Question: Tank set up help

Hello i have never posted before and today both of my axolotls died so im sorry if im doing something wrong.
i am going to buy another axolotls soon but i want advice on how to set up the tank and some advice on how to maintain it. my 2 axolotls lasted about 5 months and i feel (and wish) they should have lasted longer so if possible can someone please tell me how i should set up the tak because every where i look it says something different(e.g. how many plants should i use and how many hiding spots should i make and also what i should use on the bottom of the tank and all that type of stuff)
thanks for your help

Hi, I'm new to axolotls too, but I've learned quite a bit since i started posting here

One very important thing is to not use gravel. Sand is best to use - you can use kids play sand, but rinse it VERY well.
You can't have anything in your tank smaller than your axolotls head, you'd be surprised at what they can swallow!

It's best to have a filter, but make sure the flow isn't very strong. Some filters have an adjustable flow so look for that

Make sure to keep the water cool, anything about 20c and axies start getting stressed.

a 2ft tank is best for one axolotl, 3ft for two.

Make sure they have places to hide in, they get stressed easily and like to go hide sometimes. (or some like to hide all the time)

They don't like bright light, so if you aquarium has lights built in I'd advise not to use them, Mine doesn't have lights but my old one did and I only used the lights when taking photos.

Make sure to use water conditioner in the tank, I find Prime to be a really good one, and do a 20% water change weekly.

Get a water test kit (a liquid test kit is much better and more accurate, I use API) and test the nitrate, nitrite and ammonia levels every week when you do your water change. Nitrate should be below 40, nitrite should be 0 and ammonia should be 0.

Clean up any feces or left over food daily.

Earthworms are the best food, but I've found mine have disappeared in the cold weather! I use beef heart as an alternative, but it's alot messier. Axolotl Pellets are also availible in some places

I hope that helps a bit! I'm sure there is someone who can elabarote on most, if not all of what I've said though

thanks for the advice
i have one more question if you please answer i have a vacuum type thing ( you might not know what i mean but it sucks up all the junk on the bottom of the tank) will this be easy enough to use with sand or will it suck the sand up also
thanks heaps

A gravel syphon? Yes, you can use them with the sand. I find sometimes the mess doesn't suck up properly, but some bits do. I mainly use it to get the water out for water changes. I've heard a turkey baster is good for getting the leftover food and such out but I haven't been able to find one to try it yet. If you hold the syphon just above the sand it will get some of the gunk and leave the sand. I suck up some sand occasionally though

If you use it high enough above the sand, it should suck up the poop without disturbing your sand on the bottom too much, Also to elabourate on the sand, you dont need too much less than an inch thick!

This sister site is great - Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander
It'll give you tips for most things you need to know, like foods, temperatures + set-ups, colour-types, e.t.c.

theres one more thing if you dont mind answering and that is does it matter how deep the water is because i read somewhere you dont need to fill the tank up all the way only to about 15cm deep. should i do this and if so what are the benifits
thanks for all your help :happy:

You don't need to fill a tank to the top, but the larger the volume of water, the easier it is to maintain cooler temperatures. Can't remember if it's from the site I linked about or not, but somewhere I've read that the water level needs to be at least as deep as your axie is long (makes sense, as they do occasionally go vertical!) I prefer more though - even though mine don't often swim about, it's nice for the to have the depth if they want it (my tanks are 1.5ft deep)

How large is your tank? But either way you should fill it up completely. It is easier to maintain water conditions with a larger volume of water.

also if you haven't familarized yourself with the nitrogen cycle, you should google it.

ok thanks for all your help

does anybody know where i can get sand for the bottom of my tank (i live in adelaide, south australia) i heard you could get play sand or something like that from bunnings for really cheap but i dont know.
thanks

Play sand from Bunnings is perfect.
Just make sure to rinse, rinse, rinse!

ok thanks heaps

Good to see another person from Adelaide on here Also I got my earthworms from Bunnings too. Though they seem to have gone missing in the Winter x.x

lol ok thanks

ok so i have got sand in the bottom of the tank now ( it looks better than gravel aswell) and set up a few plants and things. it is looking pretty bare because i only have 2 things so tomorrow i might go get some more stuff. i might also upload some pictures when i finished
thanks for all your help :happy:

This is how my tank looks like:

other photos: Ik en mijn dieren |
Axolotls don´t like a lot of light en they also like places where they can hide during the day.

that looks like a nice set-up but is it easy to clean?

this is my tank set-up its still bare because i didnt get anything for it today