Printable owner manual
Cold water and a real cycle, not a bare bowl.
A 46-page printable manual with the cold-water setup, the cooling plan for summer, a fishless cycling walkthrough, choosing a healthy axolotl, the law in every state, and the health section for what actually goes wrong.
Not sure yet? Download the first 5 pages free, contents page included.
- 46 pages, print or view
- Intermediate level
- No external links inside the PDF
Edition 3.1
Oct 2026 路 46 pages
Care-sheet roulette
- A tank set up like a warm-water community aquarium
- No real cycling before the axolotl goes in
- Water temperature nobody is actually checking
- No idea what fungal infection or impaction looks like
This guide
- A real cold-water tank setup, with the temperature numbers that matter and how to hold them in summer
- A fishless cycling walkthrough, and what to do if ammonia shows up
- Water targets and testing stated plainly, with the early warnings that mean a change is due
- Heat stress and the gills, fungal and bacterial infection, and impaction and floating, each on its own page
What's inside 路 46 pages
Everything from first setup to daily routine.
Cold-water setup
Tank size and where it goes, the temperature numbers that matter, chillers, fans and cooling without one, substrate, hides and cleaning.
Filtration, cycling and water
Water quality and the nitrogen cycle, filtration, flow and lighting, water changes and hygiene.
Health and red flags
Red flags and finding a vet, heat stress and the gills, fungal and bacterial infection, impaction and floating, ammonia burns, parasites and eyes.
Diet by age
Feeding by age, worms, pellets and frozen foods, the never-feed list and supplements, growth and body condition.
Handling, arrival and the law
Handling and moving an axolotl, body language, choosing one and quarantine, sexing and pairs, and where an axolotl is legal.
Owner tools
Setup checklist, emergency card, budget and shopping list, first 30 days, symptom reference, pet-sitter sheet, and the logs.
Every page, section by sectionThe package's own contents page, all 46 pages of it. Nothing here is a teaser for something sold separately.
Getting Started
- How to Use This Package
Profile
- Quick Profile & Cost Overview
- The Species, Morphs, Size & Lifespan
Housing & Environment
- Tank Size, Type & Where It Goes
- Temperature: The Numbers That Matter
- Chillers, Fans & Cooling Without One
- Water Quality & the Nitrogen Cycle
- Filtration, Flow & Lighting
- Substrate, Hides & Furnishings
- Water Changes, Cleaning & Hygiene
Feeding
- Diet & Feeding by Age
- Worms, Pellets & Frozen Foods
- The Never-Feed List & Supplements
- Growth, Size & Body Condition
Handling & Behavior
- Handling & Moving an Axolotl
- Body Language & Normal Behavior
- Enrichment & Common Mistakes
Arrival & Life Stages
- Choosing an Axolotl, Quarantine & the First Vet Visit
- Sexing, Pairs & Breeding
The Law
- Is an Axolotl Legal Where You Live?
- The Federal Rule, Virginia & Why the Bans Exist
Health & Common Issues
- Red Flags & Finding a Vet
- Heat Stress & Reading the Gills
- Fungal & Bacterial Infection
- Impaction, Floating & Waste
- Ammonia Burns, Parasites, Eyes & Obesity
- Tubbing, Cooling & Salt Baths
Quick Reference
- Setup Checklist & Targets
- Emergency & Quick Targets Card
Owner Tools
- Budget: Setup & Shopping List
- Budget: Monthly Costs & Vet Fees
- First 30 Days
- Symptom Quick Reference
- Daily, Weekly & Seasonal Routine
- Power Outages, Heat Waves, Travel & Transport
- Pet-Sitter Sheet
- Owner Log
- Equipment & Vet Log
- Enrichment Checklist & Log
Reference
- Glossary, A to L
- Glossary, M to Z
- Sources
- Where the Sources Disagree
- Version History & About
Take a look inside
Print-first pages, clearly marked.
Click a page to see it at full size. The contents page is complete; the others fade out where the paid content starts.
The first 5 pages, free
Pages 1 to 5 as a PDF: the contents page and the opening pages before the care sections start, so you can see every page the full package covers.
Who this is for
- New axolotl owners setting up a proper cold-water tank
- Keepers who want one consistent cycling and water standard
- Anyone who wants to catch fungal issues or heat stress early
What it's not
- Not a substitute for an aquatic-experienced veterinarian
- Not a live website mirror, a clean printable package instead
- Not a subscription, one purchase and every corrected edition is free
What changed
This is edition 3.1.
Bought before? Re-download free from your library. State legal status as of October 2026.
- 3.1, Oct 2026. Now 46 pages. Costs: every item priced and rounded to the nearest $5; setup $185 to $530, or $335 to $1,180 with a chiller, monthly $15 to $45. Other changes are wording only.
- 3.0, Oct 2026. Rebuilt on the current outline, 45 pages. Safety: water 60 to 64掳F (15.6 to 17.8掳C); adult worms cut into head-sized pieces; a meal is what it takes in 5 to 10 minutes; any ammonia or nitrite means changing at least a third of the water, 50 percent or more if climbing; fishless cycle dosed to 3 ppm, done when a full dose reads 0 within 24 hours; touch only with clean disposable nitrile gloves; soft net for seconds only; tools in bleach at 30 mL per liter for 30 minutes, rinsed and dried; maturity about 10 months for males, 12 to 18 for females; adult size 9 to 12 in; antibiotic doses removed. Legal: two pages, all 52 jurisdictions; West Virginia permit-only, New Jersey a named ban. Costs: setup $120 to $375, $270 to $775 with a chiller. Other changes are wording only.
- 2.2, Sep 2026. Legal: every state re-read against its own rule; the District of Columbia and New Mexico moved to banned; Wyoming, Alabama, Vermont, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Minnesota and Arkansas added. Other changes are wording only.
- 2.1, Sep 2026. Safety: salt bath 10 to 15 g/L for 10 minutes a published ceiling, not a dose; temperature changes no faster than 1掳F an hour; quarantine 6 to 8 weeks; ascites and the refrigerator stopgap covered. Other changes are wording only.
- 2.0, Sep 2026. Rebuilt on the current template, 41 pages.
- 1.0, Aug 2026. First edition, 20 pages. Replaced by 2.0.
Coming in the next edition
The site has been corrected on the points below and the book has not caught up yet. They ship together in edition 3.2, free to anyone who already bought this one.
- Gloves change from nitrile to powder-free vinyl wetted with dechlorinated water, with nitrile as the fallback and never latex. From: Axolotl Handling
- Arkansas moves from unclear to banned: the axolotl is on the prohibited list, and only an animal owned before May 16, 2024 and registered by June 30, 2025 may still be kept. The counts on the law page change to banned in 7 and unclear in none. From: Axolotl Legal Guide
- Vermont changes from "permit, not for pets" to a permit at the Commissioner's discretion, decided case by case. From: Axolotl Legal Guide
Ready when you are
Axolotl Care Package
46 pages. PDF. Print it or keep it open on your phone, tablet, or computer. Yours the moment you check out.
Edition 3.1, published October 3, 2026. Paid through Stripe. The download link arrives on the next page, and it stays in your library for as long as the package exists, always as the current edition. Not a substitute for a vet.
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The free axolotl guide is still free
This package is the same research as our axolotl care guide, reformatted into an offline manual with the checklists, logs, and triage tables the web pages do not carry. Read the free guide first and buy this only if you want it in your hands.