Got my tank...have some Q's

Ok i got my tank today! Someone gave me a tank but i was washing it outside as it was covered in algae. So,having scrubbed all the algae off and draining most of the water out with a bucket, with only an inch of water left i decided to just tip the water out instead of scooping it out with the bucket. SO i lifted it up, starting to tip some water out, the tank slipped out of my hands as i forgot to dry my hands STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So i got my new tank today! My dad cleaned the sand real good and when i added the water none of the sand mixed with the water so i was left with crystal clear water when i was expecting it to be muddy
I havent plugged in the heater but its sitting in the tank incase it gets real cold. So do i need to plug it in? The temps about 24 degrees celcius/75 fahrenheit...is this ok? Im expectig it to lower hopefully :s
I squeezed some of the bacteria from my main tanks sponge whi9ch will have speed up the cycle hopefully
Do i need anything else. I might put a bottle of dechlorinated water in the freezer incase the temps to hot. Im gonna get some slate and bogwood and live plants when i go and pick up the axie/s
What do you use for cover from the lights for your axies. Is there anything else i need! I have froze bloodworm,daphinia,brine shrimp(i know they eat bloodworm but not sure about the other 2) and i can get live foods for free as i work at my LFS! They also feed theirs some sorta carnivore pellets which ill buy aswell!

HAve i missed anything out?

(Message edited by connorsbala on April 10, 2007)

Oh yeah do you have any snails or shrimp in with them?

Ok i put my hand in the water and it was freezing! So i moved the thermometer to see if its jsut that part of the tank thats warmer...???
I dipped my hand in one of my fish tanks and it was alot hotter and the thermometer says its the same temp...very confused! MAybe as i just setup the tank today,that the thermometer(cause it was quiet warm in its box) hasnt got used to the cold temp yet...ill see later!

Axies don't need a heater, they're fine in temps down to 5C, so you can remove it unless you get really cold weather in Winter!

Can you move your tank to a cooler part of the house and/or partially cover it if its by any direct light source if not able to be moved. Husband made covers out of bamboo and beach mats; so looks like little bamboo blinds that can be either individually or all rolled up completely on front and sides with top completely covered. This keeps tanks cool/covered when there's too much light.

If your tank is anywhere near a desklamp, under lights or near a window and as it gets warmer with summer approaching you may have a problem with keeping the tank temperature below 24C. If you can keep it below 20C that is a bit more ideal especially during summer.

Are you able to move one of the tank decos from other tank into your axie tank to help cycle it? Squeezing the sponge filter into it, I don't think will really do much, as the bacteria needed will be on tank deco/substrate from established tank.

Also, if you do pickup your axies today and your tank isn't cycled yet and very convenient you're working at the petshop D) then make sure you test your water regularly every day or 2 days for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. When ammonia and nitrate start to rise, as they will then do a partial 20=30% waterchange, this may involve doing it either daily or every 2nd day, to keep levels in the tank safe enough for your axie/s to reside in.

No need to buy anything like ammolock or nitrazorb, pH up or down as the waterchanges will fix any problems that may occur with ammonia/nitrite rising.

What about earthworms (or alternatively live bloodworm/tubifex/blackworms). Depending on size of axies live daphnia, brineshrimp (may need to be rinsed cos of the salt) and yes some people do use live shrimp.

No i cant move it anywhere different in the house but as i said in my above post,i think the thermometer hasnt adjusted yet as the waters freezing Ive got polysterene sheets at the back of it to keep it insulated and not to insulate any of the heat from the sun so all will be good!

I missed your thermo post as I was typing! yeah, may just be the thermometer needs about 15-20/30 minutes to adjust. If it doesn't it may be faulty or could also be effected if you only put the water in the tank within last 30mins=hour. Your other tanks that are warm = do they have internal filters and/or heaters/lights that are on - these can also warm up the tank. If your water was only added then it may still be adjusting to room temp.

THe temps about 22 now,i put a better thermometer in(the one i originally had in wasnt very clear). Ive put in an ice pack which is in a freezer bag incase it leaks. Yeah all the other tanks have lights,heaters and internal filters. The one for the axies has a light and an internal filter too. But the internal filter is one of those juwel ones so it doesnt really generate any heat
Ill update if theres any news. I might get one 2moz depending on the stats. Im gonna add a coconut cave from my main tank to get some bacteria from there too!

hey connor

i gave up on thermometers that came with tanks and got a digital one for £4.99 it came with two batteries and is great. i use one in all my tanks now. i think it would even show minus temps.

Cool
I was thinking of getting one of those. The one im using isnt one of those crappy ones that come with tanks thats like a sticker,its an actual thermometer you can buy.
Anyways the temps around 21 now. Ive added a bit of tropical fish flake food.
Whats the temp like in your tanks? If it goes high how do u lower it? Everyone who lives near me whom keeps axies says they dont do anything and theyre fine in temps of 22 or even 24 for a day or 2. Maybe i shouldnt be soo worried? lol

Oh yeah
And all the axies at the LFS,bar one,have had a foot bitten off. The one who hasnt is the biggest! I dot particularly want a big one but should i get him/her? WIll their toes grow back? If so how long would it take?

Sorry...another Q
My parents have an alopment and theres a compost bin down there...can i take worms from there or will they have some disease or summint? If so,how do i wash all the mud off them,just put them in a bucket? And where do i store them,in the fridge?

where in essex are you?

my temp is about 17 at the moment in my bigger tank, i found that smaller tanks get warmer. ive not had axies through the summer yet so dont know what i will do. prob put some ice cubes in there or something. my big tank is right in front of my patio doors so will be keeping an eye on my
temp. worse comes to worse my two can have a holiday to the fridge.

personaly id go for the bigger one as chances are its the most healthy and the bully. plus u will be helping out the others. then again the others prob induce the feeling of wanting to rescue them lol

dont forget that once they start eating loads they will all catch up in size.

the feet will grow back from what ive heard. fraggle was missing a few toes and they have grown back though some of them are webbed for some strange reason.

dont know about the worms though...

WORMS: As long as no pesticides or fertilizer has been used round it, check with your parents. If you don't like handling worms, I didn't when I first started drop them in a container of water, swish them round scoop them out. Now I just pick them out with my fingers, my kids are well impressed these days , and dip them in water and shake them till the dirt comes off.

If they're too big/long; chop a small piece off and see if he can swallow it. Worms can be kept in container for several days in the fridge.

Kl thanks for that! Ive got de-chlorinated ice cubes ready
Ill probs go for the bigger one then. As i work there, i see what goes on and we dont feed them to much. As im quiet new,i cant really just say they ned feeding this and that. We feed them sinking carnviore pellets which the snails seem to love...not soo much the axies lol
Im ok with handling worms and theyre going organic so no pesticides being used.
Im in chigwell...where bouts are you shelley?

basildon. as ive said in another post im really lucky in my pet shop when it comes to axolotls as the guys that own it have kept them for years.

Connor, your parents may be doing things organically, but you have to keep in mind what people around are doing as well. If any chemical overspray can get into the compost bin, it's trouble.