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Question: Not sure what to make of this, or if I'm just paranoid..

Mewtwo

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Hello =) I'm new to owning axoltols. I got my two juveniles from a breeder about...maybe a month ago, probably a little less. Everything was fine, until Someone said I needed 50 gallons minimum to hold two juveniles? I have a 20g, :( is this true? I read I'm many places it was 10g per adult...

Anyway, my tank info is as follows:

Temp: 62-65 (never seen it above 66)
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia:0
Nitrate:20
Filtered: yes
Aerated: yes, bar bubbler, set on low
Tank size: 20g, can't find my ruler or I'd give exact measurements
Stock: 2 juvenile axoltols, (sorry if I misspelled that)
Established since: June 8th, 2015
Substrate: barebottom

I feed them frozen bloodworms (after being thawed obviously) from a baster, or with my hand which I love to do :D it's adorable.

But on to the issue

I'm not sure if they where like this before,but the 'finger' tips are turning a darker color.

I haven't SEEN any aggression, but one recently acquired what looked almost like a bite out of his(or her) 'tail'. Before this, I noticed he had...almost a bubble, formed on the top of the fin that runs along his tail, which swelled before going down and turning a light red, and finally is gone. I don't know what to make of this, and I'm honestly getting worried. what am I doing wrong? What could that have been?

The largest one of them is about 4 inches, as a rough estimate, and the other is 3-3.5 inches. The little one has, recently, taken to eating just about everything before the large one can eat, so I've started having to feed them on seperate sides of the tank entirely.


Am I doing anything wrong? If so, what? I can't get a larger tank at the moment due to space and money issues.
 

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Bellabelloo

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You are doing just fine :)

Darkening of the toes happens as they get older. It does sound like one has had a bit of a nip. You have done the correct thing of feeding them in separate areas of the tank. Keep an eye on the wound sites in case of fungus or infection. Maybe at the size they are, you could try them on some earthworm.
 

Mewtwo

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It's good to know I haven't done anything wrong. On fishlore, I was harshly criticized for having two of these guys in my tank, and many people firmly asserted that I was cruel for having such a small tank :( aggression was the main arguement, and so when I saw the bite I feared the worst. Its such a huge relief to hear otherwise from some others who have kept these animals!!

Do you think it would be okay to add sand at their sizes, or should I continue to wait? The tank looks a little odd to me without anything on the bottom ?

But they also seem to have trouble gripping the bottom. They'll move their legs like crazy, but won't get much father than two inches or so per burst of energy. Recently they've both taken to swimming more than walking, and will lay on their tummies with their legs splayed outwards... I'm not sure why. Is it because of the grip issue? :confused:
 
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Large river stones make a good substrate; far too large for a Lotl to even consider gulping. They look very nice, too


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cfa13e22ce29ce7e586bff9af65fde41.jpg


Like so..

20 Gallons may or may not be appropriate depending on their size. For a pair of 3 month old juveniles; fine. For a pair of 2 year old adults; cruel.


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Mewtwo

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At what age would the size become worrying for their tank? I'm sure by then I'll probably be able to afford a bigger tank, I'm already saving up though I don't have nearly the right amount. It would have to go somewhere in the basement, though I'm sure. Nothing else will fit in my room :D

I do like the look of the rocks, but I haven't seen anything like that in my local pet shop, or meijers or even Walmart. I'll check around again to be sure, though!

If push comes to shove and (for some reason) I end up unable to get a bigger tank, would one of them be okay in the twenty gallon? I have a friend of mine whom keeps cold water fish, and hardly ever stocks his tanks, but always keeps them running. I could probably rehome one in the future, if I have to, though I'm not sure if it would be best- considering they only live down the street, and managed to kill 12/16 guppies I bred for them, claiming it was 'new tank syndrome' -.-
 

Mewtwo

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Attached is a picture of their rank as it is now, I got the measurements:
30 in wide, 17.5 in tall, and 12 in on the ends. Now sure how many gallons exactly that adds uP to honestly =\ I've gotten mixed results. The guy sold it to me as a 20g but a online calculator thing said it was 25..
 

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Donna001

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My juvenile axolotls are probably around the same size as yours and they have a sand substrate. I have 2 coppers and a wild type in a 200 litre tank.
I also have 3 mature males in another tank.
I'd say that your tank size would be fine for now, perhaps start to look for another tank when they are 7-8 inches, and make sure that they are in the larger tank before they mature.
:happy:
 

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Mewtwo

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That soon, Huh? =\
The breeder I bought mine from said two adults would be fine in the twenty gallon, as it's ten per adult, provided I plan to use live plants (which I do, once we can get substrate to hide the string/fishing line to tie them down) and I have hiding places.

Guess I was misinformed?

How long, would you say, will it take them to reach the size that I'll need to do a tank upgrade? I'm hoping I'll be moved out by then, or Atleast have a decent job, if not I'll have to play up the innocence card with my grandparents haha!

What types of plants would you suggest? I've seen things like anubis and Java ferns at my pet shop and pet smart, and have four of those planted in my betta fish tank.

Good to hear sand is a useable option at their size =)
 

Donna001

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I had a quick look at some information on tank size and have attached a link which agrees that 10 gallons per axolotl is acceptable.
Axolotls - Housing in Captivity
That is an absolute minimum though.
It would be great if you could get a bigger tank eventually, but I guess it's not quite so urgent. :happy:
As for the sand substrate, try not to let them ingest too much sand. In my juvenile tank I set up a slate feeding area, so they were eating in an area that didn't have sand, and they ate out of a bowl (upturned lid from a jar) when they were eating bloodworms. Now they have moved onto earthworms and larger foods, which can be hand fed, it's not so much of an issue.
I don't have any real plants with my axolotls at the moment, but quite a few people do, so it might be worth having a look at the articles and other threads.
I hope this helps.
:D
 

Mewtwo

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Heh, I use a turkey baster to feed mine. The smaller one will nip and chase it reguardless of if its feeding time (I use one similar to it to clean up waste on occasion, if it's not time to a water change) and The other one has no qualms from eating from it either.

Thanks for all the help, guys!!:D
 

HitmanSougo13

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The plastic plants eventually won't serve its purpose since there is no sand or rocks to keep it down. When they get older they get strong, they knock and drag that stuff around like they are boss. I have my tank bottom bare too. My youngest is 2.5 years old, the oldest is 7.5 years old and they shift the large rocks.

When we look at tank size, they spend most of their time on the bottom. So a tank typical tank is for fish. They run roughly 24Lx12Wx17H. So really only the 24x12 to run around. I can't say it is minimal or cruel as lab grown axolotls typical get like a 12x12 cube. If you are looking for good investment when you save money up for maybe a year or two later. I use a 40 gallon breeder tank which is 36Lx18Wx24H high roughly. So really I only fill it to 20 gallons but they have that 3'x18' flat area to roam.
 
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