I have wanted to get an axolotl for a while now, but when I learned that you can now get them with the GFP (glow) gene I had to have one. I love science!!
Here was the rub, the only room I could keep him in is my reptile room which is on average 80-83 degrees in the summer. No good for axolotl! So I looked into all the options for cooling the water. They were either really expensive like an aquarium chiller, were beyond my skill level like a DIY chiller, or too much work like putting frozen bottles in the tank.
I had just finished a DIY incubator out of wine cooler and thought...hey...why not put my axolotl in a wine cooler? So that's exactly what I did.
Now this is only 5 1/2 gallons so I will need to upgrade. But for the time being this is perfect. got a cheap cooler of CL, put in a light (and a black light since he glows), a blubble powered filter and off we go.
Bluebell the axolotl is chilling at 55 degrees.
Bonus points to anyone who knows why I named my axolotl 'Bluebell'.
She is very friend, come right up to the surface and eats out of my hand.
One axolotl, two views. It is a trick of the water's surface that makes it look like two.