Get 1 axolotl if you are a beginner. Axolotls do not need a friend, and keeping one alone is usually safer.
Axolotls are solitary animals. They do not get lonely in the same way guinea pigs or rabbits can. A single axolotl can live well if the tank is clean, cool, and large enough, with hiding places and stable water conditions.
Keeping 2 axolotls is possible, but it adds risk. Axolotls may bite each other by mistake during feeding, especially if one moves near the other’s mouth. Injuries to toes, tails, and gills can happen. The risk is higher when one axolotl is smaller than the other.
If you keep 2 axolotls, they should be similar in size, well fed, and kept in a much larger tank with separate hiding spots. You also need to watch them closely and be ready to separate them if one starts biting, chasing, or stressing the other.
Juvenile axolotls are the riskiest to keep together because they are more likely to nip or cannibalize each other. Adults are usually safer, but there is still no real benefit for the axolotl.
Learn also: Will it hurt if an axolotl bites you?
