does mine look ok :D

[paganwitch]

hi all
im a newby just want to make sure mine is looking ok its very bright in the pic i only turn on the light when i need to do things and see her mouth is a bit odd i think any suggestions welcomed :)

[Daniel]

The mouth and gills look fine, the eye looks a little cloudy but maybe due to the photo (happens now and then that they get a film of bacteria and protozoons an the skin and eyes but that's nothing to worry about - just keep an eye on it). Nice animal!

What size is the gravel in your tank? If the axolotl swallows too much of the gravel it might get congestions so it should be very small gravel, sand or a bare bottom.

[paganwitch]

hey thanks for the quick reply her eyes do look a little cloudy the gravel is to small and i will be getting rid of it soon i need to get some stones i have been doing water changes daily because i don't have the ammonia test yet only the ph which is reading fine i had the fish tank up and running for a few months before i put her in with a drift wood plant and some snails is this ok the fish shop didn't go into detail of how much care these little creatures need but i have grown to love her and want her to be happy also i need to know for tomorrow because its getting hot here how long can you put them in the fridge for and do i cover

ow i forgot to say yours looks amazing :)

[Sarah]

Ok if you get stones make sure they are too big to fit in an axolotl's mouth.

How big are your water changes each day? Don't do more than 20% as too big a change in the water will stress an axolotl. Also, do you have a filter and is your tank cycled? If you don't have a filter you will need to do water changes more frequently. Also, when your tank was set up a few months before your axolotl was put in, did you cycle it? I was asking as you say you don't have an ammonia test kit so perhaps you did not look at the parameters? Read this if you are unsure about cycling->http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

Generally, axolotls are best left without other tank companions like snails. Snails breed really fast and also if they large they can damage your axolotl. But many people have snails without any hassles so it depends on how you manage them. If you buy snails from an aquarium you probably should quarantine them before putting them in a tank I think...

Anyway I think you should get ammonia, nitrate and nitrite tests ASAP to make sure the water quality is ok. If there is ammonia present you will need to do daily water changes of 20% until it is 0. Any ammonia is harmful to your axolotl. Also to help keep ammonia under control you should do spot cleans of any axie waste or uneaten food.

Finally, get a thermometer to measure the temperature in your tank. Ideally it should be under 20C. Anything above 24C will be really stressful and most likely your axie will die if exposed to that for a day or so. You *can* keep your axolotl in the fridge. Just make sure the temperature in the fridge is above 5C (you can put a thermometer in a cup of water near the axie container to keep an eye on it). Then with the container your axie is in, cover it with a tea towel or something like that to block out the light. At fridge temperatures axolotls often stop eating so don't worry about that. Finally, in the fridge you must do 100% daily water changes to stop any ammonia building up. I keep a bottle of dechlorinated water handy in the fridge to do the changes.

Anyway, good luck with your axolotl, she is cute :)

[paganwitch]

yep i have been doing around a 20% water change everyday. I have a gravel cleaner so i take it from the ground any waste because i haven't got the ammonia, nitrate tests, only ph.

I would say it is close to being cycled, but won't know for sure till i get the test. As i said the pet shop didn't inform me of this. The snails and driftwood plant were in there before the axle. The snails are small. I'll add some pics of my set up.

Also i have been feeding her frozen hearty beef that the pet shop gave me, with a skewer, waving the food and she goes for it. I make sure she doesn't get any pebbles in her mouth, but still i want to change that soon, but im worried it will stir up the water. I grabbed some worms from outside we don't use pest asides so i was thinking of feeding her some of those. Thanks for your help and information :)

[Sarah]

Yea earth worms are a good food source for your axolotl! Many people use beef heart with no hassles but I think meat like that should really only be used as a treat cos of the higher fat content. High fat is not so good for your axolotl's liver. You can also feed your axolotl pellets (I use salmon ones), brine shrimp, crickets and bloodworms.

But yea if you have a good supply of earth worms, they are great for your axie.

P.S. Also, on the forums it is preferred if posters use punctuation. It just makes it easier to read what you are saying.

