Question: Vacation question

[Jumbuck]

Hi all.

I've been wanting an axolotl for many yeArs, and am almost ready to commit.


I've been reading this site for hints and tips and finding it very comprehensive. I have just one question that doesn't seem to have been answered


Once or twice a year I would need to leave my pets for just under a fortnight. Fishes are fine, I just drop in a holiday block. What about axolotl's?


1) leave some cherry shrimp or feeder fish to snack on in the first week? Or will it over feed and then starve?
2) some posts make me think fridging it to slow down metabolism. What do I do about filtration and aeration?

[jane1187]

Hi, I would recommend not feeding at all. A healthy adult or large juvenile axolotl should be capable of surviving for two weeks, especially if properly fed up beforehand, and with a squeaky clean tank before you leave. This of course depends entirely on how comfortable you are with doing this.

You could leave feeder fish or shrimp in there but if any die without being eaten (which they could do if left unfed for up to 2 weeks) and lay rotting this could fowl the water.

Fridging is not a possibility and frequent water changes are required even if not feeding so this is not a good idea unless someone will do it for you.

What I would do is, when you get your axie, do one or two trial runs of 1 week to see what would happen. If you feel the axie looks fine and you're happy with the water quality after one week then you can go ahead. Like I said, if your water volume is large enough, and there's no risk of temperatures rocketing while you're away, a healthy axie can be left for up to two weeks unattended.