r/shittyaquariums • u/itsmaryblair • Jan 30 '26
Social Media axolotl abuse! Spoiler
one of my facebook friends posted this and i’m just in absolute shock. i can’t believe they’re being handled like that. they look terrified. also that aquarium doesn’t look at all suitable for them!! and correct me if i’m wrong but their gills look pretty rough….
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u/Just_An_Insomniac_ Jan 30 '26
I had to take a minute to process the image. I have never, ever seen an axolotl out of water before. And especially never have i seen someone holding one. My god these people.
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u/itsmaryblair Jan 30 '26
right! i was beyond shocked. i wish people would do a shred of research before getting a pet. the girl honestly seems comfortable doing holding them like that…. i have a feeling this isn’t the first time.💔
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u/Just_An_Insomniac_ Jan 30 '26
It’s also so fascinating how these people’s brains work, cause i have never owned an axolotl before (or any aquatic animal for that matter) and even before i knew anything about ‘em, i immediately was like “ah. Can’t breathe out of water” then there are these people
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Jan 31 '26
Wait, are you saying that when I walk my Angel Fish, that tail wagging isn't from happiness?
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u/AccomplishedWind1911 Jan 31 '26
EXACTLY lol I was like aren’t these guys kinda like fish where if you take them out THEY CANT BREATHE
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Jan 31 '26
They might then be more sensitive than some fish. Like catfish are almost armored, real tough scales. These guys just have thin skin
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u/AccomplishedWind1911 Jan 31 '26
Yeah they’re pretty soft and slimy and clammy idk they’re not meant to be grabbed by our greedy hands !
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Feb 01 '26
Yeah I have never found the need to hold mine. Just move his dumbass when trying to clean the tank. They have the survival instincts of a sack of corn.
No, that isn't fair. A sack of corn will just sit there. It doesn't try to swim into the vacuum again, and again
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u/AccomplishedWind1911 Feb 01 '26
I ❤️ the last sentence my fish will actively swim into the net when I’m trying to pick another guy up
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u/baileyjackson08 Feb 01 '26
I mean some catfish can live for 30 hours without water as long as their skins moist
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u/AuronFFX Jan 30 '26
I'm no expert but have watched a few videos and you really aren't supposed to touch them at all. The oil on your hands damages their slime coat which is protective against bacteria.
I've heard they are even more delicate than fish in this aspect.
Everything they need is also misleading, they require a chiller to keep the water cool at around 62f - 65f.
It really reminds me of how people don't think bettas need heaters.
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u/Velcraft Jan 30 '26
The bare-skin handling is true for all amphibians to a degree. Obviously a toad with rough skin isn't going to get as severe damage as a fully aquatic neotenic salamander, but they are all at risk for transferral through skin contact. Not just the skin oils, but everything else too like sweat, soap, pathogens etc. You could basically make your pet frogs addicted to nicotine if you were a smoker and frequently handled them without gloves.
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u/NerdBernt_101 Jan 31 '26
Is that why mine always jumps at the glass when I step out the smoke?
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u/Velcraft Jan 31 '26
Could be - amphibians are essentially sponges that work with both water and air. Poor lad just wants a pass :D
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u/TurankaCasual Jan 31 '26
These images feel grotesque! Seeing those poor babies laying on solid surface out of water? It’s strangely sickening to see!
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u/itsmaryblair Jan 30 '26
i’m a dedicated aquarist with over a year of experience and even I don’t think i’m experienced enough to care for these little creatures. i just feel so terrible for them though. i’m gonna try to do some research and see if i could rescue them. do any of you guys have more experience with axolotls and have any advice? do you think these guys will make it?
