Question: Looking for advice!

[Tyler]

Hey guys/gals. After alot of research, I have decided that Axolotls are fasinating little animals, and hope to buy one soon. I have assembled a tank, and given it all the necesarry touches (at least I think I have ). Right now the PH is reading about 7.5 and the temp. is at 64 degrees fahrenheit. There are also a few living plants floating at the top. I am using a Whisper PF10 filter in a 15 gallon tank with a peice of wood suction cupped to the glass underneath to disperse the flow. I also have a standard aquarium hood ontop. My main questions concern these two things. Does the wood provide proper protection from a stressful current? And will the hood prevent propper evaperation? Also, should I buy an airpump? Thank you if you have read all of this! I can't wait to perfect this tank and hopefully introduce a little Axolotl very soon! I will include a few pictures of my tank in the making for referance. Any suggestions on how I should change it would be awesome!!! Thanks again! I also had to take these pics with the webcam on my laptop, so I know they kinda stink. My apologies.

[Urmat]

It looks like the wood might be doing the job, I cant really tell from the pictures tho. If you find that the current is still too strong, you could get some plants to put around the wood as well. That should help with the current. Over all I think you have done a good job. I would suggest putting a good hide or 2 in there. On a side note, I wouldnt make the sand more than an inch thick otherwise you will run into some problems with toxic gas build up.

[Chris]

Looks good. As above, I'd remove some of the sand. You don't really need a hood or even a light as they don't like it too bright, and you may have a few temperature problems if you use the hood in the warmer months.

If you stir up the sand weekly when you do your clean ups, you should be ok. I've made it apart of my cleaning routine, when I remove the waste they excrete, I stir up the sand too. I just use a piece of solid tube and literally stir it arownd abit. They also tend to make little tracks and mounds from the sweeping action of their tail when they move, so stirring the sand also helps to keep it a a uniform thickness.

[Tyler]

Thanks for the advice. I took out that large peice of driftwood and added a log for the axie to hide in. I just added a small juvenile axie to the tank. You have been very helpful, because I didnt even know about gas build-up! I will remove some of the sand when I am cleaning the tank in a week or so, and also stir it up a bit in the mean time. On a side note/ what did you guys feed your axies when they were about two inches? How many times a day? Just wondering! Thanks again!

[Garrett]

Frozen blood worms about once a day.

[Tyler]

I gave him half a block of frozen blood worm cube today, and he DEVOURED them. He's quite the little eater! I have noticed that he will occasionally eat little specs of wood from a peice of driftwood I had in the tank previously. They are very small. Will this harm him? I have removed most of the bigger peices with a baster.