Tank got too hot, will they be okay?

Hiya,
Yesterday apparently it got to over 47 deg here at my house while we were at my in-laws for boxing day...I knew it was going to be hot so i left a couple of ice bricks in the tank an a fan blowing over the water... no lights on, house shut up etc etc

We got home and the themometer read 30deg in their tank.. I immedialetly placed another fan at the opposite end of the tank and replaced the bottles of ice and it took 3 hours but we got it down to 20.. today it peaked at 24 but got it down to 20 with hourly changes of ice bottles.. (chiller being bought next week!!!)

They have all had 2 meals today and are swimming about as normal.. snape and molly both played with my camera which i had placed in the tank to get some good pics of them...

they should be okay right???

As long as you don't have constant fluctuating temperatures like you have been. If you can keep the temperatures below 20c till you get your chiller then yes ok. But if you can't you might consider fridging them till the chiller arrives, since it's only a week away, otherwise you might find one or all may get stressed and develop fungus.

Hi, I'm in Perth too and I put mine in the fridge on boxing day esp when I saw the weather predictions for the next week. I was constantly putting ice bottles in the tank, had polystrene around it and temp still 21-22c. So he's in the fridge at 7 degrees in declorinated water in a lunchbox with a tea towel wrapped around it and a spare bottle of water next to him and a cup with water and thermometer from the tank to monitor temp. So far so good 48 hours later. Not sure if he's going to eat yet, as I'll try that tomorrow. He looks a lot smaller and thinner out of the tank, which worries me.

We have containers at the ready.. is it okay to put 2 together in one container? Our tank temp is at 15deg right now thankfully and they seem so sluggish which is horrible.. at our house the workers in the orchard said it got to 54deg on boxing day which scared us whitless....
my hubby has actually got a relativley inexpensive way to cool them down, the esky with ice and coils of tubing, he will go and get the required stuff before the next heat wave... that should keep the tank temp down... i really am nervous about putting them in the fridge.. we have five kids who always open it.

Mine ate an earthworm today even tho he's in the fridge, which made me feel better. Apparently it's very relaxing for them. We have four young kids, three of whom can open the fridge regularly but who have been shown where he is and read the riot act about touching him at all. They get to have a look once a day when I change his water. His lunchbox is wrapped in a dark tea towel, so don't think he'll be noticing the light going on and off much at all. Don't know about putting two together; imagine it might be OK in the fridge as their metabolism slows down anyway and they are less active. Fridge needs to be above 5 degrees (ours is at 7). Good luck.

Weather

I am also in Perth and have had trouble with the temp of axie's tank. I saw something on here about keeping them in the fridge but was wondering if anyone has suggestions for how big the container in the fridge should be and how long I can keep him in there before he gets stressed. I suppose either way, it is better than the increasing tank temp but I just want to double check things before i go ahead and do it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

was wondering, if u put the axie in the fridge for a certain time, so basically the axie's temp went up.
but when you put the axie back in the tank, the temp of the axie will increase(hot) back to the tank temp? won't that make no difference? and won't it also stress the axies??? as the temp goes up n down???

It means you can't keep swapping between fridge and tank all the time lazylilsnoop. Putting your axie in the fridge is fine but when you take it out, you should let the container warm to room temperature slowly. Then float the container in the tank for a bit until the temperatures are equal. This takes away the shock of a sudden temperature change.

An axolotl can be kept in the fridge for the whole summer, if necessary. Some Europeans and a few australians have used this method (buying either a 2nd hand fridge or small bar fridge to accommodate their axies) as it works out cheaper than buying a chiller. They pull them out during the winter months. This way they can increase the fridge temperature to 8-12C, so their axie will eat as well as store many bottles of dechlorinated water in the fridge. This also means (for Aussie/NZers) that at Christmas time you're not fighting for space for your Xmas/New Years food and beverages!

Size of container will be dependant on size of axie. I've used a small margarine container for a juvenile (10cm length axie); an even smaller container for two axolotl larvae; an icecream 2l container for an adult. As long as the container fits them lengthwise so they don't curl their tail to fit (if they're going to be fridged might as well be comfortable.)

You can even use a vegie bin or replace it with small tank in the fridge; the key is daily 100% waterchanges of the same fridge temperature; and avoid pulling it in and out over the course of a 24hour period (which some seem to do because they think the fridge is more harmful to the axie and want to warm the axie up).

If you do use a container for two axolotls (I assume you mention this because they're going into the esky), then as long as you change the water daily like the fridge and they're not crammed together. Two axies will excrete waste (not necessarily poo, but they excrete from the gills as well) so double the amount of waste will build up in the confined space.

Make sure it also has a lid (no need for holes as cold water has far more oxygen than warm water). Ensure you wrap the container in a dishcloth or small cloth to avoid light/temperature fluctuations.

I also have 3 kids and many young nieces and nephews, that love to open/close the fridge especially if they know one of the axies are residing in "hospital"/the fridge. Mine have learnt over the past two and half years (they also used to get the riot act but not anymore) not to play round with the fridge door, if they open it, open it gently (get out whatever they need as quickly as possible) and close it gently (rather than slam the door). They also get to help with feeding time and waterchanging or setting the timer for saltbaths if needed (that way they feel included in helping whichever axolotl that is sick to get better). Kids learn fast (faster than most adults I'd say and take it all in good stead) and are quite accepting/accommodating when you explain why (my 3 year old became a dab hand at helping look after the axie larvae with a turkey baster cleaning or feeding daphnia, while the older two were at kindy/school).

okay.. im still very unsure of putting them in the fridge... dont they get bored or something?

