Question: My sister neededs some advice and I don't know the answer...

My little sister has decided that she would like an axolotl. She has gone and got herself a small tank to begin with (her axie is only 6cm long) and is planning on getting a much larger one in a couple of weeks so that she can have more than one axie. But she hasn't bought a filter as yet because she wanted to wait until she gets the larger tank.

She wants to know if she can use an oxygen block in her small tank for a little bit?
Also she wants to know if she can use an ammonia preventative block to help prevent the build up of ammonia? I have never heard of something like that, but apparently the ammonia block releases minerals into the water to stablise the pH and prevent the build up of ammonia.

I am not sure what to tell her as I have never used anything like that.

What do you guys think??? All advice would be very helpful!

Thanks

kira said:

My little sister has decided that she would like an axolotl.

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And who can blame her?

kira said:

She has gone and got herself a small tank to begin with (her axie is only 6cm long) and is planning on getting a much larger one in a couple of weeks so that she can have more than one axie. But she hasn't bought a filter as yet because she wanted to wait until she gets the larger tank.

She wants to know if she can use an oxygen block in her small tank for a little bit?

Click to expand...

This should be fine until she gets the bigger tank. She will need to do frequent water changes to control the Ammonia levels.

kira said:

Also she wants to know if she can use an ammonia preventative block to help prevent the build up of ammonia? I have never heard of something like that, but apparently the ammonia block releases minerals into the water to stablise the pH and prevent the build up of ammonia.

Click to expand...

I would advise her not to use these ammonia blocks. The block converts Ammonia to Ammonium which is less toxic but still dangerously toxic to an axolotl. The best way to rid the tank of ammonia in lieu of cycling is frequent water changes.

Axolotls are happy in a pH range of 6.5 - 9.

If the pH drops below 6.5 using natural methods such as shell grit and coral sand to raise the pH to within the axolotl's preferred range is the safest way of adjusting pH levels. Chemical uppers and downers of any sort should be avoided.

Cheers Jacq.

Great thanks. I will let her know.