Help a n00b!

hey i got some questions that would be great if i could get answered

a) how large does an axie grow to
b) how large of a tank will i need for a fully grown one
c) how do you clean the sand and how often
d) how can i keep the tank cool for my axie
e) is an axie high maintance
f) whats this cohabitating with muscles i hear about, anyone care to explain it to me

cheers
Krone

I can answer some q's for you, a fully grown axie will be about 20-30cm. You'll probably need a 3 foot tank. Pick waste up daily with a turkey baster or eye dropper and stir the sand weekly with a fork to prevent dead pockets. You can use bottles of frozen water or a tank chiller (expensive) to cool the tank. Axies are fairly high maintenance, so you've gotta be prepared to look after properly and you'll have a very happy axie. Not sure about the mussels, someone else will have to answer for you. Hope this helps.

My sister's biggest axie, only 14months old, is about 32cm long. You could have one adult axie (based on 30cm maximum) quite comfortably in a 2foot tank, but probably better if you get a bigger tank as you're bound to get more. 3ft would be good size for 2 axies and some hiding spots/plants.

I use the turkey baster to stir up sand every few days. If you use the bottles of frozen water, make sure that it's dechlorinated water in case the bottle bursts and could possibly kill your axie. I thought axies were high maintenance too at first, but if you set things up prior to getting your axie it helps. Most importantly setup and cycle your tank before you get an axie. Cycling can take from 3 weeks to 8 weeks.

Read: www.axolotl.org for more information.

and www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml on cycling a tank.


(Message edited by heihei on January 07, 2007)

thanks guys you have been very helpful but i was wondering with the bottles of frozen water, how do they work.

also should i have a temp gauge on my tank?

On the maintanance, they're a lot like keeping hamsters, they do need a lot of work but its not a huge amount (though I'm not saying they're to be took lightly!) I've found their work load quite pleasant.

Use a thermometer most definitely!

Don't use icecubes this can cause fluctuating temperatures.

I've haven't had to use cooling methods yet, too cold here at the moment and it's supposed to be summer! My sister used the bottle method and fans for their tanks last year.

Fill plastic bottles (not completely about 3/4full)with dechlorinated water and freeze them. Then you just place one in the tank and rotate them; ie before the bottle melts completely replace it with another frozen bottle. Just have to be careful as if you're randomly placing them in over the day rather than consistently rotating them, it can cause fluctuating temperatures which will stress axies.


You can use fans blowing across the surface of the tank, I've bought a pedestal fan to help if my tank gets warm but yet to use it, another thing you can do is to move your tank to the coolest part of the house just during the summer (if you don't have an airconditioner) and away from heat sources (window etc..). An internal filter also tends to warm a tank up faster than an external or hang over the back filter.

You are right in that Sara, I was lucky in that my sis/brother in law looked after my 5 babies until I had my tank cycled and all the food stuff sorted out. I feed twice daily, turkey baste daily, prepare waterbucket night before, waterchange/siphon weekly, weekly testing of water parameters, keep an eye on temperature.... And it's just become part of routine now it's all established