You’re swimming through a pitch-black lush cave, dodging glow squids, and suddenly you see them. Those weird, pink, smiling faces. Axolotls are arguably the cutest thing Mojang ever added to the game, but they’re also surprisingly useful if you're planning on raiding an Ocean Monument. Most players just want a massive army of them to follow them around like a literal cloud of aquatic death.
But here’s the thing. Learning how to breed axolotls in Minecraft isn't just about clicking on two mobs and hoping for the best. If you don't have the right items or if you're trying to do it in the wrong biome, you’re basically just wasting your time.
It’s actually pretty simple once you get the hang of it. You just need buckets of tropical fish. Not just the fish item—the actual bucketed mob.
The Bucket Rule: Why your fish aren't working
Most people mess this up immediately. They go fishing with a rod, get a stack of raw tropical fish, and try to feed it to the axolotls. It won't work. The game specifically requires a Bucket of Tropical Fish.
Why? Who knows. Minecraft logic is weird sometimes.
To get these, you have to find a warm ocean biome. Look for the colorful coral reefs. When you see those tiny, frantic tropical fish swimming around, you need to right-click them with a water bucket. You’ll need two of these buckets to get a single baby axolotl. If you’re planning on breeding a whole pack, you’re going to need a lot of iron for buckets and a lot of patience.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a grind. But if you want that rare blue variant, you have to put in the work.
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Finding your first pair
Before you can even think about breeding, you need the parents. Since the 1.18 Caves & Cliffs update, axolotls only spawn in the Lush Caves biome. You’re looking for those underground spots with azalea trees on the surface and spore blossoms hanging from the ceiling. They specifically need to spawn in water that is above clay blocks.
If you find one, scoop it up in a bucket. This is the only way to move them safely without them drying out and dying on land. They can survive out of water for about five minutes (6000 ticks), but after that, they start taking damage unless it's raining.
The actual process of how to breed axolotls in Minecraft
Once you have two adult axolotls in the same pool of water, pull out your buckets of tropical fish.
- Approach the first axolotl and use the bucket on it. You’ll see red hearts pop up.
- Quickly do the same to the second one.
- They’ll pathfind toward each other, and a baby axolotl will pop into existence.
The baby will usually inherit the color of one of its parents. There are five main colors: Lucy (pink), Wild (brown), Gold (yellow), Cyan, and the legendary Blue.
The 1 in 1200 chance
Everyone wants the blue axolotl. It’s not just a color preference; it’s a status symbol in the Minecraft community. The blue version doesn't spawn naturally in the wild anymore. The only way to get it is through breeding.
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The odds are exactly 1 in 1200.
That is a lot of tropical fish. If you’re serious about getting a blue one, you should probably build an automated tropical fish farm or at least a massive aquarium near a warm ocean. Even then, you’re looking at a massive time investment. Some players go thousands of breedings without ever seeing a blue one. It’s pure RNG.
Growing up fast
Baby axolotls take about 20 minutes to grow into adults. If you’re impatient—and let's be real, most of us are—you can speed this up. Every time you feed the baby a Bucket of Tropical Fish, you reduce the remaining growth time by 10%.
Managing your aquatic army
Once you’ve mastered how to breed axolotls in Minecraft, you’ll realize they are actually fierce combatants. They aren't just for show. If you are underwater and you hold a bucket of tropical fish, they will follow you.
They hate almost everything that swims. They will attack drowned, guardians, elder guardians, and even glow squids.
One of the coolest mechanics is the "Play Dead" feature. If an axolotl takes damage, it might drop to the floor and pretend to be dead. While it’s doing this, hostile mobs will ignore it. During this state, the axolotl actually gains Regeneration I. If you happen to kill the mob that was attacking the axolotl while it was playing dead, it’ll give you Regeneration and remove Mining Fatigue.
It’s basically the best wingman you could ask for in an Ocean Monument.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Don't let them wander onto land: They are slow and vulnerable. If they stay out for 5 minutes, they’re gone.
- Watch out for deep water: While they are aquatic, they can still get stuck under blocks and drown if the AI pathfinding glitches out, though it's rare.
- The "Bucket of Fish" vs "Fish" distinction: I cannot stress this enough. If you have a stack of "Tropical Fish" items from a chest or fishing, it will not trigger the breeding hearts. It must be the entity in the bucket.
Essential Next Steps for Axolotl Breeders
If you’re ready to start your breeding program, your first move shouldn't be finding the axolotls. It should be finding a warm ocean. Without a steady supply of tropical fish, you can't even get started.
Go to a coral reef and fill at least two or three large chests with Buckets of Tropical Fish. It sounds like overkill, but you’ll burn through them faster than you think. Once you have the supplies, head to the Lush Caves.
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Build a contained breeding pen made of glass so you can see what’s happening. Make sure there are no holes where the babies can float away. If you’re going for the blue variant, keep your adults organized by color so you can track your progress.
Start small, keep your buckets filled, and eventually, that 1-in-1200 luck will hit.