BUYING A axolotls

A

alex

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Hey guys i am new to the forum so help me out. I am currently thinking of buying a axolotls. My friend has one and i love it! I have read so much stuff on this animal, but i need some more info. My friend has a 5gallon tank with a whisper in tank filter. Is this ok? The water never gets dirty and the axolotls never gets sick from small tank. If i was to get one could i follow her way. Except with plant and gravel? She has tubes, and a planters pot on there. So could i do that? Any suggestions? thanks!!!
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Welcome alex!
5 gallon= around 20 litres... id say no for that one. you want at least 30 x 30 floor space for one axolotl.
have a read of www.axolotl.org you will find heaps of info there.
dont use gravel, the can eat it and block them up, have a read of a post about a dead axie in the sick section, we think it died of gravel
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you can use all sorts of decorations for your tank, have a look in the axie gallery, it may give you some ideas
 
Thanks!! I see what your saying.....should i have any kind of substrate on the floor? I found some ideas i liked on the website you gave me. Cant wait untill i have every thing setup!!
 
Use sand. Its what people on here are recomending and its what I'm about to go buy for my tank today.
 
sands good, some people use no substrate because its easier to clean and some people just put a few big rocks in there. best to start out right (use sand), it saves you having to spend more when you discover you own a little gravel muncher :p
 
cheap filters? you can get heaps of cheap filters! just make sure it isnt too strong and if it is you can adjust the water flow. i like HOB's (hang on back filters) because they ceate very little water movement.
you can feed them alot of things like earthworms (a great staple), bloodworms, black worms, meal worms (only as a treat i think its these ones which are fatty), axolotl pellets, salmon pellets etc etc
 
hey I'm currently thinking of buying an axolotl or 2 (if I can annoy my parents into being convinced!) are those smooth river stones any good?
 
if they can fit in their mouths no. some people use large river rocks but find them to hard to keep clean, myself included so i changed to sand. thats the best substrate IMO. have a read of www.axolotl.org might have some useful info on there for ya
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You have to be careful about bloodworms as they can up the level of nitrogen in the water. Just pick out the ones that it doesn't eat and keep the water clean.
 
Yeah bloodworms are great for young axies but they do "stuff" the water. You will also find that even in a cycled tank it will still have to grow more bacteria to take care of the extra waste (even if you suck out the uneaten ones). Twice a day feedings don't help either.

Chopped up earthworms work well. But axies definatly prefer blood worms.
 
thanks guys! it really helps! i cant wait untill i get one!


and sean roberts..you can make your own thread too you know?
 
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    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
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  • Thorninmyside:
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    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
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