New to the world of axolotl...

Hi all,
I posted this already in the general introduction, but might get some
of the right people here?


I am new into axolotl...

4 days ago I got 2 cute young axolotl, Max (brown)
and Suzie (white).

Of course I know they are too young to tell sexes yet, but I thought the
names are kind of nice for them

Together with their brothers and sisters they were bred in an university lab for student demonstrations. But they became too many, and the babies became too big, so they were distributed to interested students like me.
I always wanted one.

And after I am one of the lab demonstrators, I had first choice on the animals....:grin::grin::grin:

I especially liked Max, because he was the only animal to look up at me when I looked
into the container...
Bad thing I did -- after I heart that the axolotl are given away, I got my two, WITHOUT having a tank set up at home. So the two animals spend their first night at home in a bucket. At least the bucket had the colour as the plastic container they were in before.
They are missing their legs, they only have little stumps, although they are already 10cm long.

I guess this is due to the dense packed situation with all their
little cannibalistic siblings when they were at uni...
but after axolotl can regrow limbs, that should be fine, shouldnt it?

Well, I am quite reliefed now that I adopted the two of them...
Several more people got some, so the situation is quite improved.

Now they have a 50l tank for themselves, with hidey-holes

for the first time in their live, and also a variety of food.:lick::lick::lick:
Can you imagine the excitement of Max and Suzie when they had their first encounter with frozen blood worms?
:lick::lick::lick:

Suzie does not know what to do with the wood louse
I caught for her... They only were fed on pellets, thats what they know.

This is a picture on my tank

I did not include gravel, because they swallow it? I did not want to do surgery on my new animals first thing after I got them! I did not include filter, only airbubbles, I saw on the net they hate current? But I am happy with frequent water changes--
20% per week okay?

I also used started bacteria and dechlorinators for the tap water, after the tap water is chlorinated here in NZ. After I do not have a car, driving to get filtered water is not an option.

I know there was a discussion on a German board about the toxicity of dechlroinators, but to be honest, after reading the reasons (they gave the ingredients of dechlorinators) I could not see why these things could cause liver problems... I am also in e-mail contact with the Tetra people at the moment discussing this German discussion...


Suggestions, comments and critics towards my pictures and this threat are very welcome, as I said, these are my first axolotl.
I am especially curious how long it takes for them to regrow
their little leggies?

I am very happy to have found this site and I love all the pics of your animals!

Congratulations on becoming an axolotl owner! They look beautiful! Your tank looks great, bare bottomed tanks are fine, you can also use sand if you prefer something on the floor of your tank. (The axolotls might prefer it as they are missing their feet, it might help them get around easier, just a thought) I can't see how many hides you have for your babies, but they need at least two each.
You can safely use dechlorinator for water changes, but don't use any other chemicals, axolotls are very sensitive!
Lastly, they are lucky little axolotls to have such a caring owner, I'm sure they'll be very happy with you. Kerry.

PS. I forgot to say......I think it can take up to a couple of months for limbs to regrow, but I'm not sure on this.

Hi Ellen welcome to the site and to New Zealand even though by the sound of it you have been here a while.

You have great looking axolotls and yes the toes should regenerate.

Good Luck

Thanks Ianclick for the warm welcome to NZ!
Although I am already here for one year...

Thanks for reassuring me that the legs and toes of my babies will grow back.
Relief!
Even when it takes a few months.
But this way, I can take pictures and document it.

Kerry, about the sand in the bottom...
I did breed fish before, and it was said not to use sand in the
bottom, because the oxygen gets low in there and so food leftovers
can rot and harm the water quality.
I wanted to avoid that.
It is also much easier to suck out food leftovers with a bare tank bottom.
(I use a normal hose)
But you are right, my babies have some trouble moving on the bare tank bottom.
What are your experiences with using sand and water quality?

Do started bacteria count as chemicals?
After I did not cycle my tank before getting the animals
(in fact, the animals lived in a bucket for one night before I got a tank)
I thought using starting bacteria ("Cycle", has these nitrifying bacteria in it) will be good.
These bacteria will grow in a tank sooner or later anyway, so they wont harm my babies????

