With more and more people starting to keep axolotls as pets, we have noticed a correlating increase in the number of questions that people ask relating to taking care of their axolotls.
Although we see a large number of general questions about pet axolotls, we have noticed a wide range of questions about dealing with axolotl poop being asked on a regular basis.
Due to seeing such a large number of questions being asked so frequently, we have decided to publish this dedicated article going over the various questions about axolotl poop that we see asked.
Our hope is that we will be able to help answer any questions that our readers may have and help you not only keep your tank clean and free from a build-up of axolotl poop but also help you better understand some fairly unique things about axolotl poop.
As we are wanting to cover a range of different questions in this article, we decided to add our table of contents below. It will allow you to quickly and easily navigate the article with ease to skip to specific sections that you want more information about.
This should be able to help our readers get to the question they have without having to skim the full article.
What Does Axolotl Poop Look Like?
Axolotl poop looks like dirt that is housed in a little sack that is usually around one inch long and a third of an inch wide.
Depending on the diet of the axolotl, the poop can be any color from black to a dark green or brown with diet also being able to make the axolotl poop longer or shorter too.
Most axolotls will release a single poop sack at a time but some can release multiple small ones. If you axolotl has recently had a major change to their diet or is suffering from any digestive issues, they may release multiple poop sacks or poop without a sack.
Over time the sack that holds the axolotl poop together will start to break down in the water resulting in a change in its shape.
It is normal for the axolotl poop sack to break down and for the poop to be able to get into the tank water as it is very difficult to scoop every poop out of the tank before the sack breaks down.
How Often Does An Axolotl Poop?
A healthy axolotl on a consistent diet will usually poop once every two to three days but this can change depending on the age of the axolotl and the food it eats.
If you have just changed the main food source you feed your axolotl then it may poop once per day until its gut bacteria adjust to the new food.
Although rare, some axolotls can poop multiple small poop sacks each day rather than a single larger poop sack every two to three days.
We often see people suggest that this could be due to health issues but this does seem to be normal for a small number of healthy axolotls.
If your axolotl is pooping more or less frequently due to a health issue then you can often see a drastic change in the color and size of your axolotl’s poop.
The longer it takes between poops the darker it usually is and the quicker between poops the lighter but other factors can come into play too.
How Do I Get My Axolotl To Poop?
Most people recommend that you fridge your axolotl to get it to poop but this is usually too dangerous for something as simple as needing your axolotl to poop.
The easiest way to help your axolotl to poop if it is blocked up is to actually reduce the amount of food that you offer it.
Overfeeding is the most common cause of constipation in axolotls by far and is very common for people who are new to keeping them as pets.
The theory is that overfeeding your axolotl results in a small amount of digestive acid being applied to the food causing it to break down much slower than it would if your axolotl was eating normal amounts of food.
If your axolotl is backed up then reducing the amount of food that you offer it can be a way to help it poop as its digestive system is free to process the food it has already ate.
Making sure that your axolotl has axolotl pellets and bloodworms in its diet as a source of fibre can also help your axolotl poop.
Does Axolotl Poop Explode?
Axolotl poop does explode if its protective sack is damaged. This can be common as some axolotls will walk over their own poop rupturing the sack and causing it to explode the poop into the aquarium water.
Some axolotls tend to be more prone to rupturing their own poop sacks than others so it can be problematic to prevent.
Trying to scoop the poop out of your axolotl’s aquarium is usually the best way to prevent it from happening but due to most of us living busy lives, this can be difficult to prevent.
Over time, the sacks of axolotl poop also tend to break down in the aquarium water but due to this being a gradual breakdown with the slow release of pressure, the axolotl poop tends not to explode out of the sack.
If you are trying to scoop your axolotl poop out of their tank and accidentally rupture the poop sack then the poop can easily explode too.
How Do You Pick Up Axolotl Poop?
There are a number of different methods that you are able to use to pick up axolotl poop but a simple turkey baster tends to be the easiest method for most people.
Simply press the bulb on the baster, dip it into your axolotl tank and place the nozzle near the axolotl poop and release the bulb to pick the poop up.
Some gravel vacuums are also able to easily pick up axolotl poop too but the majority have a nozzle that is just too small to work. You can get cheap turkey basters online that can get the job done with ease though.
Depending on the specific turkey baster that you choose, you may have to cut the end down to make sure that it is able to easily pick up axolotl poop though.
Some people do try to scoop the axolotl poop out of the tank with a net but this is usually too much hassle, especially if you are keeping your axolotl in a planted tank.
Do You Have To Clean Axolotl Poop?
We would highly recommend that you clean axolotl poop from their tanks using a turkey baster if possible as it can help to maintain the water quality in the tank. If enough axolotl poop builds up in the tank then the water quality really can start to suffer quickly too.
If you do a partial water change each week as well as use a gravel vacuum on the substrate in your tank while also cleaning out axolotl poop as frequently as possible then you should be fine though.
If you let the axolotl poop build up and don’t do partial water changes then you will have issues as water conditions start to degrade over time.
Although some people do claim that cherry shrimp and nitrite snails will ease your axolotl’s poop, this is not actually correct. This means that you will have to do the bulk of the cleaning yourself on a regular basis, especially if you have multiple axolotls in the same tank.
Do Axolotls Eat Their Poop?
Although it is rare that an axolotl will eat their own poop, it has been known to occur with other axolotls in the tank often eating the poop of their axolotl tank mates.
Axolotls are well known for putting anything they find into their mouth and there are plenty of instances where one axolotl as ate the poop sack of another axolotl.
In fact, this can be one of the reasons that some people may think that their axolotls are not pooping regularly due to the axolotls eating each other’s poop.
This is just another reason why you should be trying to scoop the poop out of the tank as soon as possible to prevent problems like this.
Axolotls don’t actively seek out poop to eat, they simply see something in front of their face and decide to put it in their mouth and eat it. Due to axolotl poop coming in little sacks, an axolotl may try to eat poop only to rupture the sack and end up with poop spilling out anyway.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over the more common axolotl poop questions that we have seen people from the community asking time and time again. We know that there is a huge spike in the popularity of axolotls right now and that there are a ton of first-time axolotl owners out there who read out content. There is also a surprising amount of misinformation on social media about axolotl poop too so we hope that you have found this article helpful.
