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eimajton

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Hi all, I am in the process of buying my own axo (always wanted one), I am buying a tank tomorrow that is 70cms X 30cm X 30cm. And my friend that works at a pet shop is going with me to buy all the cleaning/filtration stuff and decorations. MY question is are there any tips you guys can give me so I don't do any harm to it, and care for it the best possible way? I would really love a albino colour one :)
 

ianclick

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Hi have a look at the following links Caudata Culture andthe Axolotl site

These sites have all the answers to your questions and much much more.

Best tip I can give you and no offence inteneded to your friend but. Take the advice from pet shops with a grain of salt. There is the odd good one somewhere in the world but most have little or no knowledge of how to keep axolotls and their advise normally involves purchasing some chemical based quick fix.

Good Luck
 

eimajton

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yer I've been at those two sites and read alot of information..yer my friend was just going to help with buying the right filter and setting right ph levels etc. as she worked at an aquarium so knows alot about that kinda stuff
 

blueberlin

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Hi eimajton,

I hope this message doesn't come too late. I would recommend a larger tank than 70x30x30. I would suggest having at least 80 cm long (and 40x40 or whatever is standard with 80cm length). Otherwise you may find yourself in a constant battle with water quality and, as one axolotl always leads to another, an 80 cm long tank will be enough for another axolotl or two to accompay your new pet.

Other than that, use a thin layer of sand (2-3 cm) (use pool filter sand or children's play sand as they are much cheaper than sand sold at aquarium shops.

The pH is not too important as axolotls tolerate a pretty wide range - the main thing is to simply accept the pH you have in your tap water and not try to change it, as all treatments lead to drastic swings in pH levels as they are freshly applied and then lose effect and then more is added.

In the beginning (say, after a week or two, depending on the volume of your tank) you will need to watch your ammonia levels, because axolotls produce a lot of waste. Even experienced aquarists are often surprised at how much ammonia a single axolotl can produce. Your friend can help you monitor this and avoid "new tank syndrome".

If you've read those links Ian provided (and a bit here in the forum), you will know that decorations should include some hiding places - caves, tunnels, etc. I would have 2 for 1 axolotl, 3 for 2, etc. If you plan on using live plants, select those that tolerate cold temperatures and have low light requirements.

Just in case it needs mentioning, you do not need a heater. Heat + axolotl = bad. :happy:

Last tip I have is to find your food supply now. The best food is earthworms, which can be found at a bait shop or in your garden, or ordered online. There are many other things that axolotls eat and they are often available at aquarium shops - here is a link to info on various other types of food and here is a link to some nutritional information. Both links come from the Caudata Culture articles on axolotl care.

Hope this helps - and welcome to the Forum!

-Eva
 

eimajton

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Thankyou for the help! Yer now that you've said the heater thing I have done lots more reading and see that they thrive better in cold water. so def will not be buying a heater! Yer I was going to get some rocks/tunnels for decorations but not too much, and for plant life i was just considering some fake ones but also heard anubias plant?? are very good due to low light required?
 

blueberlin

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There are several live plants that will do ok. Java fern and java moss are very popular. I like Valesneria very much. There are many types of mosses, too. Others include:

Shinnersia rivularis
Cryptocoryne (various types)
Eloeda
The above seem to do fine with just the ambient light of a well lit room. If you use some lighting for a few hours on your tank (make sure the lights are above the tank, not mounted directly into a lid, to avoid heating up the water), the list gets longer. The main thing is to watch the temperature requirements, because many of the plants you will see in an aquarium shop are tropical (because many of the fish are, too).

Good luck to you,

-Eva
 

eimajton

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Okay an update, instead of the 60cm X 30cm X 30cm tank, I bought a 90cmX45cm X30cm tank. I got a good filter that has a spray bar, and I used river stones (as I read somewhere they are good as they give them a kinda place to stand on and they won't try to swallow)..

For plants I got 3-4 fake plastic plants to give some colour to the tank red/green, and I got some anuibius on a log coming from a friend soon? And for hiding spots I got a big log that has fake moss over it (decoration for fish tanks). The filter has been running for around 24 hours now and the water is crystal clear, (I used umm Safe guard number 5 in the water?)

I will be letting the filter run through the water for a good week and a half before I buy the actual axoltl. And I have a supply of blood worms ready, any more suggestions?
 

blueberlin

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Hi eimajton,

Good choice on the tank size. Bet it looks great. I would love to see a picture of that log, too. Actually, I'd love to see any pictures at all! :happy:

River rocks are good if they are large enough not to be swallowed, but I think you will find that dirt and muck collects underneath them, making it heard to clean your tank. If you don't mind lifting the rocks each time you clean the tank, though, then I bet the rocks look lovely! (Did I mention photos yet?)

