Axolotl Addiction

Hi everyone. Some of you may recall my story...exactly 12 months ago, father's Day in the UK, I was looking through my usual tropical fish forum for some cherry shrimp to put in a 2ft tank I had sitting idle.

That was when I saw my first axolotl. I couldn't believe I had neither seen nor heard about these creatures before. Luckily I found axolotl.org and began to research axolotls. I was honestly smitten from the start.

I wanted a leucistic axolotl ..I thought they looked best. After 2 weeks that seemed like an eternity I found Mike and Kylie. An olive green wild type and a golden albino.
Straight away I knew that my 2ft tank would not be enough for 2 adults but it would be fine for a couple of months and I was sure Val, my wife, would understand.

Mike and Kylie settled in and I soon found a 3ft tank. They looked lost in it. I knew our very own Melfly had some leucistic juveniles for sale and she very kindly had enough faith in me to carry them with her From deepest darkest Yorkshire, to Manchester (I think she was going out on the RAZZ) where she met me and handed over Blade and Gilbit. My axie family was complete. Though I now needed a new 4ft tank, but I was sure Val, would understand.

Kylie, Blade and Gilbit are female, Mike, just like me, is a fine virile male. So, there was eggs and babies galore. Most I sold, many I gave away, some I reared for myself and quite recently I had the soul destroying task of euthanising around 30 hatchlings because I already have enough babies to keep me very busy.

I decided I needed to keep the 3ft tank running so I could keep Mike separate from his harem. Val would understand.

I still had more babies than was truly practical so I joined another forum, with an aim to selling some more of my babies. It worked.... well sort of.

I managed to sell 8 of the babies within a few days.

But then I saw an advert for 4 adult axolotls in a 4ft tank for only £40 I couldn't resist. I could have a female tank and a male tank. Plus, to be fair, the girl selling them was something like 30 weeks pregnant and was struggling to look after them so I was kind of rescuing them, right? Surely Val would understand?

I did the deal and I'd like to introduce:

BANDIT


Bandit is a leucistic female. She's obviously called Bandit because of the black mask across her eyes. She's also has a constant "cross" look about her, like she's always grumpy...maybe the modern vernacular is she has attitude.
MAGOO


Mr. Magoo is a leucistic male and he really looks like he's wearing over sized glasses. He is also the character in the tank, always first to the food and always found in odd positions.

PHANTOM


Phantom is a wild type female, she has the longest legs I've ever seen on an axolotl and when she walks she's almost straight legged and reminds me of a ghoul creeping along on tip toes. She likes to spring up to mid tank and glide along silently before landing on the back of one of her tank mates.

CHIP


Chip is a wild type male. He gets his name because when we got him home he had a chip taken out of the tip of his tail. He has more of a yellow background than Mike, my other wild type male. Chip always makes me smile, and I know it shouldn't, but when he looks at you he really looks like he's a sandwich short of a picnic.



















So that's my story updated. I started exactly a year ago on my addiction and I now have 8 adult axolotls and about 60 baby axolotls ranging from 4 days old to just over 4 months old. I have 2 x 4ft tanks, a 3ft tank and a 2ft tank along with shelving full of babies in tubs - Oh, did I mention I also have a 5ft tropical aquarium?

For the record, Val does understand, but before I could bring home Bandit et al... she made me decorate the rear hallway which doubles as my axie room and lay new floor tiles.

what an awesome story
and what a bargain!! I doubt i would of been able to resist to lol
Phantom is GORGOEOUS!! and the pic you posted of chip... well he does have that ' not the brightest spark' look about him

Great story and beautiful aditions!!

oh....and a great wife to, for being so understanding :happy:

The new additions are gorgeous. You are a true axolotl addict I really wish o had space for just one more. I have noticed your presence on the other forum, and I am pleased you managed to rehome some of the brood.

congrats.....i cant see the photos(yes the computer wont let me) but im sure they are beautiful..........

it´s a wonderful story and nice pictures.

Congrats on your beautiful acquisition!

They look marvelous and the tank does too! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful story. I'm always so glad to hear about axolotls ending up in loving homes with caring owners! Cute names!

Great story!

I'm not sure but chips look like a melanoid.
If I look to his picture it seems he dont have a shiny ring around the pupils of his eyes

The photo is misleading. I really wish he were a melanoid, but unfortunately he does have a shiny ring around each pupil and he has iridophores all down his tail.

aaarrrggghhh Ron you are making me squirm in anticipation of starting my axie addiction! (tank cycling slowly but surely - still no luck sourcing a leucistic).

I love Chip! He has the same look as my slightly stoopid collie Ben.

Great story, beautiful animals

Carri

Phantom looks really dark in her pic but with the others looks like a dark wild. I wonder if my Boba will turn out like that as he seems to be getting darker, he is a melanoid.

I'm pretty addicted after raising some but I really can't be as I live in student accommodation at the mo, so it wouldn't be a great idea. When I get my own place hopefully I will have some more.

Hi everyone.. Like 'Esoteric', I received 2 axolotls for mothers day last year from my daughter. I had seen them in the pet store a couple of weeks earlier and fell in love. When my daughter asked what would I like for a mothers day gift, I didn't hesitate. I chose two Leucistic and they were about 5 months old. I had a spare 2 foot tank, so all was prepared. Later they started to produced eggs, which I have been able to sell or give way to friends. Since then I have bought eggs from others and now have apart from the two Leucistic, 3 golden albino males eight months old and three 3 month old wild type from eggs via my friend 'Esoteric'. Recently a friend 'rescued' 4 unwanted adult Axolotls. " 2 Leucistic and 2 Black" all females! I could not resist the black ones to add to my family.They had been kept on gravel and with fish and were very bloated; After reading all the information I could find on this site, with much trepidation, I decided 'fridging' was the best option to help them. Although I did regular checks, after a week I took them out, and they are now recouperating in their new 'bare bottom' home. I have recovered over 30 gravel stones from this pair, but they are now eating well and showing signs of a full recovery. I already had a large tropical aquarium, but in the space of a little over a year I now have 7 large tanks, a brine shrimp hatchery and 2 small nursery tanks...Plus a tolerant husband! I will post some photos shortly. Best wishes Jean

These pictures are totally adorable. I can see how one would want a full set of axolotl - I love all the different colours and would like one (at least!) of each.

Unfortunately I only have one at the moment but I do live in the hope of sneaking in another tank should the opportunity arise!

What cuties! As my signature shows, I fully understand the addiction.