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Setting up new tank

Lisa

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Oct 12, 2007
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I'm about to get a 48 inch tank and set it up for my axolotl with the plan to get two more once it's cycled. I will isolate the new ones for a month before introducing them to Fred.
I have a couple of queries.
Will a larger tank be easier to keep the temperature down in? :confused: I live in Perth, which at present is like living in hell. It should take longer to heat up, but will also obviously take longer to cool. So short hot spells I would imagine it will cope with better, but the long ones could be more of an issue. What is peoples experience? Cooling techniques will include polystrene foam around tank in conjunction with ice bottles when tank goes above 20 degrees celsius and some sort of fan yet to be established to clip on to tank.
Will use light only for display purposes over summer to reduce heat. Low light plants, I've just bought some Java fern.
What sort of filter would be best to again reduce heat being added to tank from it's motor? I have a small internal one at present that works well, but obviously adds to the temperature issues.
Sand on floor.
Want to make my axies as comfortable as possible. Mine is currently in the fridge weathering the heat and giving me some head space to plan this.
 

kapo

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Nov 27, 2005
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Yes a larger tank does take longer to heat up.

Rather than internal filters, consider buying an external/canister filter if you can afford. We have hit and miss affairs with filters, but as we don't get extreme heats in our city like you do, thankfully, we've managed with two internal filters on our larger tanks (not necessarily ideal but will do until we can afford a couple of canisters later in the new year). See: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/filters.shtml

Another type of fan you could use would be a pedestal fan, they're cheap over here about $15 but you can raise and lower them and adjust the angle on them to the correct height/angle to fan your tankwater surface. Maybe make a mesh screen lid (to stop any axies jumping out as well) so you can use the fan or fans as well as polystyrene and ice bottles.
 
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