Keeping an axolotl cold

i am interested in getting an axolotl but i have a dilemma. i know it is getting colder outside and keeping an axolotl cold for the next couple months, wont be difficult at all. what i am worried about is keeping them cold during the summer. i know i can get a chiller but i was wondering if there was a little better cost effective way of keeping an axolotl cold? i heard of using frozen water bottles but i have read that the fluctuating temps can really stress them out. any help would be great. thank you
andrew

Room temp is fine for these guys. I kept one for many years without supplemental heating or cooling. Moving (filtered) water stays pretty cool on it's own through evaporation. They are native to parts of Mexico, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.



Noelle

i thought you couldnt keep an axolotl above 74 degrees F?

That's true, but if you keep them in a large enough tank, normal water temps should stay in the 70's or below, assuming you use some sort of AC in the summer. The water certainly won't get above room temp unless there's strong light going through the glass. Also, keeping the water moving will help cool it, but be careful. They don't like strong water movement. Just enough to keep things clean and oxygenated, but not so much that they have to swim against the current. They love to sit very still.