There is mixed information going around about using salts with your Axolotls. Many people confuse "salt baths" with using a modified Holtfretters Solution. Salt baths can be too much for an Axolotl and vets don't typically advise this except when needed. Please don't ever do a salt bath without consulting your vet first. However they do suggest adding a little bit of salts to their water to add needed minerals to help them.
What?? I thought they were fresh water amphibians?? Yes, that is correct ?. Adding Holtfretters Solution to your tank or tubs does not change their water from fresh water to salt water. The amount of salts added to do that change would be more significant.
What are the benefits?? Well our modified version of Holtfretters adds many benefits. 1. It definitely helps with regeneration. So knowing that using Holtfretters can help with regeneration also brings me to another point. 2. It also promotes a healthy immune system. When an Axolotl has great gills you know they are a healthy Axolotl. Keeping a modified version of Holtfretters in your tank keeps your Axolotls healthy longer. Also, knowing that it helps with regeneration brings me to another point. 3. Keeping your Axolotls in Holtfretters helps them to have a nice healthy slime coat that keeps them protected. There is another benefit that Holtfretters offers. 4. Holtfretters adds just enough salts to the tank to help prevent parasites. We feed our Axolotls live foods which can sometimes cause them to get parasites. However if you keep Holtfretters Solution in your tank you don't typically see those issues ever happen unless it's more severe. There is another great thing Holtfretters Solution helps with. 5. Holtfretters solution helps keep fungus off your Axolotls. It not only keeps it off them, but if you happen to not have them in it and they get it, it takes it off them as well.
We used to always keep Holtfretters Solution in all of our tanks, then as we got help with my tanks for a few years we were not always adding it. We have been back to doing our own tanks for a while again now. We have seen the difference keeping it in my tanks and tubs has done for our beloved Axolotls I have decided to go back to the ways I have always done it in the past. Now I am seeing happier Axolotls here once again.
We also offer other over the counter meds for different reasons right on our website. All the meds we offer are safe for Axolotls. However in more serious situations we always recommend going to your exotic vet. Soon we will be making an upgraded Axolotl first aid kit with some other meds we have been using as well. It's nice to have our kit in hand in an event you have an issue that isn't too serious that our over the counter meds can help with. We also have a sample of our modified version of Holtfretters Solution in there with the recipe that treats up to 5 gallons. You can use that to make up a 5 gallon bucket of water or you can multiply it dissolve it and add it directly to your aquarium. We also offer any of our over the counter meds separately as well. But I strongly suggest getting one of our first aid kits and check out our updated Holtfreeters version too!! https://themottledlotl.com/holtfreters-solution-salts-mixture/
Meet Professor Johannes Holtfretter, the inventor of Holtfretters. It's a facinating history. Click here