If you are keeping your axolotl alone in the tank, you might be wondering what your axolotl is feeling. Are they sad because they don’t have any other animals to interact with? Do axolotls get lonely?
The answer is no, axolotls don’t get lonely, even if they are left alone in the tank. As long as you provide enough care and give them proper treatment on a daily basis, the axolotls won’t get lonely. In fact, in many cases, it’s better to leave them alone in the tank, because they can become aggressive, especially to other male axolotls and smaller fish or animals in the tank.
So, don’t be worried about keeping them alone. Many owners do that, and their axolotls will live just fine, without any feelings of loneliness or sadness. Of course, they are happy when you interact with them and can’t wait for you to feed them.
But they won’t get lonely, and they are relatively solitary creatures that will actually prefer to be alone in the tank. But what about other emotions or feelings? Will they feel angry if you don’t interact with them? Will they feel emotions?
That’s what we will be taking a look at in this article.
Do Axolotls Feel Fear?
It depends; some axolotls will be more fearful than others, but in general, they won’t feel fear.
You might find that your axolotl is slightly scared or even confused when you get it, and these feelings might stay for a couple of weeks at the start. But worry not, the animal will get accustomed to the environment and will stop being so scared.
If anything, excessive stress can cause them to become slightly more scared or fearful. But the truth is that these animals won’t feel that much fear at all. In addition, if the water parameters are not at the right levels, you might also notice some weird or unusual behaviors.
There is not much evidence about axolotls and their feelings. While it might be common to see them slightly more conservative or even scared of you at the start, this tends to go away after a couple of weeks.
Do Axolotls Have Emotions?
There is not much evidence about axolotls having any feelings. In fact, they don’t have the best senses in the world, and they will hardly even recognize you. But that doesn’t mean that they are not happy of your presence.
Their eyesight is certainly not the best, and all the signs tend to show that axolotls are not that intelligent. You won’t be able to teach an axolotl some tricks, so don’t expect that from your animal. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t feel emotions.
There is no scientific evidence about axolotls and emotions currently. Sure, they will feel stress when the water parameters are not right, for example. But they probably don’t feel the same emotions that we do. Axolotls are fairly simple animals that don’t show much evidence of feeling emotions.
There are many things that we can do that will make the axolotls feel happier, though. Happiness is a relative emotion that axolotls will tend to feel, especially if you take good care of them.
How to Keep Your Axolotl Happy?
With axolotls, just like any other animals, it’s crucial to keep them as happy and healthy as possible. First of all, there is a common misconception that axolotls will be sad or frustrated when they are left alone. That’s not true; in some cases, it’s even better to keep them alone in the tank, as it might prevent stress that might come from other animals, and will keep the aggression away.
Secondly, it’s very important to feed the axolotls properly. This includes feeding them high-quality foods, and more importantly, feeding them a variety of foods. Don’t rely on pellets only, for example, or only on the live fish that you might feed them. Buy them some frozen foods from time to time, and give it to them as treats. Or, you can give them some bloodworms now and again to keep them happy.
It’s also important to maintain a good water quality and the right water parameters. We have seen many cases where the axolotls were kept in aquariums with temperatures that are too high for the axolotls. Many potential owners don’t know or are not aware that axolotls tend to require lower temperatures than some other species. You might need an aquarium chiller, even.
Lastly, don’t hold your axolotls in your hands. This can increase stress, and will make the axolotls unhappy, and might lead to diseases and even death, if you hold them in your hands regularly.
Can You Keep Two Axolotls Together?
You can easily keep two adult axolotls together. If the axolotls are under 10 cm (4 inches) in size, try to keep them as separate as possible, as they are more inclined to nip at each other. In any case, be careful not to put two aggressive males together, as it can end up in constant fights for dominance, and one of them or both might get hurt in the process.
Otherwise, it’s perfectly fine to keep them together. If you decide to have a male and a female in the same tank, don’t be surprised to find eggs in your axolotl aquarium one day. Perhaps the most important thing when you keep two axolotls together is that you give them enough space to thrive.
If they don’t have enough space, you can expect them to fight constantly, and you might see them nipping at each other freely. If you want to own two or more axolotls, a 20-gallon tank will probably be the best idea.
Conclusion
To conclude, axolotls will not get lonely, especially if they are kept alone in the tank. Most of the time, they will be happy to interact with you, and you won’t need to get a tank mate just for the sake of it. You can, however, keep two axolotls together, provided they have enough space to live in.
