Advice about setting up a tank for an Axoltol

Hi I've never had anything like an Axolotl for a pet before and whilst I've learned alot about them from reading and watching the technician's look after the lab specimens I have a few questions I could do with answering before I get started.

First off I'd be getting my Axolotl just before christmas. It'd be kept in a small transport tank (possibly about 30cmx20cm or there abouts) to begin with as it needs transporting back home from university and then I need to pick up the main tank either later that day or the following morning. However whilst I'm aware that they tend to be fairly happy in a small tank for a few days as long as they have somewhere to hide and a decent oxygen pump. I was wondering if there were anything I could do to make the transportation less stressful as 3 hours in the car is annoying for me let alone an Axolotl?

Secondly I was thinking of getting a tank that was around 24inch by 12 inches and eventually introducing a second Axolotl. Would this be big enough for the two of them I know that as they get bigger they should become less active. Also how would I get it cycling?

Thirdly I was wondering whether a substrate of sand or larger rocks would be better, I know larger rocks should be incapable of being digested and that sand should pass right through but which do Axolotl seem to enjoy more and which is best for creating an engaging habitat for the animals? As far as plants go which would be the easiest to obtain and grow, I'm a Zoologist not at Botanist so have a noticeable lack of a green thumb. I could do with plants which are capable of looking after themselves and have properties that aid the Nitrogen Cycle. Also are there any plants which Axolotl prefer in their tank or ones that they actively attempt to remove?

As far as tank mates go I know they're a bad idea as they tend to get eaten but I also know several fresh water snails can help keep down algae populations and some shrimp are useful for helping to keep clean the tank. What species are commercially avalible and do big pet shops like Pets at Home tend to stock them or will I need to go to an aquarium specialist. How many would be advisible to introduce regarding the high likelyhood of the Axolotl attempting to at least eat the shrimp? Which species are the most reliable to not get eaten out of the snails?

Food wise I was considering feeding them on bloodworms but as my parents would be caring for it for the few months after christmas while i finish my degree I would be likely to get pellets as those would be easier to manipulate. Any brands that are more reliable than the others? Where can you buy them from? I know the ones we have in the lab are fed on squid predominatly but I doubt I'll be able to get fresh squid back home so is it easy to move them off fresh (admitidly still dead) food onto pellets?

Thanks guys, the reason I joined here is because you guys know what you're talking about.

Firstly, with the transporting, just make sure the transport tank doesn't move around much. Some people use plastic bags as they don't get bumped around as much.

With tank size, an 18in tank is considered acceptable for an adult axolotl (more info->http://axolotl.org/housing.htm)

With cycling, its probably more detailed than I can explain in a thread so here is a great article explaining the process->http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml. It can take 4-10weeks to do this and it is best if you do that before you get your axie. However, if you can't do that, its ok (I didn't with mine) but you need to measure water parameters much more frequently until the tank is done with cycling. And do 20% water changes when the ammonia is greater than 0.

I would go with sand as a substrate, as waste can get behind large rocks and cause water quality problems. Some use a bare floor and that is the easiest as far as cleaning goes (but probably not the most aesthetically pleasing ) As far as I know, axolotls eat shrimp (I feed mine frozen brine shrimp - is that what you were thinking of? They don't last long when they are not in salt water)

You can use snails, but there are always dangers with introducing other tank mates. If you buy any live stuff from a shop, you will need to quarantine it for 30 days before introducing it into a tank.

Pellets are a good idea for feeding if you can't use other stuff. I use salmon pellets sometimes. I think soft ones are better as they are easier to eat. Some shops also stock pellets designed for axolotls but I am not sure of the name sorry.

Anyway, hope that helps!

When you move him you cant put some plants in. Some thing to hang on to.

Thanks for the quick replies guys.

I'd rather use a transport tank than a bag as it reduces the chances of the Axolotl running out of oxygen and is easier to keep a hold of, also there's a good chance I'll have to get it a day or two before I travel home so a travel tank is more useful for keeping him in my uni flat (which means I'll have to turn the heating off >.<). I'll probably just keep the tank on my lap. As i said the Axolotl I have access to are lab bred specimens which means they're more used to enclosed conditions for when they're seperated out for behaviour experiments (nothing too cruel but obviously there's only so much room in the aquarium and the Axolotl and other amphibians we have already take up about a 1/4 of the space for big tanks and the rest is mostly given over to students and breeding populations of some fish). I'd more than likely put some plastic plants floating on top and a tube in for it to have some shelter for the journey and make setting him up with his oxygen pump once back home 1st priority.

