Pre-Tank Set Up Questions (So sorry if this is a repeat!!!)

I'm trying to get my tank set up to accommodate an axolotl instead of fish, so I have a few questions.

Filter: my fish would get spooked from the filter I had before. I was looking around on the forums earlier and I saw that a lot of people recommend canister filters. Which company would you recommend looking at for canister filters, and even for mounted filters. I'd like something affordable that won't generate a strong current to stress my future baby .

Sand: I decided a long time ago that I'd use sand instead of gravel, but my biggest question is how do you clean the tank? Do you use a siphon to get out the excess food or do you have to change the sand on a regular basis (i.e. whenever you change the tank water?) Also, what company would be best to buy this from?

Cleaning: when I would change the water in my tank, I'd remove my fish. I'll probably do a water change every week or so, but how much should I change? Can I leave the axolotl in the tank while doing so or would it be better to temporarily remove them?

Aerator: here's another piece of machinery that would spook my fish. I've seen aerators that have a disk shape that one would put at the bottom of the tank and I've seen the normal cone shaped aerators. Which is best to use? Also, I'd love a manufacturer recommendation...

Food: I've read that brine shrimp would work well. I know that I can obtain freeze-dried brine shrimp and frozen brine shrimp pretty easily as well as salmon pellets. Would any of these options be healthy for my axolotl, or are there other options I'm missing?

Cycling the tank: I was going to cycle the tank about a week before I bought the axolotl. Does that seem long enough or too long? I think with my fish I would do about 3 days but since I haven't used the tank in a while (one year?) I'd like to let the filter run in it for a few extra days.

Cleaning solution: Since I've had my tank for a year I'd like to clean it out. If there are any products that you could recommend to do so without hurting my axolotl I'd greatly appreciate it.

Health: so in case my axolotl gets sick, would medication that pet stores sell for fish work or do they sell medication specifically for salamanders?

Light: how much light is too much?

Thank you so much for all/any of the help you have to give!

Hi Anubis, I'd recommend that you cycled your tank for about a month, taking daily readings for water quality ( good quality testing kit), before thinking of introducing an axie to the tank.

Live plants (such as Anubias, Java fern, Java moss), some bog-wood, some large pebbles, all look nice in the tank but also play a part in getting the water conditions suitable.

You've asked a lot of questions and you asked all the right questions :happy:

There are lots of specific Topics on this forum which amount to a 'gold-mine' of great information........feel free to ask away about anything you're unsure of .....read away :happy:

Anubis said:

Health: so in case my axolotl gets sick, would medication that pet stores sell for fish work or do they sell medication specifically for salamanders?

Light: how much light is too much?

Thank you so much for all/any of the help you have to give!

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Pretty much any fish medicine will prove toxic to an axolotl, as a general rule. Anything with Copper in it is to be avoided and those few 'fish' medicines that apply would be given in a much diluted 'axolotl' form than that administered to fish, in my (inexperienced) opinion.

As for light levels, axolotls have no eye-lids and as such they are quite happy with low-medium light. Plants such as mentioned before (Anubias, Java) also like low-ish light. A full spectrum low wattage bulb on for 10-12 hours would give the plants a chance, and some 'moonlight LEDs on a timer might be an option....heheheh

Whatever lighting (if any) you choose, make sure to give him some 'shady retreats'!

:happy:

Anubis said:

Filter:

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How big is the current tank and what type of Filter do you have?

Anubis said:

Sand:

I like Caribsea sand products. Quartz or Silca is good, coral, marine, calcium are not. You can spot clean it with a turkey baster. Keep the depth to 1 inch or below.

Anubis said:

Cleaning: when I would change the water in my tank, I'd remove my fish. I'll probably do a water change every week or so, but how much should I change? Can I leave the axolotl in the tank while doing so or would it be better to temporarily remove them?

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Cyclinghttp://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

Anubis said:

Aerator:

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Don't need it. Be sure to get a decent in tank digital thermometer and know your tank temperatures.

Caudata Culture Articles - Cooling

Anubis said:

Food: I've read that brine shrimp would work well. I know that I can obtain freeze-dried brine shrimp and frozen brine shrimp pretty easily as well as salmon pellets. Would any of these options be healthy for my axolotl, or are there other options I'm missing?