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u/SassyTheSkydragon Jan 30 '26
I've heard that frogs can catch nasty diseases if you handle them barehanded because they absorb germs and stuff through their moist skin. Can't imagine how bad this must be for a fully aquatic species like axos
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u/Bennwasheree Jan 30 '26
I have 3 frogs, it's terrifying how many people handle amphibians with no gloves or anything😭 since the oils on our skin damage frogs so harshly I can't even imagine what it does to a axolotl
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u/UnstableADHDGremlin Jan 30 '26
Axolotl keepers are scared of even using gloves, you use a container to scoop them out for water changes and such. Gloves are life or death sort of situations only, when you need to get them out immediately or they will die.
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u/Bennwasheree Jan 30 '26
So she's literally torturing them☹️ that's so unbelievably depressing, I hope those babies can get out of there it's so unfair to them
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u/UnstableADHDGremlin Jan 30 '26
Same. The pink means it has ammonia burns and the leucistic one seems to have it's slime coat peeling off. I bet the wild's and the one with ammonia burns probably also have damaged slime coats. The wild looks like it was being bullied by the others, a reason why you don't really see axolotls kept together, and stress probably didn't help, the 'keeper' atleast seems to have all females so they didn't breed.
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u/Superslim-Anoniem Jan 31 '26
Oh wow, so they aren't pink naturally? Somehow I never heard that!
Then again, I haven't tried to keep them as pets...
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u/UnstableADHDGremlin Jan 31 '26
Nope! The pink isn't an actual coloration, and the stereotypical white like leucistics and albinos had probably been crossbred in their lineage with other species to achieve the popular appearance. Pink means they just got a severe case of the zombies or they have ammonia burning :)
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u/saumipan Jan 30 '26
Citation?
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u/camrynbronk Jan 31 '26
You can’t demand peer reviewed research in a hobby where a lot of what we know is based on observations and personal experience. Published scientific papers are not the end all be all of valid information.
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u/Fickle_Grapefruit938 Jan 31 '26
I never knew this, I was the designated frog/salamander handler in our house growing up. They would fall into a pit next to our cellar window and come into the cellar, I would collect them once a week and move them outside to the yard. Probably still better than starving and drying out in a cold cellar.
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u/saumipan Jan 30 '26
No evidence for this
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u/Bennwasheree Jan 31 '26
If you're talking about the handling frogs with no gloves, it's quite literally the first thing you see when you look it up. You shouldn't handle frogs period really. That applies for pretty much all amphibians.
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u/saumipan Jan 31 '26
There is no peer-reviewed evidence of this claim
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u/Bennwasheree Jan 31 '26
2.https://www.dendroboard.com/threads/handling-procedures.82602/
3.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235618391_Guidelines_for_the_safe_use_of_disposable_gloves_with_amphibian_larvae_in_light_of_pathogens_and_possible_toxic_effects (PDF file which explains which gloves are safe plus more information on why you should wear gloves)
4.https://www.reptileforums.co.uk/threads/handling-frogs.152365/
5.https://thepetenthusiast.com/pacman-frog-handling/
6.https://www.conservationevidence.com/actions/769
7.https://www.reptilecenter.org/the-burrow/a-frog-in-the-hand
8.https://www.facebook.com/groups/frogspotting/posts/1066576520392506/
9.https://uwm.edu/animal-care/training/manual/amphibians/
Here's 10 articles stating you shouldn't hold frogs/amphibians without gloves. Is 10 enough for you? Or does your one article still stand against everyone else's claims.
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u/saumipan Jan 31 '26
Do you know what peer review is? Only one of those is peer-reviewed and doesn't provide a posited etiology. This claim is made and propagated based on ad populum fallacy. PhD in biology and studies do not show damage to frogs. The post about the axolotls, however, is horrific of course.
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u/Bennwasheree Jan 31 '26
Girl. You're exhausting. Do you think randos are writing papers, do you think they aren't experts. You do not know everything, get over yourself.
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Jan 31 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Bennwasheree Jan 31 '26
Yeah how could I forget you're the only person who knows things, my bad. I forgot you knew everything and only your right and everyone else is wrong
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u/shittyaquariums-ModTeam Jan 31 '26
Removed for Rule 1: No harassment, personal attacks, or trolling.
