Tank Setup for Axolotl

Hello,

I am a future axolotl owner, I am picking one up in about two weeks if I can find the one I desire. I am setting up my tank to cycle for 2-3 weeks and then once it levels out I am going to be adding a single axolotl. . . . I just have a few questions before I pick him up.

Can I use river rock at the base? I have some in my yard, I plan on washing them with hot water first.

Should I add a few fish now to help with the cycle, or wait until I get him? I plan on keeping a few guppies in the tank with him.

Would a simple "bio-wheel" filter be alright? It uses the wheel or the bio bag.

Can I add any other fresh water creatures besides fish? Such as a crab?

Thanks!

Have you read through www.axolotl.org yet? There are a lot of 'beginner' questions, answers, tips, and tricks there.

Kaysie said:

Have you read through www.axolotl.org yet? There are a lot of 'beginner' questions, answers, tips, and tricks there.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I read all the sections, besides the filter question my others were not answered in the text.

OK I took a look...

on this page.. http://www.axolotl.org/housing.htm

is..
Filtration is not essential for axolotls, provided you're willing to change the water regularly. If you choose to use a filter, there are a number of options. Under-gravel filters, internal power filters, external "hang-on-the-tank" filters, and external power filters (also known as canister filters). I prefer the last type, but it is also the most expensive option.

biowheels are a hang-on-tank filter..

River rock - is not addressed in that site - but is HUGELY discussed here in the forum. It works. They can't swallow it. But it is a pain to clean around. Debris accumulates under them and you have to move each one to clean properly.

guppies - IF you are going to add guppies they will be food. Do not use store bought guppies to cycle your tank. Feeder fish are terrible for having parasites and various illnesses.

mixed species. ANYTHING smaller than the axy will be food. Any aggressive fish won't fight off the axy - it'll just pull the gill bits off. Sucker fish will be food too even though they COULD dart speedily away, they won't always and the spines will get stuck in the axolotl.

THIS .. http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/Mixing_disasters.shtml is what could happen and will likely happen with most common mixes, over time.

Please don't add a crab. I've seen those snag a fish swimming by and put one heck of a slice in it, and even the fish is large and swims away - the wound - UGH gaping and ....

So how to I go about getting fish? I want them in there as part decoration part food. I am just going to keep one axolotl in a 10 gallon I decided.

The fish would have to be quarantined for at least 30 days before you introduce it to your axolotl tank. I heard that you can use a piece of freeze dried shrimp to start benificial bacteria but I'm sure someone will help you out more than I can

Good Luck

Personally, I threw 10 or so guppies in my tank before i considered the axies.
I then got impatient and got my axies.

The tank was no where near cycled, but water changes every 2-3 days helped alot.

When you are starting out, monitor your water closely.

Ammonia will tend to spike early on.

I would not add anything but simple fish (guppies, and mollies, these are live bearers and will supply food to your axies, and also bio-load on the tank (which is good, if you dont have your axie yet)

1 month after the tank has been set up your tank may show signs of cycle.

It can take a while for your tank to cycle fully (up to or over a month)

Good luck, and post pics once your axies arrive, we all like pics

b00f said:

Personally, I threw 10 or so guppies in my tank before i considered the axies.
I then got impatient and got my axies.

The tank was no where near cycled, but water changes every 2-3 days helped alot.

When you are starting out, monitor your water closely.

Ammonia will tend to spike early on.

I would not add anything but simple fish (guppies, and mollies, these are live bearers and will supply food to your axies, and also bio-load on the tank (which is good, if you dont have your axie yet)

1 month after the tank has been set up your tank may show signs of cycle.

It can take a while for your tank to cycle fully (up to or over a month)

Good luck, and post pics once your axies arrive, we all like pics

Click to expand...

I plan on getting the axie rather small and young, do you think he will go for the guppies right away? I am going to add some guppies or mollies today, and in about 3-4 weeks I will add the axie, it might just wait until june to be safe.

PhxJosh said:

So how to I go about getting fish? I want them in there as part decoration part food. I am just going to keep one axolotl in a 10 gallon I decided.

Click to expand...

The part decoration, part food, may be tricky

If they are small enough to gobble they will be snapped up, if they are to big for axolotl food they might attack your axolotls gills.

I don't mind buying fish every week if I have too, I just want something more than just a axie in my tank. I am getting a seperate 10 gallon today to start breeding some guppies, I picked up 4 males and 8 females.

You can not buy feeder fish every week, if you add non quarantined fish to the fish you have quarantined - you'll have to start all over, 30 days from when you added the new fish.

What I did was ask the lady to pick out the MOST heavily pregnant females and a couple of males and I fed only the resulting babies to the axies. Leaving the mature adults to continue breeding.

A few of the babies have grown up in the axy tanks and are breeding there.

It takes patience. You may have to wait till you have a stable colony of feeder fish before you can begin feeding them.

To me the feeders make a nice addition to the tanks and a nice way to have axies and something else moving in the upper water column.

That is why I am starting a breeder tank for guppies, not going to use them as a staple or anything but I am always going to keep 4-5 guppies in the axie tank at all times.

As far as I can tell my axies eat the babies while they are still minuscule - lol I can't imagine they make much of a snack even - but thats ok - they aren't the most nutritious food items.

A 10 gallon is awfully small for that many guppies. I know it's a breeder tank but still. You're ammonia's, nitrate's and nitrite's are going to build up very quickly, and cleaning it as often as you would need would be harmful to the fry, as will those above levels.
But maybe I'm wrong? All I know is basics of keeping and even less about breeding, but I think a 20 gallon would be better.

The guppies are very small, not even a inch, the rule is usually 1 inch of fish for every gallon, 9 fish in a 10 gallon is alright for now, but only for now.