By getting bored you're equating axies with human emotions.

Axolotls are primarily cold water creatures. They are used to colder temperatures, usually having the tankwater colder (ie winter months) ours are far less prone to stress and fungal infections and thrive (no stressful colouring of tail, overexerted swimming, nor fungal infections, odd floating or out of the ordinary behaviour).

Fridging axolotls works in aiding axolotls to recuperate and give them a chance to heal or destress, if they're sick/stressed. Ours are fridged at 5-7C, and apart from one axie death (which was not fridge related) but due to gravel ingestion, all ours have thrived and come out much better. We only open their containers (once they're put in) for waterchanges and/or saltbaths (if needed).


When we first got axies and had to fridge them (within a few weeks during summer) I too was initially reluctant to put them in the fridge and would keep my eyes shut each time I checked their container (at each waterchange), and would ask the kids if they moved before opening my eyes to make sure they were still alive - I was more stressed than the axies and probably could have done with my own time in the fridge . We kept them in the fridge for 3.5 weeks - their illness was neither heat/nor water quality related.

But since then I've been a great believer in "hospitalising" them when they need to be.

Axolotls really do far better in small containers in the fridge than in tanks at varying temperatures in the mid 20s Celsius. They eat less, grow slowly but look well. It may seem artificial but it is nearer to natural than the heat. When you are going to change them back to the tank I advise changing the water as usual with cold water before allowing the temperature to rise. The toxic un-ionized form of ammonia excreted by their gills is present at about one third the level at 7 degrees than 17 degrees, so doing a water change first will avoid risk of toxic stress during the temperature rise. Similarly if you do get them out for feeding or observation do that water change early before the temperature rises.

I too was reluctant to put Fred in the fridge, but had read so much about it on this forum I decided it must be better than 22 degrees in the tank for days on end, which was the lowest I could get it by boxing day, though it never went over 24. He is housed in a lunchbox. But he had that white film stuff on him there's a photo of on this site without going over 24 degrees, that's a sign of stress. When he comes out (probably thursday or friday) I am definately going to have to keep the temp below 20, because I really think that's the only source of stress in his life. I'm also going to feed him daily, as he seems to have lost weight. The bar fridge idea is a good one.

okay i did it... they are in the fridge.. the boys in one container and the girls in another.... temp between 5-10 my daughter keeps checking on the axiepoles (ha ha very funny!!)we are definetly keeping them in the fridge this week with forecast temps of 40 deg on thursday again...

on another note.....

my tank is still cycling with extremely high ammonia...( I was doing 20-30% waterchanges daily when babies were in the tank)
Do i just leave the tank to cycle alone... Do I have to do the water changes daily still or can i just leave it to just cycle itself? we are runnning a eheim internal and an old fashioned internal cannister filter with the coton fibre stuffs and carbon. ohh we also have a wee bit of java moss sitting in there

Hello again. I wondered about if when you removed the bioload ie axies, the bacteria in my tank would die off. someone suggested emptying the container water from the fridge into the tank when you change it, ie it's got poo in it from the axies and possibly food. Kind of a virtual axolotl! So I've done that a couple of times, and put some pellets in today that I'll remove later today as I would if he didn't eat them. Sharon suggested adding a goldfish, then letting the axie eat it when he went back in the tank.
He regurgitated the earthworm I fed him two days ago, so I think I'll not feed him again until he comes out of the fridge (hopefully Friday or Saturday), at which point he'll need fattening up.

Dancas - leave the tank to cycle - just test the water again before the axies go back into the tank and do a 20-30% waterchange before they go in, if it's needed. Rather than add all the axies back into the tank at once, stagger them so the bioload can cope again; ie add one axolotl one day then leave it for about 4-5 days and add another and so on and so forth. Ensure you're testing during tankwater during this time. This allows the tank to cope with each additional axolotl waste rather than having one extreme ammonia spike.

Lisa - you can empty axie waste/water into the tank.

If you intend putting a goldfish in the tank, then like an axolotl, you would have to care for it the same way - test the water, do 20-30% waterchanges on the tankwater if needed. Also, that would be fine if it was one of your own goldfish (if it's a petshop bought one then 30 day minimum quarantining would still apply to goldfish as for any other axie companions so it's up to you but bear that in mind). You'd probably just be better of putting a few axie pellets or a bloodworm cube in and monitoring the tankwater parameters.

hmmm i had to take the axies out of the fridge due to inconsistant temp in there. they are all looking very fine... their main tank is steadyish at around 18 deg with constant ice bottle change. I am keeping a very close eye on them... constantly worrying, just like the mother i am.

Axies

Hi dancas and lisa, I to am from perth and have three axies. I am managing to keep their tank temperature down by using a house fan just above the tank and my tank is 4ft but i also have polystryene around three sides of the tank as well. I have had the temp sitting at 17.8 - 19 for the past four weeks But i also leave the glass lids off the tank. I am not an expert but this may help
Cheers

vicki,
did your temp go up on boxing day? we are going to be on high alert tomorrow. where's the best place to get polystyrene? i was thinking about tin foil as a temporary measure.....

Dancas,

I tried Bunnings and even Spotlight but neither stores sold polysterene but they might at where ever you live. I ended up trying the pet store because they should have it readily availiable for placing it under the base of tanks to prevent cracking and that sort.

Jay.