the dangers of diseases and more. Mixing your axolotl with frogs that are big enough not to get eaten also doesn’t work. In this case, your salamander is the one that will get bullied by the frog.
Moreover, there is a wide range of fully aquatic frogs that are chytrid carriers. They would eventually transmit a disease or two to your axolotl and it won’t be pretty. Not to mention that there are some differences when it comes to the basic needs of these pets.
In this article, we are going to talk about these differences. By reading about them, you are going to understand why axolotls can’t live together with frogs and toads.
3 Reasons Why Frogs Can’t Live with Axolotls
If you would keep axolotls and frogs together, one of them would surely suffer from poor housing conditions. Why? Because they have different needs when it comes to water temperature. Since aquatic frogs and live in tropical environments out in the wild, they are accustomed to higher temperatures.
Axolotls, on the other hand, prefer much lower water temperature. For them, the ideal temp is 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit which converts to 10 to 20 degrees Celsius. The reason why many axolotl keepers want to keep them with frogs is that they think these salamanders are tropical creatures.
With this difference, we can already say that they are not compatible. But that’s not all, as there is also the size difference that matters a lot. It is simple: If the axolotl is bigger, he is going to eat the frog. In case the frog is big enough, he is going to bully the axolotl and cause great damage in the process.
It is almost as if they hate each other. The bigger one is inevitably going to cause harm to his tankmate. At last, but not least, there is the issue of frogs carrying chytrid. It is a very dangerous aquatic fungus that causes sporadic deaths.
The most concerning thing about it is that frogs carry it without any symptoms. Before you know it, this aquatic fungus is going to kill your axolotl. This is another huge reason why you should not keep frogs and axolotls in the same tank.
Can African Dwarf Frogs Live with Axolotls?
Keeping your axolotl with other amphibians is always a bad idea. African dwarf frogs are no exception to this rule. As soon as you put them in the aquarium, they are going to be eaten. If your axolotl is not as hungry at the moment, then maybe a bit later.
Moreover, when an African dwarf frog carries a disease, it is basically unnoticeable. Since there are no visible symptoms, buying these frogs is going to be risky for your axolotl. He might eat a seemingly healthy African dwarf frog and then get incredibly sick while digesting it.
It is definitely not worth it because you can’t really prevent your axolotl from eating it. If you are looking for some nutritious food for him, there are many other meat-based foods to choose from. The danger of disease is not the only reason why you can’t keep them together.
There are other reasons and we have already explained them above. They apply to African dwarf frogs too, as they are both chytrid carriers and tropical creatures. They prefer different water temperatures than the axolotl, which makes them incompatible right off the bat.
When it comes to amphibians, it turns out that keeping them together with axolotls is actually more dangerous to these salamanders. Unfortunately, the only thing we can recommend is to keep your axolotl in a single species tank, but keeping them alone is even better.
Will Axolotls Eat Tadpoles?
For axolotls, tadpoles are just one of the many carnivorous foods that they eat. They will eat those froglets without hesitation. It is the type of high-quality food for them that contains all the nutrition they need. If you want to surprise your salamander with some snacks, then by all means drop some tadpoles in the water.
However, if your first thought was to keep tadpoles together with your axolotl until they grow up, it is not a good idea. They literally have no chance to survive and even if they would manage it somehow, they would get eaten as adults.
You can drop some tadpoles in the aquarium any time you want to surprise your axolotl with a treat. Your pet is going to absolutely love it and it will cause no harm to their digestion whatsoever. They are the type of carnivores that can absolutely thrive on these high-protein and low-fat live foods.
Wrapping Up
In general, we can say that the axolotl is not the type of pet you can keep with any other aquatic pet. Frogs and toads are no exception to this rule. If they are big enough, they can cause serious harm to your salamander which can be fatal in some cases.
If a bigger frog would bully your axolotl, he wouldn’t be able to defend. His soft body puts him into a serious disadvantage. If your axolotl would eat a smaller frog, on the other hand, then he can get infected with chytrid fungus which is almost always fatal.
Those who are looking to keep their axolotls with other aquatic pets definitely need to look elsewhere. For these salamanders, the best option is really to live alone. Axolotls don’t feel lonely. They can live a happy and healthy life alone, exploring their own territory.
If you want to make things exciting for your pet, then mix things up by buying various live foods and watch your axolotl feast on them.