Happ about the dechlorinator!

About the hides...
at the moment, I have 3 plastic plants, 3 rocks, and two caves in there.
So they can avoid seeing each other.
What does count as a hide?
Because at the moment it is only one cave each.
They also do not seem to prefer sitting in the caves...
they are mostly sitting in the tank and I can watch them.
The tank is standing on my desk, where I work on the computer,
it is not near a window, has no direct light.
I do not have a light for the tank, after the axolotl are nocturnal.
So they have it pretty dark there...
Is that fine?
Critics? Suggestions?
More caves?

Hi Ellen and welcome to the world of axolotls

ellenant said:

But you are right, my babies have some trouble moving on the bare tank bottom.
What are your experiences with using sand and water quality?

Click to expand...

I would just put about a centimeter depth of sand in the tank. When spot cleaning my sand or doing my partial water changes I use a gravel syphon and turkey baster which stirs the sand and prevents gas pockets from developing and not to mention my axolotls love digging through the sand as well.

ellenant said:

I did not include filter, only airbubbles, I saw on the net they hate current? But I am happy with frequent water changes--
20% per week okay?

Click to expand...

I would recommend you get a filter, but not an undergravel filter. Axolotls do hate currents, but most filters have an adjustable out take that can direct the current to the tank wall as not to disturb the axolotls. An obstruction such as a plant/rock/etc can also be put in front of the current to break it up. A spray bar can also be used.

While the tank is cycling, which can take one to three months, you will need to be doing daily 20% water changes.

ellenant said:

Do started bacteria count as chemicals?
After I did not cycle my tank before getting the animals
(in fact, the animals lived in a bucket for one night before I got a tank)
I thought using starting bacteria ("Cycle", has these nitrifying bacteria in it) will be good.
These bacteria will grow in a tank sooner or later anyway, so they wont harm my babies????

Click to expand...

I would avoid any chemical cyclers with the exception of "BioSpira" (I understand this stuff is hard to get hold of though) as axolotls are very sensitive to chemicals - the best way to cycle a tank is naturally.

The wastes released by the axolotls will start the cycle.

As your axies are going to be cycling the tank, it is imperative to do 20% water changes daily to dillute the Ammonia and Nitrite to acceptable levels for the axolotl/s living in the water. Doing water changes only once or twice a week while still cycling the tank runs the risk of exposing the animals to toxins that can make them sick or kill them.

The 'ideal' reading for Ammonia and Nitrite is '0' - any reading higher than this is toxic to an axolotl.

While cycling, these levels will spike to toxic levels as part of the cycling process, there is no avoiding this but you can make it livable for the axies by partial water changes each day to bring these readings down to 'acceptable' levels for the one to three months it can take to complete the cycle.

The good bacteria colonises on all the tank surfaces such as tank walls, rocks, ornaments, filter, substrate, plants and removing 20% of the water does no harm to these bacterias. If for whatever reason you need to clean the filter media, give the sponges a clean in a bucket of the tank water - never use chlorinated tap water to clean the filter or other tank surfaces as this will kill the bacterias.

Once the bacteria is established, an indicator of this is when Ammonia and Nitrite read at a consistant '0' and the Nitrate reads 10-60, the tank is considered completely cycled. When completely cycled, this is when 10-20% water changes need only be done once weekly.

ellenant said:

About the hides...
at the moment, I have 3 plastic plants, 3 rocks, and two caves in there.
So they can avoid seeing each other.

Click to expand...

All of those caves, rocks and plants count as hides. As long as the axolotls have spaces to spend some 'time out' from one another and they can get away from light or anything that startles them then I would say your set up is fine. :happy:

Cheeers Jacq.

Oh, wow!
Thank you Havelock for this detailed help!!!!

Well, after the gravel syphon and sand would explode my financial budget
for this month, (at the moment I use an ordinary piece of thin hose
and the mouth sucktion method for water change), I decided
against some sand.
The same problem applied for the filter (but after I have to do daily water
changes for the next 3-4 weeks anyway, that wont make a change)...
Maybe next month?
But what I did find was a cheap package of coloured tank pepples.
I just wanted to provide the poor legless babies with some foothold.



