Need tips

im new to this forum(just started 2 day) my dad sed that i could get an axolotl if i studied about them.
i dont want to get a large tank and i only want 1 axolotl... for now. i need to know a good sized tank for one axolotl (but not so small i cant use a filter.)
i live in perth and i used to have a fish tank and some times the water temp would get up to 28c i need to know how to help keep it cool. ive been reading other 'convos' n they say that they keep their in the fridge!? my fridge temp is 5 c!

any help can help... i may have more Q's l8er

Also how exactly do you cycle?

http://www.axolotl.org/


http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/waterquality.shtml

(Message edited by tadpole on October 07, 2005)

Thanks for the link

that web site helped about water cycling but i need some tips to keep my water temprature lower

I'm struggling with water temperature too.

Basically in order to keep the water cool, you need to keep the room cool. Put the tank in the coolest room in the house, preferably downstairs. Air conditioning the room down to 20 C would help.

Apparently you can use an ordinary fan blowing across the top of the water to keep it cool - but you have to be careful not to create a water current because Axies don't like that either. I haven't tried this so I can't speak about it's effectiveness.

You can buy an aquarium cooler - but in Australia I haven't been able to price one for less than $500 and that was on EBay.

I've also read on this site and maybe somewhere else about using plastic bottles full of ice. At the moment that is what I am doing. I fill three 600ml bottles about 80% full of water, freeze them and then use them one at a time to keep the temperature down. This way the temperature doesn't wildly fluctuate which of course will stress the Axie.

Apparently you can use larger bottles too, but larger bottles will make the temperature change more rapid.

It's very important that bottles are made of plastic and that when they full of ice or water that they float! You don't want them sinking on top of your axolotl.

At the moment the temp in my tank will go up to 24 if I don't use the ice bottles. When I rotate the bottles I can keep it below 22 (which is still too high really). On super hot days (30+) I may just put two bottles in at a time.

Thanks but the only problem is that the temp can get very high in summer even to 40!
would it work if i just changed the water more regulary and just put ice blocks in and left them to melt?

I've also read that you can use ice-blocks in zip-lock bags and float them in the top. I wouldn't put ice-blocks in there on their own because then you're adding water once they melt and you may have trouble keeping the water of a good quality.

If you have a light on top, leave it off during the hot days as it may heat the water up even more.

If the water goes too high the axolotl will get heat stress and may develop a fungus.

I gues you have to think about whether you will be around your axolotl enough during summer to make sure that the water temperature is always below 20 degrees. If not, maybe you should think about getting tropical fish instead. It would just be unfair to get an axolotl when you couldn't keep the temperature down all the time and let it develop a fungus, also this would cause extra stress for you!

thanks for the tips... can you do any thing if they develope fungus? is their n e thing you have to give them?
would it be okay to have the tank at a constant 25 for a while coz my dad had a large fish tank and he could keep the temp low using ice.

now on a completly different topic, is it o.k to have a mirror tank coz the one i have is a mirror along the back side.

I think 25 is too high. The ideal temperature for an axolotl is 14 - 18 C according everything I've read and been told.

Dumping ice in the tank would not be a good idea, especially when using ice bottles is easier and cleaner.

i know you may really want a axolotl but i dont think you should get one unless you invest in a cooler. its unfair to the animal to keep it in less than ideal conditions. about the fungus i suggest you read up on salt baths in the sick axie forum

i just found out that we didnt have an air conditioner back then n we kept the tank in a really hot room. my dad cooled the tank down about 5-6c usind the cooler 'technique' so that would help considerably! also its in no direct sun light and no light has been added ( ive been doing lotsa family, temp and axie reasearch!

Also what about the mirror, should i covour it with a back drop or doesn't it matter.

one more question is 74cm by 34.5cm big enough 4 2 axies?

Hi Nina,

I am in Perth as well, I keep by axie in about a 60cm long tank in a small room at the back of the house. Yes indeed it gets very hot in summer we can only do our best. I have a portable air conditioner in the room and in summer time it runs 24/7 I not turn it off EVER. The tank last summer hit about 26 on one particular really bad day, but that did only happen once, other than that it sits on about 23/24. I also have my goldfish in the same room. I have had Shortie through two summers now, coming up to her third. Even in winter here it isn't possible to keep the tank at 14, mine is currently sitting on around 19.

While I know it is not good for axies at high temps I do not know what else you can do when it is constant 35+ outside. Unless I try keeping her in the fridge for summer.

Tash

thank you so much, just then i was having so many doubts about buying an axie (see previous posts) even though i have my tank set up!
i felt so worried and sad at the thought that almost no one seemed to go through the same conditions as me and that it may die at higher temps! im also worried bout the fridge thing,
can they survive in tems of 5c? if so how long for?
Thank you SO SO much!!! ive been doing nothing but reasearch l8ly (ON THE HOLIDAYS) coz i want it to be perfect!
thanks again!

Now back to the mirror question, will it stress them out???

(Message edited by fungal on October 08, 2005)

axises r also known as the human fish...well, they r similar but wat r the differences?

thats an interesting fact but it didnt answere my question...

"im also worried bout the fridge thing,
can they survive in tems of 5c? if so how long for?

Now back to the mirror question, will it stress them out???"

Hi nina, I'm sorry I don't know much about the mirror question, but my axies had trouble when my fan broke down and I had to get a new one. one day without the fan and it was up at 20 and they got their fungus. maybe you could test out some of your methods now in keepning the water down before you invest in a cutie!
that way you will know what to do if it is too high because you have tryed all the methods. my fan (just a normal house fan) keeps it down to about 16.5. I just point it at the top of the water. I have a 3 ft tank, its doesnt make a current if you point it correctly.its just makes your axies feel cool as a cucumber! my bobo has been a bit sick and I put him in the fridge and it is so cold but he has never looked better. neither of them are sick now and are very happy. temp is very important so just give a few things a go. and if it doesn't work I know it's heart breaking but its not fair on the animal. I'm sure you'll figure something out.

Nina - Indiana University has said that axolotls can be kept in the fridge for up to 30 days.

Since you live where it is hot all the time, I would suggest that you invest in a chiller of some sort.

There are plans for making your own chiller here
http://aloha.net/~hqf/indexjrosechiller.htm

You can purchase aquarium chillers also, they tend to be expensive however.

Mel
What temperatures is your 'bobo' used to because at the aquariom they dont have a cooler and they look okay and quite active. maby he just wasnt used to the climate being that high but for the ones in the aquarium its always that high and higher. maby the ones in hot temprates have already adapted! btw thank for the tip... i should see how the water temp goes with out them first.

Cynthia
thanks for the fridge advise and also the make your own chiller but it lookes a bit complicated

My famly n i have had an idea for a home made cooler!!! its a lot less complicated sounding/looking!

So a get an eski and a pipe. the pipe sucks the water from the tank, winds (long enough to cool the water) through the eskie (full of ice n stuff) and gets spread out evenly back into the tank!
of course i have to try it first