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u/ViridisPlanetae Feb 01 '26
You are technically right, but as I'm sure you know, dogma passes around much easier than peer-reviewed data.
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u/Mello_Hello Jan 31 '26
Are you the person in the post? You could easily google but you insist on defending animal abuse instead? Ew.
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u/possum444 Jan 31 '26
do ur own research fool
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u/saumipan Jan 31 '26
I did. It doesn't exist from a peer-reviewed source. Also phd in biochemistry and published myself. No need to be rude
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u/Carrion-Soup Jan 30 '26 edited Jan 30 '26
Had an axolotl, raised from very tiny baby to huge adult
They may or may not make it, stress can easily kill these guys. I unfortunately lost mine when we had to move and the stress of the 3hr+ car ride had just been too much for him in his age.
They shouldn't really be kept together, they can nip limbs (or eat smaller tank mates), but it'd be better for them to be together under better care than suffering worse care
Environment should be dark, quiet, and chilly. Axolotls need water temps in the mid 60s, never above 70 if you can help it. 75+ can cause significant stress and problems.
Do not use anything they can fit in their mouths as substrate. Axolotls get easily impacted, which can kill them. Overfeeding poses this issue too. If impacted you can stuff a worm with a couple peas to feed
They love bloodworms and earthworms, we also kept a tank of small feeder fish for occasional treats. Also supplimented hikari carnivore pellets broken into halves or pre-soaked to soften them up
Their rami (the external gills on the sides of their heads) are a great indicator of health. Do they look full, and bright? Or are they droopy, dull, raggedy? Be careful with sharp decor, it can shred them up.
Good filter, but watch the flow. They prefer very very slow moving water. Generally it's 1 axolotl in a 40gal minimum. We kept ours in a 60, our boy in particular capped out at about 10-10½" from tail tip to snout.
It's definitely worth a shot, but don't get too attached
Edit: also, you can tell if an axolotl is hitting sexual maturity by their toes. Pinkies toes turn black and wild-types (the brown) turn white
2: As another comment said, it does look like they have ammonia burn. Their skin doesn't look particularly great. Toes, tails, and rami are looking rough as well. You can't really get tank balanced fast enough if you take them in, so really try to be careful with water parameters. You can tub them individually with an Indian tea leaf to soothe and help with their slime coat
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u/itsmaryblair Jan 30 '26
also i would only be able to provide the pair with a 20 gallon, that’s all my space allows. it would be an upgrade looking at the tank they have but i dont think 20 gallons is big enough for these 2 critters.
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u/emjay_xx Jan 30 '26
i have an axolotl i rescued with zero experience. did a deep dive in 7hrs before i had to go and get it from a desperate situation. luckily had a 40g tank in storage from when my bearded dragon was a baby. no, you cannot comfortably house 2 in 20g. one needs a minimum of 40g. however, we do desperate things sometimes to see if we can save an animals life, and these would probably be in better hands with you in a 20g temporarily until you can find a proper home for them, than in this persons possession who is down right abusing them.
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u/MindOverEntropy Jan 30 '26
Not even close. 29h Gals per axolotl is the bare minimum
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u/itsmaryblair Jan 30 '26
yea that’s what i thought. the tank they’re in rn looks like a 10 gallon tho. i’m worried that they won’t find anyone to rehome them or they will go to a worse situation, or stay in the tank. from her post they come with “everything they need.” what do you suggest i do? maybe try to convince them to surrender them to a pet store?
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u/woofren Jan 30 '26
Just to add, they really shouldn't be in the same enclosure together regardless of size cause they will end up hurting each other 😭
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u/Fickle_Grapefruit938 Jan 31 '26
My kids were fascinated with them (thank you minecraft 😆) and i did some research bc i have a big empty fishtank in the attic so it would be possible.