I'll nip into my local pets at home near my flat to look at tank sizes and costs, obviously the bigger the better, to see what they have to offer. Thanks for the link to the article about it, it should answer a few more questions.

I'll be looking after the Axolotl myself for 4 weeks while I'm home for christmas before leaving it in the care of my family so should be able to keep an eye on its behaviour and the levels of nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and ph whilst maintaining regular 20% water changes. I'll ask in the lab about borrowing some plastic plants from them in hopes of bringing over the bacterial cultures i'll need from there and work on establishing some live plants. After cycling is achived how often is it best to check levels in the tank?

As far as substrate goes I'll probably go for aquarium sand with some large flat rocks to break up the desert look abit. I'll justneed to make sure that the underside of the rocks is cleaned to make sure there isn't a build up of waste. As for tank mates I was thinking of a few freshwater shrimp, as whilst my family don't mind looking after it whilst I finish my degree, something to help keep the tank clean would be useful and I had read that some people kept freshwater shrimp with their axolotl as the shrimp quickly grow to big for the Axolotl to eat and the Axolotl quickly teaches the shrimp not to go for its gills unless it wants the Axolotl to try an swallow it. Snail wise I just want something which will be too big for the Axolotl to get it in its mouth and will do the job. As a zoology student I know to keep them quarantined for an appropiate amount of time.

Salmon pellets are the back up food for our amphibians in the lab so I may be able to get a limited supply from there for the first few weeks and then get some from a dedicated shop back home shortly after returning.

As for a location I know Axolotl don't like much light exposure but as these are lab animals that have students working around the aquarium all day they tend to be used to the bright lights on the ceiling (and to people as well). I was thinking of keeping the tank in a northward facing room (as we're in the northern hemisphere the sun is always partially in the south), and this would reduce the amount of direct sun exposure. Also for those sunnier days I plan on getting a dark cloth to cover the tank with and to monitor the temp more closely. Would this be fine?

Finally will any water plants do or are their species that an Axoltl shouldn't be housed with?

Thanks again, I guess I'm gonna be abit worse with volume of questions than most beginers because of having spent all semester maintaining a healthy enviroment for my dissertation specimens so have a large number of factors buzzing round my head.

Low light plants work well. Horn wort always does good for me. Java fern, Java moss, Mario moss balls.

hi,
axies seem to prefer good old earth worms over all else, so, if you have a chemical free garden or are near an angling shop you can pick up a pot of these.
being live food it is more stimulating for the axies as well as being more nutritious .
the down side with pellets is that any uneaten soon deteriate in the water and as you are goig away this could case more work for your family, water maintainance wise.
un-eaten worms are easily removed. and one large worm means they only have to be fed 2-3 times a week

Well the ones we have at uni are fed on bits of squid and we never seem to have a problem with them not eating it unless its cut to big for them. I was thinking about working out the maximum size they eat during the first week and then cutting them all to just beneath that and leaving instructions with my parents to as to the length. I'd love to leave them live food but the problem is I could probably order salmon pellets online and have them sent home for my parents whereas earthworms would be problomatic. My family, whilst having time to give it a water change and feed it, would more than likely not have the time to go pick up fresher food, hence going for either pellets which can easily be shipped to them or bloodworms which can be brought from a nearby petshop.

Plus I think my mum would be abit off at feeding it live food. I will look into earth worms myself when I finish up here at uni.

Pellets can be used very easily without water quality problems I believe and have the advantage of being really cheap. I drop my pellets on top of my axolotl and he snaps them up once they fall near his mouth. Any he misses he will sniff out on the tank floor. After that, any that are not eaten within half an hour I suck up with a turkey baster. They are quite easy to spot, especially if you drop them in the same spot each time. Anyway that is my advice if you want to avoid water quality issues with pellets.

I was considering a shallow bowl or ash tray for putting food in and then it just has to be taken out and cleaned whilst any bits the Axolotl has scattered can be sucked up with a turkey baster. I someone could link me to a site I can buy pellets from that'd be great.