Have I set the tank up correctly?

My 11 year old son got three axolotls from the internet after wanting some for I don't know how long. The auction he won said that everything needed was included, but when we went to pick them up, the three axies ( each about 15cm long) were in a tank that is 25cm square with nothing in it but a bit of dirty looking water. We now have them in a tank that is 950mm x 450mm. We have aquarium pebbles on the bottom ( too big for them to eat), a hollow plastic rock and a few natural rocks for them to hide in/ behind, and a air bubbler. The water quality has been checked.
Is there anything else we should have in the tank to give them a nice life ? And how deep should the water be? One book I read said as deep as the axies are long, and another one said to fill the tank up. Is this tank big enough for the 3 of them ? Do they need the air bubbler?
Sorry about all the questions. I would rather ask what may seem to be silly questions rather than let Heidi ( the one who hides in the plastic rock), Nosey and Freckles suffer unnecessarily.
Thanks very much for any replies.

Hi Kiwi and welcome to the forum!

kiwi said:

We have aquarium pebbles on the bottom ( too big for them to eat)

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Pebbles of a large size can be a real pain to keep clean as wastes and excess food gets trapped under the rocks and cannot be spotted for removal unless the rocks are shifted.

May I suggest sand as substrate? It is much easier to keep clean...Suitable sand is childrens play sand as this sand has been sterilised or fresh water aquarium sand that can be purchased from an aquarium or pet store. Do not use marine sand or beach sand.

Axolotls are real grots, you will need to 'spot clean' the tank for axie pooh and excess food at least once per day. A turkey baster is the best tool for this as you can suck the mess right up, or a gravel syphon works well too.

I know you mentioned you had the water quality 'checked', but as the 3 foot tank is new I'm guessing it has not yet been cycled?

This is an article on cycling the aquarium for your axolotls.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

kiwi said:

a hollow plastic rock and a few natural rocks for them to hide in/ behind, and a air bubbler. The water quality has been checked.
Is there anything else we should have in the tank to give them a nice life?

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It is recommended to have twice as many hides to the amount of axolotls in the tank, for example if you have two axolotls provide four hides, if you have three axolotls provide six hides. Axolotls live well enough in company but will often need 'time out' from one another.

kiwi said:

And how deep should the water be? One book I read said as deep as the axies are long, and another one said to fill the tank up.

Is this tank big enough for the 3 of them ? Do they need the air bubbler?

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It's a matter of personal preference. I prefer to fill my tanks as this aids in dilluting ammonia and wastes. Axies do not need depth, but floor space so yes your tank is a good size for two, three will be okay but you will need to keep an eye on the water quality and you may need to consider upgrading the tank size as an axolotl can grow to any size between 7 to 14 inches.

If you haven't already, I would recommend you purchase liquid test kits for Ammonia (first priority), Nitrite (important, but not as important as Ammonia), Nitrate (not important but handy to know particulary if cycling your tank for the first time), and PH (important as well).

Ammonia and Nitrite must read as '0', as any reading higher than this is toxic to an axolotl.

Cycling the tank takes one to three months to complete. If you have any questions about the article I have attached on cycling, please feel free to ask - cycling can be difficult to grasp.

The air bubbler is not needed, axolotls prefer still water. What sort of filter do you have?

Cheers Jacq.

Hi Denise and welcome to the site, great to have another kiwi on board. Jacq has given you comprehensive answers to your questions so all I can add is have a look at www.caudata.org it has heaps of information about all things axolotl.

Good Luck