Running the filter is not going to do too much in the way of preparing your tank for the axolotl. It is a good idea to "cycle" the tank before adding the axolotl - info on cycling is available here. If you don't cycle the tank completely before adding the axolotl (the process takes several months), you will need to do daily water changes of 20% of the tank water until the cycle is complete. You will probably want to get a test set to monitor ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate - you can buy the tests individually or in a "test lab". Please get the dropper tests, not the dip strips, as the dip strips are horribly inaccurate. The dropper ("test tube") sets may seem more expensive at first, but they are much less expensive than the throw-away dip strips at the ed of the day, and are very accurate.

You should definitely have a thermometer for your tank, because you will want to keep temps below 22°C at all times (temps down to 5°C are fine).

Bloodworms are good, but you should try to offer as much variety of foods as possible. If you have access to a garden, you can gather lots of yummy things there like earthworms and woodlice.

And if you don't have one yet, you will definitely need a camera that you can upload to your pc. Did I mention liking photos? :D

-Eva
 

eimajton

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My cameras broken but I will upload photos from my gf's camera when possible!

Ok the cycling tank - I'm not very smart with fishies etc so don't understand fully....Also stupid question but with 20% water change do you mean take out 20% of tank water and add 20% tap water to compensate?

I know you guy hate aquariums etc, but they didn't say I had to use that gave me some chemical thing called safeguard 5 that added the correct levels or something for axolotl, the lady I spoke to had 3 axo's and had them for few years. The temp of the tank is perfect according to the temp you gave me at the moment, and I shall buy a drop test kit tomorrow. The lady at aqarium said I should wait a week to get the axolotl and let tank fester etc, But it has only been 5 days and I am really excited and wanting to get one tomorrow! LOL, is this safe? I don't think I should get it as I will probably try pick it up and cuddle it, theyre so cute :)
 

blueberlin

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Ok I'm going to write an answer to this but it will take me awhile so I'll post this message quickly and then edit it with the answer.

OK here goes:

Ok the cycling tank - I'm not very smart with fishies etc so don't understand fully....Also stupid question but with 20% water change do you mean take out 20% of tank water and add 20% tap water to compensate?

No worries. Some day I'll tell you how I got started. Kind of a best example of what all not to do.

Yes, a water change means removing a portion of the tank water and adding fresh. I will explain why below.* I don't see where you are from [you need to change that - specify your nationality - because otherwise you're breaking the forum rules and someone somewhere is going to fuss] but depending on what your water company adds to your water, you may need to let it sit or treat it first before adding it to the tank. If your tap water has chlorine, it is enough to let the water stand for a couple of hours or so, because chlorine will evaporate. If the tap water has choramines, you will need to add a dechlorinator (ask at the aquarium for one) as chloramine does not evaporate. You can find out about what is added to your tap water by contacting your local water company or checking their website.

I know you guy hate aquariums etc, but they didn't say I had to use that gave me some chemical thing called safeguard 5 that added the correct levels or something for axolotl, the lady I spoke to had 3 axo's and had them for few years.

Now now, just because there are places that will sell you your own grandma doesn't mean they are all bad. I have two that I frequent and they are wonderful, they even advise me not to buy things that are not appropriate to my setup.

I don't know what Safeguard is, maybe someone else will pipe up with a comment on that. In general, it is best not to add anything to the tank water. Axolotls are amphibians and as such, breathe through their skin as well as through their gills. They are not to be compared with fish. This makes axolotls particularly sensitive to chemicals in the water. Ok I just googled Safeguard 5 (description here). I never have quite memorized the opinions on this forum about aloe in the water, whether it helps or not, so can't say anything about that. Chlorine does not need to be treated, as explained above. Chloramines do - but obviously, only if your water company treats your water supply with chloramines. :rolleyes: As to treating ammonia, this is part of the cycle (below*).

I am hoping that someone who knows Safeguard 5 can add more info.

The lady at aqarium said I should wait a week to get the axolotl and let tank fester etc, But it has only been 5 days and I am really excited and wanting to get one tomorrow! LOL, is this safe?

Letting the tank "fester" means letting it cycle first.