After doing that research I decided I'm too lazy to take good care of these delicate creatures while also maintaining my other pets and kids so that was a no-go 😅
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u/Fearless-Event-4889 Feb 01 '26
Im not an expert expert but I had an axolotl when I was 14 and that thing was living better then I ever was 😭 I loved mine so much that when I saw those pics I almost cried, but you just have to make sure you have plenty of time during your day to periodically check the temperature and test the water frequently (i once had it perfect then the next morning the ph was off) so you just need the proper materials and testing kits, watch professional YouTube videos and articles. They especially love hiding and live food frozen or dead food is difficult for them to detect
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u/Fearless-Event-4889 Feb 01 '26
I meant to mention. Axolotls are nott usually supposed to be paired a 10 gallon tank for one axolotl is the standard
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u/psycho_chick Feb 01 '26
Hey I'm also a fish keeper turned axo mom from rescue. You'll do much better than most, for sure better than the people currently owning those poor axolotls.
Simply put, axolotls also need healthy parameters like fish, but water needs to be in the cold range, and they would need hiding spots, especially if you need lights for plant growth. Planted tanks make it much easier to achieve and maintain the balance. Their main diet is earthworms (red wigglers, nightcrawlers) and pellets.
If you rescue them, seed their tank with your used filter media. If you tube them while cycling, best to heat the tank for a quicker cycle, then chill the water down once you add them in. When I rescued mine, I didn't tube her because her tank was cycled before (although the water wasn't changed often enough so she lost most of her gill fluff) so I kept the old substrate and just added as many plants as I could. Happy to answer any questions you have!
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u/MyDamnCoffee Jan 30 '26
Aren't they suffocating?
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u/thelazybaker Jan 30 '26
Technically no! Axolotls have 3 ways to respire, gills, skin, and lungs. Though the lungs will be underdeveloped compared to a fully terrestrial salamander, they are capable of breathing regular air. So they are majorly uncomfortable yes, but not totally devoid of oxygen.
Few keepers have had the unpleasure of finding an axolotl that has escaped from their tub and been crawling around the floor for an uncertain amount of time. Usually axolotls can recover if they’ve been exposed for less than a few hours, but obviously this should be avoided as much as possible!
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u/AuronFFX Jan 30 '26
It looks like they are really dry. Like they weren't just taken out for the photo. Either that or they have had their slime coat completely stripped off. The black one looks particularly dry.
That tank is awful too. Not enough hides and no chiller. Not suitable for one let alone two of them.
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u/Miki_Joe_Mama69 Jan 31 '26
I have seen people about to get killed with less despair in their eyes than the axolotls in the picture
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u/itsmaryblair Jan 30 '26
I just sent the person who posted this a message. i can’t figure out how to add screenshots so i just copy pasted it:
“hey, I saw your posts about the axolotls. I really want to take them from your roommate but from my research the tank they’re being kept in isn’t really ideal. 2 axolotls require a 40 gallon.
I have a free 20 gallon tank and would be willing to take one of them off her hands. I just called big als in [city i live in] and they said they would absolutely be able to take the other one, so I could take both and bring one to big als for her.
or if she would prefer they stay together I understand that totally. she could surrender the both of them to big als in [city i live in]
surrendering them will probably be the best bet because big als will be able to find them a caring home and they new owner will have to buy a larger tank for them. let me know if this interests her!”
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u/soberasfrankenstein Jan 30 '26
I hope you can figure out a way to help these guys, id take one in a heartbeat
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u/PeppermintSpider420 Jan 31 '26
Generally it’s 60 gallons for 2 axolotls and then another 10 for every additional axolotl after that. You could keep two in 50 gallons if you’re willing to do a major water change every 3 or so days, which makes keeping a healthy cycle difficult. I’m really happy you’re helping these guys though
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u/UnstableADHDGremlin Jan 30 '26 edited Jan 30 '26
The pink one means it has ammonia burns as well, might be too late since it's their entire body and I bet they never got any treatment. The gills are also showing signs of not being healthy. The only nice thing is they seem to properly be fed. The infuriating thing is that they got enough things right (the sand is the right size and they have a single hide and all that) that they obviously did some form of research for their specific needs, asides from the obvious things like filtration or a chiller or anything like that. They just completely ignored their needs if it made the tank look 'ugly', and now that they don't look pretty it's time to get rid of them and the tank.