[paganwitch]

sorry if you couldn't understand what i wrote seemed ok to me

[Sarah]

Oh its just one of the forum recommendations. As many people here do not speak English as a first language, it makes it easier if you use punctuation. I know I have to re-read over things a lot if people don't use punctuation. Just thought it might make it easier for people to respond to you. :)

[kapo]

Welcome to the forum.

Paganwitch - It may have been ok for you to understand but other members, who could help you may not be able to understand your posts.

This is as a matter of courtesy to all members, in particular those whose primary/first language is not English. It's very hard to understand a post/thread in ANY language, if there is no grammar or punctuation.

This would hinder members, both nationally and internationally, from helping or advising you - which would be a waste, as there is a vast amount of combined worldwide knowledge on this forum.

This is taken from the forum rules "... please use good grammar and punctuation. Remember that new subjects and sentences warrant the use of a capital letter."


Also, most petshops are not very knowledgeable about axolotl care (though some are learning) so don't be tempted to add something to fix the tankwater or medicine to help your axolotl (if it becomes sick). Many fish medicines are toxic.

[paganwitch]

Thank you for the welcoming

Ok i will try my best at the punctuation, i have taken the rocks out of the tank and now its a little cloudy does this mean its not cycled yet? I put my Axel in the fridge and she seems fine how long can i leave her there so the tank can settle down?

Here are some pictures.

Also i noticed she was blowing a few bubbles is this bad?

[Sarah]

I don't think so as long as it is not excessive. Axolotls have rudimentary lungs so sometimes they gasp at the top of the tank for air then blow out the bubbles of oxygen. Is this what yours is doing? Mine does this sometimes. It is only a problem if it is excessive as it can indicate water quality problems.

[paganwitch]

19:35

I just took her out of the fridge so the temperature can adjust back before i put her back into the tank. I have seen her blow bubbles a couple of times and just seen her put her head up for air, is it ok to put her back into a tank thats a little cloudy?

19:39
She looks like she really wants to get out of the little glass bowl should i put her back? I suck at this sorry

21:17
Please can anyone tell me what i should do the tank is a little cloudy and she doesn't seem happy in the little bowl, should i put her back?

[kapo]

No, don't put her back in the tank.

The cloudiness may be telling you your tank is still cycling; and also the disturbance from when you removed the gravel/rocks.

Rather than the bowl, do you have a plastic container with a lid that she will fit into lengthwise? If so put her in that with the dechlorinated water (not tank water), cover with lid, then wrap with teatowel and put her back in the fridge.

Don't keep pulling her in and out, only when she needs a waterchange - constant temperature change causes can be stressful.

[paganwitch]

Ok thank you, so how long do i leave her in the fridge? Also when can i put her back in couple of hours?

[kapo]

No, leave her in the fridge overnight. Change her water tomorrow completely using the bottle of chilled dechlorinated water. (Don't forget to refill the bottle and put it in the fridge.)

You could leave her in the fridge for a week quite easily as long as you do the daily waterchanges; especially if the tank temperature is heading into the early 20s.

Are you able to get your tankwater tested for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?

Take a sample of tankwater to the petshop and ask them to test it and write the figures/results down for each. Keep a record in a notebook by the tank, this will let you know what's happening and when your tank is cycled or having a problem.

[paganwitch]

Thank you i will do that, it won't get too cold in there for her will it? also i don't have a plastic container big enough so will she be ok in the glass one its long enough :)

[kapo]

Yes, she'll be fine in that one, just keep her covered.

What is the fridge temperature, did you test it? If not, put a glass of water in the fridge with a thermometer; check after 15-20minutes. As long as temperature is 5 degrees Celcius minimum or above.

Axolotls prefer colder temperatures to warm. Summer can be quite stressful for axolotls if one isn't able to cool and maintain tank temperatures below 20C; many owners place their axolotls in the fridge as chillers can be quite expensive (anywhere from $300+).

Regarding your tank - don't do any waterchanges until your axolotl goes back in to it - you'll need to test the tankwater first, and if ammonia or nitrite levels are over 0, do the 20-30% waterchange. If the petshop advises you to add anything to the tank to fix the water (ie: ammolock/ammobind, pH up or down or something to absorb nitrites or cycle the tank) don't buy it = they're not worth wasting your money over and are just temporary fixes. The daily or every second day waterchanges, as long as they're partial ones not large, will sort out the water problems, if any.