Okay, I know, if I was the axolotl I would shoot my owner for bad taste...
But there werent any less tastless coloured BIG pepples available.
The axolotl were immediately very interested in these pepples and
also started to use them as "bed" right from the start.
I also got from your cycle bacteria description that more ornaments
and rocks is good? As a home for bacteria to sit on?
They are very big, and can not be swallowed.
Although I have to admit, when the axolotl get bigger, there
are two pepples of a size that worries me.


Note that green pepple to the right,
that is one of the worry-rocks when
they get older!



Does anyone have experiences with these "space pepples"?
I was told they should be safe.

Water change--
Thanks for the information!
I was told from the pet shop person 10% each day is okay.
Good that I asked here!!!! :kiss:

These are the products I am/was using:
They like the axolotl pellets, thats what they had at uni,
but also the frozen- dried fish food pellets. I use Aquasafe as dechlorinator.
And I did use "cycle".
Thanks Havelok!
After you mentioned Bio- spira I did some research on the net
and found out-- "cycle" is USELESS.
Some people say it is even bad, but I also saw people saying
there was no negative effect.
There are not even the right bacteria in there!
Some guy did his PhD thesis on these things and thats how they
developed Bio- spira that actually works.
No, I wont be able to get it here!

Anyway, thanks for telling me.
My knowledge is still from the days when I did breed guppy,
and in these days we used cycle and believed in it....

I did know the rule about cleaning the filter sponges in used tank
water! Thats what I had to do with my fish, too.

Sorry for all these stupid questions and pictures!
I just want to make everything PERFECT for the babies.
And after I am here in NZ to do training as a avian/exotic/wildlife vet,
I can never learn enough about these things!


No, there is not much to startle my axolotl...
on the contrary, they are still startling my cockatiel...

ellenant said:

Well, after the gravel syphon and sand would explode my financial budget
for this month, (at the moment I use an ordinary piece of thin hose and the mouth sucktion method for water change), I decided against some sand.

Click to expand...

Hey, the thin hose you use uses the same technique as a gravel syphon - you don't need to buy a syphon if the hose you are using works for you.

ellenant said:

The same problem applied for the filter (but after I have to do daily water
changes for the next 3-4 weeks anyway, that wont make a change)...Maybe next month?

Click to expand...

That's okay. You will just need to keep an eye on the water quality by testing frequently for Ammonia and doing daily partial water changes.

ellenant said:

But what I did find was a cheap package of coloured tank pepples.
I just wanted to provide the poor legless babies with some foothold. Okay, I know, if I was the axolotl I would shoot my owner for bad taste... But there werent any less tastless coloured BIG pepples available. The axolotl were immediately very interested in these pepples and also started to use them as "bed" right from the start.

Click to expand...

Hey, would we criticise? As long as the axies like it...

ellenant said:

I also got from your cycle bacteria description that more ornaments and rocks is good? As a home for bacteria to sit on?

Click to expand...

Yes, that's right.

ellenant said:

Note that green pepple to the right, that is one of the worry-rocks when they get older!

Click to expand...

Oooh, I'd take it out Ellen. That dark green pebble looks small enough to fit in their mouth now. The rocks need to be each at least 2 centimetres in diameter.

ellenant said:

They like the axolotl pellets, thats what they had at uni

Click to expand...

Axolotl Pellets are good.

ellenant said:

but also the frozen-dried fish food pellets.

Click to expand...

I haven't heard of these. If you have pellets made for axolotls though, I wouldn't use these that are made for fish unless they were salmon or trout pellets.

ellenant said:

I use Aquasafe as dechlorinator.

Click to expand...

I can't quite make the label out. Does it say it dechlorinates the water specifically? The best is the type that removes chlorine and chloramines as well.

ellenant said:

And after I am here in NZ to do training as a avian/exotic/wildlife vet,
I can never learn enough about these things!

Click to expand...

Oh wow! Excellent. The more exotic wildlife vets the better.

ellenant said:

No, there is not much to startle my axolotl...on the contrary, they are still startling my cockatiel...