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Earthworms, Live or frozen bloodworms, blackworms, or Salmon Pellets are good. Freeze Dried anything is nutrient deficient and Brine Shrimp are a saltwater animal.

Anubis said:

Cleaning solution:

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Sponge and water are best. What needs to be cleaned? Dust or Lime buildup or?

Anubis said:

Health:
Light:

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Ken Covered the medications (No) and light (not much).

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My tank is a 10 gallon, so I was going to get one axolotl since my understanding is that there should be about 10 gallons for every one axolotl. Is that about right?

Wow, thank you all so much . I feel much better about this now.

How big is the current tank and what type of Filter do you have?


Well since the filter is over a year old I'm a little skeptical to use it. That and it made a whole lot of noise and had a strong current. I was going to get a new one so I don't have to worry about stressing out my axolotl.


Sponge and water are best. What needs to be cleaned? Dust or Lime buildup or?


Just dust. I'll give it a good rinse before I start cycling it.

I'm also going to be living in Boston where the water quality (as I've been told) is a little...unhealthy for an aquatic animal. I'm not sure what that person meant, but I don't want to take any risks. if there was anything to worry about with the water quality that I take from (for example) my sink, would the filter and something to remove the chlorine remove any impurities that would hurt the axolotl, or should I filter the water like my friend recommended?

Anubis said:

My tank is a 10 gallon, so I was going to get one axolotl since my understanding is that there should be about 10 gallons for every one axolotl. Is that about right?

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10 Gallons seems to be the accepted minimum for 1 animal. Gallons isn't always a reliable measurement at floor space is more important than volume. A 35 Gallon hex with a 14" footprint (for instance) would be unsuitable for any Axolotl. :happy:

Anubis said:

Well since the filter is over a year old I'm a little skeptical to use it. That and it made a whole lot of noise and had a strong current. I was going to get a new one so I don't have to worry about stressing out my axolotl.

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You can minimize current by blocking/diverting/adjusting output flow with plants, rocks, whatever. Luckily 10 gallon filters are cheap and readily available. Be careful about powered internal filters as they generate heat and can make keeping temps cool problematic unless you can run them with the powerhead out of the water.

Anubis said:

Just dust. I'll give it a good rinse before I start cycling it.

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That's what I'd do.

Anubis said:

I'm also going to be living in Boston where the water quality (as I've been told) is a little...unhealthy for an aquatic animal. I'm not sure what that person meant, but I don't want to take any risks. if there was anything to worry about with the water quality that I take from (for example) my sink, would the filter and something to remove the chlorine remove any impurities that would hurt the axolotl, or should I filter the water like my friend recommended?

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Best thing to do is to get a water quality report from whatever water authority administers that area of Bahston and see what's in the water. Typically Tap water is OK if treated with a product like "Prime" that treats Chlorine, Chloromines, and a few other things.
You'll need a test kit (like Aquarium Products Mater Kit) to test the water and help you manage cycling the tank and maintaining water quality.
You can also resort to buying bottled Spring Water or Purified Drinking water if the stuff is just so hard/soft/toxic that it's too hard to stabilize. :happy:

I hate to disagree with Mac (sorry, Mac), but the minimum I'd try to keep an adult in is a 15 gallon long. This is because once you put some plants and at least one hide in, the 10 gallon's floor space is pretty used up. Also, such a small body of water is hard to keep stable even with one axolotl because they are little poop factories! This makes keeping the ammonia level down in a small tank nearly impossible. If you choose to start out with this size, I would hope you would plan an upgrade in the somewhat near future.

Mac is right that 10 gallons/12 inches is the average acceptable amount for an axolotl but I just have a preference for larger tanks and to me, a 10 gallon is is acceptable for a few small fish at best, not an axolotl that can reach 9-12 inches in length once full grown.

As far as your water quality, getting the report as Mac mentions is a really good idea. In addition, use your test kits on your tap to get a base reading just so you know what you have going on. A decent quality water treatment like Prime, Aquaplus, or Aquasafe - just to name a few. Avoid Stresscoat as it tends to put a slimy coating on EVERYTHING in your tank - nasty stuff to get rid of too!

Alright. I'll definitely follow up on Mac's proposal with the water quality report. I'll also start with the 10 gallon and as they get bigger I'll upgrade. Thanks everyone for the help!