I'm having several problems with my new axolotl! :(

[Ignacio]

I just purchased my axolotl earlier this week, he/she seems healthy and loving the tank I got it (seems to be the only good news).

But residing in the United States, (and I'm not sure if this matter is global) we are going through a terribly hot summer. That being said, the water I'm using from the tap is quite warm and I'm finding myself to be putting in more than 10 cups of ice each day. I have four 16 fl oz bottles frozen but every time I try to put those in it doesn't change the temperature! Is there anything else I can do to keep my axie from getting so warm? The water tends to stay around 70-71 degrees.

The other matter is as of right now my water is .7 ammonia and with a pH of 8. Which I obviously know that isn't good. Is there anything I can do to bring these down?

Finally, my axolotl tends to reside towards the top of the water most of the time. Should I be worried? I sometimes see he/she hanging out at the bottom but usually a few inches under the water line. Could this be due to the temperature and water imbalances?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you guys can help me figure this out! I'm still a newbie to this ya know

[jane1187]

I am going to recommend that if you are concerned about the heat you need to do something drastic to bring the temperature down. Some people place cooling fans on their tanks, some move the tank to a basement or garage. Ice is usually not sufficient, especially in larger tanks.

I personally have just been through a mini heatwave myself here in the UK and my fan system doesn't work well enough to reduce the temperature. So I put my axolotl in the fridge for a week. This is an option for you but I would recommend reading up on how to care for an axolotl in the fridge (ignore anything about treatment with salt baths). There are some stress risks with doing this though.

The ammonia content is a worry. You need to check for uneaten food in the tank and remove it (Sometimes it hides under objects). You need to do water changes more frequently as it sounds like your tank is not cycling properly yet (which is not a problem at this stage but and older tank should have no problems with ammonia). Of course if you do put the axolotl in the fridge you still need to do the water changes.

As to the axolotl behaviour that is likely to be a result of the water quality and temperatures. The axolotl is responding to its environment.

However, I will point out that you must not panic. The temperatures and ammonia levels have not yet made your axolotl very ill, but they could do. I would take on board what my advice is and wait for more advise to be posted here. I'm sure you'll be able to find a solution that woks for you.

[Ignacio]

Thanks Jane! I'm also finding now that my axolotl is not very still. It likes to swim around the tank most of the time and I'm assuming this is what he/she has been doing overnight. My guess is this is also a response to the temperatures? It didn't do this for the first couple days and temperature has yet to change, luckily it stays around the same temperature most of the time at 69-71 degrees Fahrenheit.

[shultzbaby]

69-71 degrees is not too hot for an axolotl. My tank stays at about 68 but sometimes creeps up to 72. As for the ammonia, just do small daily water changes. Keep an eye on your levels and if they start to increase, change more or more often. Did you cycle the tank beforehand? If not you'll be doing daily water changes for about a month. As long as the axie has somewhere to hide and you feed him and keep his water clean, hell be happy.
Also, I'm not sure about the ph thing. I have a product called ph down but I've never used it. Although I don't think 8 is too high.

[Ignacio]

I think you're right about the temperature. Mine stays consistently at 70 degrees and he seems fine. A little hyper here and there, but fine. I think the reason for the ammonia isn't so much the extra bloodworms, but the large rocks I have at the bottom of the tank. I tried doing a certain black sand (complete disaster) so I did plan B and got the large rocks from my front yard's landscaping. With the rain and whatever else may have fallen on these rocks, I'm almost certain that is the biggie.

Good news is that I'm going to be moving back into my apartment for college in the next couple weeks and plan on switching to sand then anyways. So I'll be sure to keep a close eye on the ammonia levels until then.

Last thing is, I have frozen bloodworms he enjoys eating, but I'm not sure how much to feed him? I give him a chunk about the size of a quarter. Seem about right?