Click to expand...

He'll recover....eventually.

Okay, I take the pepple out NOW.

Yeah, the axies seem to like the pepples.
At the moment Max is using a big green one as a cushion.
:happy:
2cm in diameter, that is great to know! Thank you!

I did buy the frozen dried fish pellets because
they used to be the favorite food for my guppy.

I just wanted to have some variety, and the MAIN food
are the axolotl pellets.
I also add frozen bloodworm every second day.
The frozen dried tablets contain frozen dried tubifex,
bloodworm, fish meal, shrimp meal.
43%crude protein compared to the axolotl pellets 48%
5%crude fat 9%
3%crude fibre 5%
9%moisture 8%
They also contain "ethoxyquin" what IS a problem.
That is a VERY common pet food preservative.
I do not know if it is also in the axolotl pellets,
because they did not write anything on the package.
Good precaution for the critical client...

I am also member in a bird forum and so I know about
the ethoxyquin debate. It seems as if the government
in the States wants to ban this substance because
it is CANCEROGENIC to humans.
It is forbidden to use in human products.
It is still allowed in pet food.

The dechlorinator is "Tetra Aqua Safe".
It is the stuff I also used to use for my fish,
never had a problem. Yes, it is getting rid of chlorine,
chloramine, and it is also supposed to bind heavy metals...

Oh well...
the cockatiel is happy when he can sit on my shoulder.
Than he even dares to watch the "crocodiles".
:grin::grin::grin:

Hi Ellen,

There is a food called axolotl tucker available through animates pet stores In New Zealand. It contains a mix of vitamins, minerals, insects, beef heart and liver. My axolotls prefer it above everything else I have tried

Hi Ellenant, nice opening post here, liked seeing all the pictures!

I too got my axolotl without legs! He regrew them in a couple of months, and they are a bit deformed looking but he has no trouble getting around.

If you have no filter, you will need to do 20% water changes each day or every second day, even after the tank is cycled - they are quite messy creatures. Spot cleaning will also help. My filter broke (I have a 60L tank with one axolotl) and there were already ammonia readings after two days in my cycled tank. I think you can get by without a filter but I *highly* recommend one as it will make tank maintenance much easier. You can then do 20% water changes weekly, though I tend to do mine each fortnight with no hassles.

Anyway, welcome to the forum and I wish you well with your new axolotls

Hi Ianclick, the animates pellets are the one I have got.
They were also the stuff they fed them at uni.
Have a look, I posted a picture of the animates container,
it is under the pictures with the pepples and axolotls...

Is it the one you mean?

I actually have to say my axolotls eat these pellets,

but they are far more active and all over the place
when I feed blood worms. They really chase them...
I give them blood worms every 2 days, after I still
feed my animals every day.

Yes, Saspotato, they ARE messy.
Yes, I might get a filter, have to plan it for next months or septembers budget...

Thanks for the info!
And thanks for the welcome.

By the way--
a water change takes for me only 5 minutes.
Hose into the tank, sucking with my mouth,
let the water run into the bucket...
then getting the new water treated with dechlorinator in...
No worries at all!

I got into axolotls a little over 2 years ago. They are very facinating. I've found that a sand substrate works great because if they ingest it, it passes right through!

hey ELLEN im new on here and im just wonderin how i was tpo go about gettin hold of those axie pellets in cant find any in the uk would i have to buy them overseas ???

Hi Ellen, your axies are beautiful and lucky to have a conscientious owner! Mine go nuts for live earthworms and live bloodworms

@ Kiko I found some online in the UK will pm you the link

This thread is 3 years old.

Kiko, I recommend asking your question in a new thread, or better yet, searching through threads in the 'food' section about where to get pellets. Not only has this user not posted since February 2009, but she's also not in the UK and I doubt she'd be able to help you. There are plenty of threads on where to buy pellets.

i neva thort about lookin wen the thread was posted ill keep that in mind in the future im still gettin use to this website its very helpfull and the people are really nice and have helped me with a few things thanks for your help kaysie xx