*Cycling a tank means to establish a state of balance. There is an article on it here, but the short version is as follows: An animal in a tank of water produces waste. Waste (poopie, dead and rotting food) equals ammonia. Ammonia = deadly toxin. Not to worry, Nature has thought about that. There is a type of bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrite (with an I). Nitrite = another deadly toxin. Not to worry, though - another type of bacteria converts nitrite to nitrate (with an A). Nitrate can be poisonous, but must achieve much higher levels to become toxic.

All of this takes time. First you need a supply of ammonia (waste) to feed the first sort of bacteria, then they need time to convert the ammonia to nitrite, which must be available in sufficient amounts to feed the next bacteria, which must colonize in numbers large enough to handle the nitrite levels. This is the "nitrification chain" or "cycle". Once ammonia and nitrite levels have reached zero and there is an amount of nitrate in the water, the tank is cycled.

Fish (and amphibians) living in a tank that is still cycling can be "burned" by the ammonia. This is commonly called "new tank syndrome" and is what Safeguard is trying to address.

So, couple of things to know about cycling an axolotl tank.

1.) Nitrate is the end product of the cycle. There is no bacteria that eats it. The only way to keep its concentration at a safe level is to do water changes. Depending on the size of your tank, the number of animals in the water, etc., a fully cycled tank only needs a water change every two weeks, once a month - you'll have to monitor the water with the dropper test until you get a feel for how your specific tank works.

2.) Your tank will not begin to cycle if there is no ammonia to kick off the process. You can add stuff (e.g., a nice dead shrimp) to the water to cycle it without subjecting living creatures to the toxins - read about the "fishless cycle" in the link above. The process will take much, much lnger than one week though - it can take up to three months!

3.) You will often read that "axolotls produce a lot of waste". This is often underestimated. Axolotls produce a LOT of waste. Since you are certainly going to be cycling your tank with the axolotl in it, you will need to be doing daily water changes once the ammonia level rises. Otherwise, the axolotl can die - very quickly and very painfully. You need to change (remove and add fresh) 20% of the water each day until you get a reading for nitrate, and ammonia and nitrite are at 0. After that, you can kick back and open a bottle of champagne and cut back to the regular water changes you'll be doing for the rest of your axolotl's life. :p

So, having said that, I would sneak in an evil little comment that 3 years ain't nuthin when you consider that a healthy axolotl has a life expectancy comparable to that of a dog - more than 10 years, maybe even more than 20. (I haven't got that far yet.)


I don't think I should get it as I will probably try pick it up and cuddle it, theyre so cute :)

I soooo know what you mean. I actually constantly have to fuss my kids and ("adult"!) friends not to touch the axolotls. Their slime coat is most sensitive and you wouldn't be doing them a favor - but you surely know that.

Ok, I hope all that made sense (and that I didn't make too many typos). You are going to love your new pet, they are weirdly but undeniably addictive.

My cameras broken but I will upload photos from my gf's camera when possible!

Well get to it, then! haha

-Eva
 

eimajton

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haha no problem! don't yell at me :( haha. I wish there was like a chat thing we could go on as it would be quicker then exchanging forum posts.safeguard 5 says - eliminates toxic ammonia, removes chlorine and chloramine, coats fish to protect and allow natural healing (SLIME?), safe guards fish with aloe vera??? reduces environmental stress.
 

blueberlin

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I wish there was like a chat thing we could go on as it would be quicker then exchanging forum posts.

Oh - there is! Look up at the top of this page, by the green navigation bar, on the left - see the chat? I have to step away from the pc for a few minutes but if you go there, I will look for you when I return - or someone else can help you.

-Eva
 

eimajton

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haha yes I have read like nearly every link, and I know definitely not to touch them and if you do be very very very careful (I even read a guide how to hold them properly)...Well I don't think I will be able to wait 3 months! I have waited two years and only just had money to start it up! haha, but my question is...


If I was to say go get the axo tomorrow and do daily 20% water changes as you said (does that mean just pour some tap water into the tank?). Will it cycle eventually, I can pretty much change the water every day except the odd day I might have to go to work then my family can do it.

Thanks for the tip about nationality! I did not know this :) I will change it now, I am from Australia.
 
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eimajton

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Thanks for the help :) - oh haha just saw you sent a message in mailbox saying all that, oh well! - hope this worked....

PS. Going to go get axo now :)!
 

eimajton

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Damn I hate sunny coast weather sometimes! Its soooo hot today, so I've got the poor lil fella in the fridge till it cools down, and ive nearly got 4 bottles of water/dechlorinated (inacse it leaks) nearly frozen to help cool down. Is it normal to worry about them so much :( I have only had the lil fella for 6 hrs and im freaking out hoping hes happy etc.
 
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