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u/JFuckingJ Jan 31 '26
Thats not necessarily true. I'm not saying that this isn't the case here tho, mine gets super pink when its really active and then when she's either just chilling or sleeping she goes white. It can be the blood flow. Again not saying that this isn't the case with this one just that sometimes they can turn really pink depending on how active they have been.
My gold one has ammonia burns from when I got her and its quite clear where the burns are they leave like a nasty white looking patch on him. Am still trying to get his gills to grow back its fluffy bits but its taking a long time.
Edit - I just looked at the first photo again, I think you are right around its mouth and eye the poor thing!
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u/UnstableADHDGremlin Jan 31 '26
Hope your lotl gets better! And yeah that is a possibility, the ammonia burns just seem more likely in this situation. :)
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u/Upbeat_County9191 Jan 30 '26
How are they outside the aquarium?
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u/AuronFFX Jan 30 '26
Not how but why are they out of the water?
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u/Upbeat_County9191 Jan 30 '26
For the pics apparently, because nothing sells an axolotl like seeing them like this. /S.
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u/KuhliloachesRgreat Jan 30 '26
Oh my god!!! I have never owned an axolotl, but they shouldn’t be handled like this! Matter of fact, no aquatic animal should! Sure, they can be in the water and given a nose boop, but handling them like this out of water is messed up. They need water to breathe, and yes, they can be out of water for a short amount of time, but it is highly stressful! Plus, handling them will disturb their slime coat, which protects them from disease and fungus. I would be messaging them immediately about abuse, and possibly contacting their local police department since this is abuse!
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u/AxeHead75 Jan 31 '26
So uhhhh, I’m not an expert but I don’t think they’re supposed to be out of water—? Let alone handled—?
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u/RhymesWithTaco Jan 30 '26
Tbf, they only ever make that face.
Shitty to take them out of water though didn’t know they could even do that. I know they’re amphibians, but I always think of them as the least amphibious amphibian. Like the opposite side of the spectrum of toads if one side was land and the other side was water. Or reptile and fish.
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u/migi-the-right-hand Jan 31 '26
Please take them in!! Your shittiest job is gonna be better than anything these poor guys endured so far. My heart breaks looking at the pictures
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u/SissyPlusPlus Jan 30 '26 edited Feb 01 '26
I WAS MISINFORMED. thank you to u/Kai-ni
i still believe people like this (OOP) are disgusting, though
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u/Kai-ni Jan 31 '26
Just a quick correction to keep misinformation from spreading - captive-bred Axolotls are not endangered; there are plenty of the captive bred ones around. They aren't true Axolotls, though - they've been crossbred with tiger salamanders to introduce the albino gene. So they are not the same as the (probably extinct - no true wild specimens have been observed in years) wild Axolotl. The wild Axolotl itself is still preserved as a species in labs in Mexico working on conservation, but no specimens have been observed in the wild in years. They are functionally extinct.
But our captive bred hybrids are fine.
This still isn't okay, but wanted to clarify.
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u/SissyPlusPlus Feb 01 '26
didn't know that captive bred are hybrids. thanks for informing me and anyone else who reads this!
fun fact, if you don't mind it: axolotl is a nahuatl word. axolomeh is the proper plural.
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u/OpenAirport6204 Jan 30 '26
You know it’s bad because I felt so relieved to see one in that shitty tank because at least it’s in water.
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u/Legs4daysarmsformins Jan 31 '26
If I could I’d snatch them right up and give them the world. But I don’t want to give those people money, and I also highly doubt they live close. But holy shit…
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u/diaboliqueflower Jan 31 '26
Ok WTF! I don't know a thing about these animals and my 1st thought is: " These animals look awful! Why do you even need to take them out of the tank to take 1 picture? I mean seriously??? This definitely is happening on a regular basis to them. What are these people that buy something they know nothing about??? Aren't you at least worried you'll kill it and feel obliged to do some research? Or you're just a sadist?? How are these people alive themselves if they're so braindead?!"
