Inexperienced new owner

Hello
I bought my first Axolotls yesterday (after spotting them in a pet shop on my way to buy a new good fish)
The pet shop owner doesn't seem to have given me the best advice after reading around about them.
I removed all gravel as I read its harmful and plan to use sand instead.
He told me my tank would be big enough however it's around 19 litres which is way too small as he will get bigger fast!
I have read about people testing the water for ammonia, but do I need to do this with a filter and 1/4 water change every week?
I really would love any help from anyone - advice etc I do love the little thing it's amazing! The guy also told me they love same as goldfish but after reading can see this is wrong!
Also mine appears to have no eyes! I'll upload some pics,
Thank you

Re: Unexperienced new owner

Re: Unexperienced new owner

Re: Unexperienced new owner

Kezique said:

Hello
I bought my first Axolotls yesterday (after spotting them in a pet shop on my way to buy a new good fish)
The pet shop owner doesn't seem to have given me the best advice after reading around about them.
I removed all gravel as I read its harmful and plan to use sand instead.
He told me my tank would be big enough however it's around 19 litres which is way too small as he will get bigger fast!
I have read about people testing the water for ammonia, but do I need to do this with a filter and 1/4 water change every week?
I really would love any help from anyone - advice etc I do love the little thing it's amazing! The guy also told me they love same as goldfish but after reading can see this is wrong!
Also mine appears to have no eyes! I'll upload some pics,
Thank you

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That is good you have removed the gravel How big are the axolotls? It is best not to add sand until they are at least 5 inches long.

The shop has given you some terrible advice.

19 litres is far too small. They do grow quite quickly so it would be best to upgrade. In the long run you would want a foot in length per axolotl plus one extra (for plants and ornaments etc). So for two axolotls you would want a three foot long tank.

I see what looks like goldfish food next to the tank? Is this what you are feeding them? If this is the case, it may be best to move them onto earthworms (from a source where no chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides have been used) or good quality newt or axolotl pellets. Some people feed salmon pellets which are ok. Earthworms are cheap and easy and less messy though.

Yes you definitely need to check ammonia levels regularly (especially and more often whilst cycling the tank). You also need to check at least nitrite, nitrate and PH and you should also have a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. From your post I get the impression you are not familiar with cycling tanks? If not, it would be best to read up on the nitrogen cycle and how tank cycling works. Below is a link. You will need to pay very close attention to the parameters whilst the tank cycles as spikes in ammonia and nitrite can cause harm to your axolotls.

Scales Tails Wings and Things, What is Aquarium Cycling? How to Cycle your Tank

I suggest investing in a liquid test kit rather the the strips as they can sometimes be inaccurate. I hope this helps

Thank you I will read up, the food was from my previous fish I have frozen blood worms for my Axolotls. I only have one and will keep it to that until I get a massive tank.
I used to changed 1/4 water every 2-3 weeks with my fish but can see that these are very different.
Any further help would be welcome
Thank you

Is the 'API master test kit freshwater' everything I need for the above recommendation?
Thank you

Kezique said:

Is the 'API master test kit freshwater' everything I need for the above recommendation?
Thank you

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Yes, that has the basic tests needed for cycling and general water parameters. If you can see the bottles through the plastic lid, check the expiration dates. These sometimes sit on pet shop shelves for awhile. I've bought a couple of expired ones, just a heads up.

Good luck!

Thank you I think I'll look on Amazon/ebay

Does it give a guide as to what levels should be and how to change it if levels are out?

Basically, if things are out of wack a water change will fix them. If levels are really high do like a 50% water change and that should get them back down to a reasonable level. Good luck, and welcome to the wonderful world of axolotls.

cabbysarus said:

Basically, if things are out of wack a water change will fix them. If levels are really high do like a 50% water change and that should get them back down to a reasonable level. Good luck, and welcome to the wonderful world of axolotls.

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Everything except ph, but I'm sure thats what Cabbysarus meant. Ph will depend on the ph or your source water, but you most likely wont have to worry too much about that.

I do believe it comes with a booklet on what things mean and how to change them, its geared towards fish care and to bring you back to using more of their products though so do some homework first. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate tolerances vary a lot among different animals. Just learn whats best for what youre keeping. Lots of information on this site for that.

Thank you both,
If I am changing the water (1/4 tank) weekly is it likely that the levels will all be ok?

That depends on how much waste is in the system. I'd keep the feeding light, remove any uneaten food and any waste you see until you get your test kit and know for sure. Thats not alot of water for that size axolotl so levels could rise quickly. The plants are a plus until your tank cycles. Most pet stores, around here anyway, will test your water for free if you really want to keep an eye on things.

Great thank you,
I really wish the guy in the pet shop would have given more info but he told me I could have two in my size tank - so glad I didn't get two the poor things, he told me he has had 50 in his and it really wasn't that big! Just been given another tank that's bigger than mine which is 6.1 gallons which I will move him into when the water has settled after a few days. After that I will look for something bigger - he is only 4 inches or so at the moment so I figure he will be ok for a few months. Just hope I can pick up a second hand tank as can't afford hundreds for a new tank!

I'm not sure about tank prices in your part of the world but 10 or 20 gallon aquariums are fairly inexpensive, (10 gal-$15, 20 gal- $40 in the states) and would still be a great improvement in volume. Just a suggestion. Youre on the right path. :happy:

I really feel like if you don't know your water parameters you should be doing bigger/more frequent water changes. I had 2 (3-inch) axies in a 10 gallon and was changing around 25-50% every couple days. I'm not saying this is what you need to do but more water changes aren't going to hurt, especially not as much as not enough water changes.

Just to compare prices a 13 gallon tank here in UK new is around 315 dollars and this seems to be one of the biggest in the main stream shops such as 'pets at home'

Allied123 - I only bought him yesterday and was thinking of putting him
In the bigger tank day after tomz - I wanted the water to settle in the new tank as I didn't want to stress him out. However the more I read the more it seems that they are not like fish (as they get stressed with water changes and cold temps). It seems it really doesn't matter about the bacteria build up in the water and that this seems more harmful than good for them? I have put tap safe in the new water and hope that this is good rather than bad for him?

Kezique said:

Just to compare prices a 13 gallon tank here in UK new is around 315 dollars and this seems to be one of the biggest in the main stream shops such as 'pets at home'

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Thats craziness, so sorry to hear that. Is that just for the tank or tank, top, stand and lights? I'm moving to the U.K. and starting a custom tank business! For $300 I could get a 150 gallon tank (tank only) and some substrate from a shop! I can make a 150 gallon for $150 worth of materials. I salute your dedication and investment.

Kezique said:

It seems it really doesn't matter about the bacteria build up in the water and that this seems more harmful than good for them? I have put tap safe in the new water and hope that this is good rather than bad for him?

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There are different types of bacteria. Beneficial and pathogenic(disease causing), beneficial is what you want to grow in filters and on surfaces of your tank that break down waste products in your water and convert them to less toxic products which plants and algae use as food. Much like composting but aquatic. I'm assuming tap safe is a dechlorinator and if so, yes thats a good thing. Aquatic critters dont like chlorine.