Axolotl build questions

Hey! I'm building a tank for a gfp leucistic axie (if i can find one!) and have never kept one so i had some questions. I have a tiger salamander and another vivarium with tree frogs, so I'm no stranger to the care and difficulties of a build. I was wondering how small of gravel can be used, do they need/do better with moonlight, how important are airstones for the axies, and how they fair with aquatic plants? I need to anticipate these things prior to my build. thanks guys.

Jamie

One of the things people tend to jump down your throat about is your substrate. Keeping your Axolotls on a substrate that they can ingest is problematic if the size of your substrate doesn't allow for it to be expelled in regular waste. I'd use sand. Someone at an Aquarium store recently suggested just some big frags of rock that weren't too sharp.

Gravel is almost always a bad choice.

That being said, in sand, it is difficult to grow many aquatic plants. I have several of those marimo moss balls, and they're working out very well. Basically, they're just big algae balls. It's entertaining to see axolotls run or lay on top of them. In general, I wouldn't worry about your axolotls with most plants.

I do not use an air stone in my tank. The gaseous exchange of my spray bar is pretty high. For awhile, I used a lower flow power head to add a little oxygen to the tank, but it proved to be somewhat unnecessary.

Hope this helps.

If you actually live in New Jersey as your avatar suggests, you might want to check out this thread NJ and CA axolotls (Please quit yanking my chain) before you commit to building an enclosure for an animal that is illegal to own there.

darksolace66 said:

I have a tiger salamander and another vivarium with tree frogs, so I'm no stranger to the care and difficulties of a build.

Click to expand...

Umm...MOST tree frogs require warmer temperatures than what Tiger Salamanders require...so perhaps you may be experienced with "builds", but perhaps not so experienced with appropriate animal care. What type of tree frog is it?