Axolotls are known for swimming, eating, and playing dead. Nothing else. Nothing else... until now. Introducing Axolootl, a mod to build aquariums, breed axolotls, and gain resources!

To start your own axolootl breeding adventure:

Build an aquarium
Upgrade the aquarium
Craft a Basic Axolootl
Breed Axolootls
Profit!

~~ Video creators: post a showcase video in the comments and it might be added here! ~~

Aquarium Basics

Start by choosing a location. Bigger tanks can hold more axolootls, so you want plenty of room. Your aquarium must have a minimum size of 3x3x3 and a maximum size of 64x64x64.

Warning: large tanks can cause excessive lag. See the config file for lag-reducing options.

Next, collect all the blocks you want to build with. The outer walls must be any combination of the following:

Aquarium Floor (any type)
Aquarium Roof
Aquarium Glass
Upgrades (more on that later)

Make sure to fully enclose a rectangular/cuboid area! The inside is hollow but the outside cannot have any gaps.

Once you finish building your aquarium, replace one of the blocks in the wall with a Controller. Open the Controller and press "Activate." If the tank is built correctly, the Controller will detect the tank and start running.

Controller

The Aquarium Controller is the "brains" of the aquarium. It tracks axolootls and tank upgrades in one handy UI. Click on the Controller to see what it can do!

Aquarium Floor

Hold a sand or gravel block and click on the aquarium floor to customize it. If you don't like how it looks, use a shovel on the aquarium floor to quickly take the block out. Crafting recipes are also available for sand and gravel variants.

Aquarium Upgrades

A basic aquarium can do some things, but additional blocks are necessary to unlock its full potential.

Bubbler

The Bubbler is the first and most important mandatory upgrade. It can be placed inside the aquarium to provide a comfortable and healthy environment. It can be upgraded to the Powered Bubbler if you have a mod that provides Forge Energy.

Output

The Aquarium Output is the second mandatory upgrade. It can be placed as part of the outer wall. You can upgrade it to the Large Aquarium Output for more storage space.

Axolootl Interface

This block can be placed as part of the outer wall. It allows you to quickly insert and remove axolootls from your aquarium without getting your feet wet. A must have for the serious axolootl caretaker!

Axolootl Inspector

This block can be placed as part of the outer wall. It allows you to inspect axolootl variants and learn more about the resources they generate, their lineage, foods, and more.

Water Interface

This handy block allows you fill up a large tank without having to place every single bucket of water yourself. It can be placed as part of the outer wall and must have unobstructed access to the inside of the tank. Insert water buckets or pump in water using a pipe mod. Power the block with redstone to pause it.

Autofeeder

This block can be placed inside the aquarium to automatically feed axolootls. Well-fed axolootls give speed bonuses to your aquarium.

Breeder

This block can be placed inside the aquarium to automatically breed axolootls. There is no way to breed axolootls by hand, so this upgrade is extremely important!

Monsterium

This block can be placed inside the aquarium to allow offspring that produce mob resources. It is an addition to the Breeder, not a replacement.

Nursery

This block can be placed inside the aquarium provide a small speed boost to the Breeder and Monsterium.

Energy Interface

Some upgrades use Forge Energy. These upgrades are optional and are only useful if you install a mod that can produce Forge Energy. Connect the Energy Interface to a Forge Energy generator or energy pipe in order to disperse energy to the rest of the aquarium.

Aquarium Airlock

This block can be placed as part of the outer wall. It allows you to enter and exit the tank without breaking holes in the glass or letting your axolootls escape. Not required, but highly recommended to have.

Decoration

Some decoration blocks provide your aquarium with speed bonuses! Check the list inside the Controller to find out more. It pays to take good care of your axolootls :)

Axolootl Crafting

Only one Axolootl can be crafted: the Basic Axolootl.

Axolootl Breeding

Once you have two or more Basic Axolootls, you can begin breeding them. Open the Breeder or Monsterium and place the appropriate breeding food inside. For Basic Axolootls, this includes most fish.

The Monsterium is required to breed axolootls that produce mob drops, such as Creeper, Spider, or Zombie Axolootls.

Eventually your adult axolootls will consume the food and breed to create a brand-new axolootl! Different combinations of axolootls will produce different offspring, which in turn produce different resources once they grow up.

Spoiler Alert: A rough guide to axolootl breeding lineages can be found here.

Customization

Axolootl variants can be added using datapacks. That's right, any axolootl you can imagine! For instructions, see the Getting Started section of the wiki.

You can also use datapacks to add bonuses when using any block as a decoration. Useful for modpack creators! See the wiki for details.

The blocks that are used to build the aquarium are defined by the axolootl:aquarium block tag.

FAQ

Q: Forge or Fabric?
A: Forge only.

Q: Can I use the mod in a modpack?
A: Yes. Please link to the CurseForge page instead of redistributing the mod.

Q: Do you have a Discord?
A: You can find me on the MMD server in the #skyjay-mods channel (under "Community Mods")

Enjoy!

Axolootl: Resourceful Axolotls