Just a few things :)

Hello everyone!

After much negotiation, my parents have agreed to let me get axolotls!(Horray!) However, I have a few questions as to their keeping. (And yes, I have devoured axolotl.org. It was delicious :3 )

For one, how many Axies could I keep in a 12x24 inch tank? Speaking of the tank, At the moment it is a freshwater fish tank with snails and gravel. I know the gravel, fish and snails will have to go, but does the water? It has no nitrite nor amonia to speak of, so I'm wondering if it would be ok to clean it and remove the undesired things, but keep the water?

Another thing is, how well do Axies ship? If I get a shipment from Halifax (The other side of Canada, I live near the opposite coast) will they make the trip? Is there a prefered shipping method other than driving with a tank in your car?

Thanks for your time!

If the 24 inches is referring to the tanks length then you can keep one adult axolotl in it.
Personally I wouldnt worry about changing the water as you have already cycled the tank, but a check on ammonia, nitrite and nitrate wouldn't be a bad idea.

I have 6 mystery snails in my tank but they don't seem to bother my axies. I have heard they find their skin munchy to sometimes nip on & I have seen one of my axie's use her back leg & kick a field goal with it lol but most the time their happy eating the walls of my tank.

Yes, your tank is suitable for one adult axolotl I would say. As far as changing the water over, I think it would be ok but I would still do testing of the water as a big change can cause the tank to recycle or a minicycle. Especially as you are removing substrate - a lot of bacteria is found in the substrate.

Not sure how well axolotls ship. I have heard anecdotally that they are pretty hardy when it comes to transportation but have not really transported my own anywhere so can't speak from experience. Perhaps you could speak to a few people here who ship their axies? You can look in the species wanted section and see who offers shipping and what they do to organise a shipping.

you may find the snails will dissapear, depending on their size. I found a few tiny snails on the tank walls a while ago when i introduced some live plants to the tank but a week later the snails were gone, i have a feeling the axies sneaked in a crafty snack