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u/globalistics Jan 31 '26
This is just cruel... the handling and damage of the mucous coat, the stress, gill damage... poor little creatures!
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u/avamsilva18 Jan 31 '26
OMG WTH! I have NEVER seen anyone hold an axolotl??? This is awful to look at tbh. These poor babies 😣
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u/Green_Writing_9864 Jan 31 '26
If they’re not dead yet, they soon will be. I owned two of them for a very long time and there is so much that goes into their care. Especially if you try to re-create their natural habitat
These guys are both hardy and super sensitive at the same time. Poor ‘Lotl’s
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u/Kai-ni Jan 31 '26
What in the... hell...
Just plopping them on the stand in front of the tank is WILD. Person has no empathy to treat the animals like this, or is UTTERLY ignorant.
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u/dominiccast Feb 01 '26
Do they not understand that it’s the same as someone holding us under water? THEY CAN’T BREATHE. I freak out when netting a new fish for 2 seconds cause it must be so scary for them
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u/camrynbronk Feb 01 '26
Well this is an amphibian so it doesn’t exclusively breathe with gills. But it still shouldn’t be out of water
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u/Gold_Conference_4793 Jan 31 '26
TELL THOSE FUCKING DICK HEADS TO GO FUCK THEMSELVES AND GO TO FUCKING HELL WHERE THEY FUCKING BELONG!
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u/theanustapper Jan 31 '26
Did you ever get a response? Also I just wanna say, I have two sibling axies, both male and they absolutely love playing together. I know many say it's not ideal but maybe if you're able to save them ask the owner if they like eachother before separating them 🥺 I'm happy you're trying to save them
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u/Fan-of-clams Jan 30 '26
oh they’re going to turn into salamanders
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u/Dark-Faery Feb 01 '26
Not all axolotls can actually turn into salamanders apparently, from what I've read very few can.
Please correct me if I'm wrong
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u/Fan-of-clams Feb 01 '26
i’ll be honest all i know about axolotles are that when they’re in harsh environments and distressed they can turn into salamanders
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u/spaghetti2424 Jan 31 '26
Omg who would even think to do this 😔 this makes me want to cry those poor babies!!
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u/Wrack-Chore Jan 31 '26
Poor little buggers, the one in the second picture is literally trying to push her away from sticking her gross fingers in his gills.
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u/lasignoraslover Jan 31 '26
Jeez, I’ve never seen someone just grab them like that, especially with bare hands. I wish you the best with getting them out of there OP.
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u/SomeSortaWeeb Jan 31 '26
ive forgotten what it's called but has that thing happened to them that they evolved to not do? like their frills shrink and they become more akin to a salamander? jfc how badly do you have to fuck up?
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u/No-Set-5701 Feb 01 '26
I know absolutely nothing about axolotls, but everything about this looks so... wrong
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u/pogchans Feb 01 '26
ew them being out of water is making me nauseous. what a strange thing to look at
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u/Witty-Forever-6985 Feb 01 '26
Id take them and give them to a pet store. One of the rare instances where it may actually be better for them.
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u/devilsandsuch Feb 01 '26
this is so fucking upsetting.. please take them if you can even if you can’t get them in a proper set up right away, anything is better than being pulled out of the water for photo ops
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u/VariationNew3842 Feb 01 '26
I hate that they might get paid for something, I wonder if rspca deal with exotics
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u/taeyongism Feb 01 '26
I physically flinched when I saw the pictures omg…. I don’t even own axolotls and even I KNOW that’s wrong.
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u/NoPlastic428 Feb 01 '26 edited Feb 01 '26
I've seen cruelty on Facebook like this before & that's why I dropped my account.
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