A few questions about getting an axolotl

hey,
I'm planning on getting an axolotl sometime soon. The fish shop said they'd have them in by tomorrow afternoon - some golden and soem black ones, they dont know what gender.

The spare fish tank I have is 38cm long X 18cm girth X 21cm high. Is this good enough? When I have asked people at different stores, some people say it's to small but today the guy said it should be fine because a lot of the time they just stay still. I've seen somebody with a tank a lot bigger but the axolotl just stayed still most of the time.

As far as tank "decorations" go, what can I use? All I have read is you should use sand not gravel, and that's all. Can I put plants in? rocks, small logs, etc?

With food, is it just any raw meat that's soft? How much should I feed and how often should I feed it? Will it need a variation of food or will it be fine if i feed it, say worms for 2 months then change to something else? What stuff shouldn't I feed it, and will my axie prefer live food or meat?

Do I treat the water and tank the same as if it was for fish? I own coldwater fish. For my axie I have the tank size i mentioned at the start)and a filter (which is often loud) and chemicals, etc to remove clourine, etc. Also, (I am assuming you use a filter with axies) is it safe to turn off my filter at night?

Also, when I first get the axie, do i let it in teh tank just like you do with fish? (but the bag in the water for 15 minutes, then let it in.

Should I consider getting two axies? I read in an other topic that they like to jump out and scare each other, and swim around etc. This would be more interesting to watch than just one bored axie sleeping at the bottom of my tank. I don't mind if they mate, I'm sure I could handle having two or so more and selling the rest.
With two of them, if one is male and one is female, will they ever fight? I'd prefer if they didn't because my uncle had 2 axies for 3 or so year, untill they got into a fight and both killed each other (yes, they both died. it was a draw)

If the tank is next to a tank with fish in it, will the axolotl ever ram its head into the sides (like those stupid japanese fighter fish) when it sees them? will it do anything differently because it can see the otehr fish?

I think thaht's all I need to know. Thanks!

(Message edited by tim_bob on July 06, 2006)

Whoah thats a lot of info. you need!

Let me just say that to say that a small tank is sufficent for axolotls because "they keep still" is a falsehood. Axies are most active at night, have lots of energy and are extremley powerful swimmers! As mentioned in a few recent posts, some axies jump out of unsecure tanks. Furthermore, for this and more reasons your choice on amount and types of ordaments/decorations are greatly hindered by a smaller tank.

For the rest look here if you haven't already

www.axolotl.org

I dont mean to slag of all pet stores because there are some brilliant ones out there, but many treat their axolotls like S***e and know next to nothing.

(i've vented my spleen now, thankyou lol)

I was planning on putting decorations in anyway. I'm looking for stuff on ebay right now

Can somebody answer some more of my questions?

Tim,

A lot of your questions are answered here
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_mexicanum.shtml

Ed

OK, TANK SIZE: a better size would be 60cm long x 30cm wide. This will allow for decorations and plants, filter (if you use an internal) ie: log/s, cave (or plastic pvc tube), terracotta pots, bridges whatever (something for them to hide in) as well as live or plastic plants if you want (will also enable them to hide). If u intend buying 2 axies, better to go for a 3ft tank and ensure there are at least 2 hidey holes/caves for them (chances are they will prob. both squash into the same one like ours do) Also, invest in a turkey baster if you can, this is great for doing spot cleaning of poos, uneaten food rather than pull out the siphon.

FOOD: Best staple is earthworms/wrigglers (or whatever you call them) - either from your garden or a bait shop if you have don't have a garden/probs trying to find any. Some people also feed crickets. You can use raw meat (ie ox heart/liver, sheep heart) as a occasional treat = but cut off all the fatty white bits and cut the meat into wormlike slivers. There are also axolotl pellets available, but ours spend 90% of the time ignoring them.

If you own fish, then I am assuming you will cycle the tank prior to adding your axolotl. So dechlorinator/water conditioner/water ager to get rid of the chlorine and chloramines... Do you have a water test kit to test for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates & ph? (If not, that would be a good idea too to have)

As long as you have a lid on your tank, your axie may jump but not out of the tank. I've only seen one of ours jump but it hit the lid and it fell back in. My sister has her axie tank by her son's goldfish tank with no probs. Our axies, when they were younger used to swim the length and hit the sides b4 turning but could have been cos of the mirror image and thought the tank was longer. (Only my opinion!)

Axies probably look bored, but IMO are still just as fascinating, they do funny looking things without intending to amuse us. Like half leaning against the tank glass, looking like they're leaning agains't a wall; or standing on top of each other all in the same corner. One of ours wont go in the cave but always sticks her head under the internal filter no matter where I move it, another sits on top of the airstone.

They tend to be more active at night, daytime they sleep not moving unless they get a fright. Ours won't move at all during the day even when we're spot cleaning with the baster or using the siphon; we just gently nudge them aside when we need to.

\

Ok, I probably won't get a different tank, I don't plan on spending too much money. My filter is external (the ones that go through a tube) so it will free up a little space for them. I will definately get some kind of thing for them to hide in (ie. rocks, driftwood, etc).

So, I stick sand at the bottom of my tank, set it up with the filter, stick on something for them to hide in, and get 2 axies - am I missing anything? (well other than food)

Is cycling the tank just leaving it with the filter going?

They will surely die if you try to use that little tank as a permanent set up.

Ok... What size would your recommend? 60cm?

Minimum size for 2 axolotls at 1 year old is 10 gallons. I would recommend a 15 gallon long with a slow flow good biological filter or deflected filter, hard water or minerals added, and cool.

i had one axie in a 2 foot(60 cm). i got two axies and they are in a 3 foot tank(90 cm). they are pretty comfortable in the 3 foot tank but i wanna get a bigger tank but don't have enough money.