Leaving my axolotls with a friend?

[elizabeth]

Hello all!
I will be going on vacation and my friend will be watching my axolotls. Though I'm not sure if I should bring them to her house or have her come over to my house every other day (it's quite a drive). Any suggestions?

 

[Stupot1610]

Personally, I would take them to the friend's house and keep the axolotl in a temporary tank e.g. A 'really useful box' though I'm not sure if you have them in the U.S., most storage tubs are ok. Take tank water in used empty bottles of water, milk, juice or similar and add that to the tub.

 

[LSuzuki]

If it is a drive and your friend is on the same water supply or similar one, then it is very nice of you to bring the axies to her. However, does she have any pets (or kids) that might not be axolotl safe? And would she rather be doing large water changes at her house or driving to yours where presumably the tank is large and all established, so not in immediate need of water changes??

 

[FormerFIP]

what kind of drive are we talking? I am of the opinion that it is best to not disturb the animal even if you have to throw your friend a little cash to make the trip(s) worth while. If your friend going to the axolotls really won't work, then the best bet is probably going to be the really large plastic tub with tank water in it and possibly a bubble filter setup if it is going to be an extended period of time. Vacations are awesome and a much needed part of life, but it always stinks to have to leave your animals behind (and worry about them in the back of your head the entire time). I hope you can figure something out and that this maybe helps. :happy:

 

[allied123]

Also, I don't know how big your axies are or how long you're gonna be gone but honestly I think it's probably best to just leave them if they are adults and it'll only be like a week or two. I had someone watch my juvies while I was gone for a week and they would have been better off alone. I instructed the woman watching them very carefully to only feed them a couple pellets a day (didn't want them overfed) and she dumped over a months worth of food in there and left it in there to rot. I couldn't see further than an inch or two into the water I'm lucky they lived through that I probably won't trust anyone with them again.

 

[keiko]

I agree with Allied123. Unless your friend has taken care of axolotls (or something similar) before, I wouldn't risk it by taking the axies to her. They would need to do large water changes daily to keep the water clean and most people who don't keep these kinds of animals don't understand how important it really is even if you tell them. So it's safer for the axies to stay in their own established tank. Assuming the axies are adults, they don't have to be fed every other day. So if it's a long drive, maybe it would be enough if she checked up on them a couple of times per week.