My First 2 Axolotls, few questions!

Hey guys, I ordered 2 Axolotls through my local pet shop, the owner said they should be in by the end of November so I just want to make sure I have everything right before they come.

I currently have:

A 10 Gallon Tank
Sand as a substrate
A few different types of aquatic plants
A small submersible filter
Some snails for Algae
Bloodworms for food, and if it's nice out I can dig up some earth worms from my backyard

Anything I'm missing or that you guys would recommend? Thanks!

hi! good decision on getting axies

you are doing good.

remember to give them lots of places to hide, like hollow logs, pots, or even a few mugs.

Make sure the filter is not too strong, a good way is to set it all up and see if your plants move in the current. If they are, it is too strong and you will have to make the flow less, for submersables you can usually get a spray bar attachment which makes the water come out in a sort of shower instead of a big stream. Lots of filters come with them

Also if your plants are live, they will probably need a light to stay healthy and grow. Axolotls do not like light much, so if you have the light on, make sure they have plenty of places to hide away and only have it on for a few hours a day. Some aquatic plants can grow well with little or no light and are great for axolotl tanks so it depends on what type you have. Do a forum search for "axolotl plants" for some good info.

Snails are debatable, i have small pond snails in my tank which hitch-hiked in on some plants and they have never been a problem, but some people say larger snails can be eaten and cause harm much like pebbles.

Bloodworms are good occasionally but earthworms or axolotl pellets should make up the main diet of a healthy axolotl. Bloodworms are also VERY messy, so you can look into a feeding dish or a feeding jar. You just lower them in in the dish/jar and it should contain most of the mess.

Starting a worm farm is a good idea. Its enviro friendly to compost and you will have a lifetime supply of axolotl food. Dont freak out if you can only feed bloodworms rite now, they will not cause immediate harm, just look for a 'healthier' food source when you can.

also with tank size, the bigger the better.Good luck!

just to warn you, you're going to want more than a 10 gallon tank for 2 fully grown axolotls.
If you haven't cycled your tank prior to adding the axolotls you're going to need to get an ammonia,nitrite,and nitrate test kit to make sure the water is within livable parameters

carsona246 said:

just to warn you, you're going to want more than a 10 gallon tank for 2 fully grown axolotls.

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10 gallons is fine for 2 adults as long as you keep up with water changes and as long as they don't grow much longer than 15 inches or so.

I disagree, we've already had this argument a few times. If you want to argue for the bare essentials, fine but I don't think 10 gallons would be considered "fine" for 2 axolotls in a ten gallon.
I think the more appropriate phrase would be if you want to do more than 1 weekly waterchange a week, and have to monitor waterchanges far more religiously than it's possible to keep 2 axolotls in a ten gallon tank. However, I would find 2 fully grown axolotls to look extremely cramped in a ten gallon tank, not to mention the amount of time devoted to taking care of them would be increased.
As a hobbyist I like to be told what would be an enjoyable setup for my animals, and not what the bare essentials are. Yes you could keep 2 axolotls in a ten gallon tank, you could keep an axolotl in a fish bowl. But for a little more money instead of a ten gallon tank you could upgrade to a twenty or 30 gallon tank(craigslist is awesome), and not have to worry about the water parameters constantly. I'd imagine 2 fully grown axolotls in a ten gallon would need at least 2 waterchanges per week, and that's if a filter could be found that wouldn't have too much flow for such a small volume of water, and keep the bioload under control.

I totally agree with Carson. It's not about what's possible it's about what is nice for the animal. You can't compare a 'surviving' situation to a pleasant, more natural situation. When someone wants to keep an axie as a pet it's likely that they want to give their pet a nice environment.
You could keep a dog alive in a room that's about the size of a toilet but no-one would say that that dog is happy as well.

To Nick: I think you are good on your way to become a perfect axie owner. In my opinion I would add a few hides. When the snails you are talking about are apple snails I would recommend rehoming them. They can be as dangerous as stones to your axie. Also, when they grow or you see a nice oppurtunity for a bigger tank, I would upgrade to a bigger tank. For two tiny axies this tank is perfect, but for adults it's really too small. They will become as long (or a little less) as the length of your tank.

I think I would want at least a 20 gallon. I have only one axolotl right now and I feel like once she reaches full adult size, it's going to get cramped in the 10 gallon that she's in.

Jake said:

10 gallons is fine for 2 adults as long as you keep up with water changes and as long as they don't grow much longer than 15 inches or so.

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A ten gallon tank wont even be holding ten gallons of water after sand , ornaments etc have been placed in it. I agree with Carsons post 100%/

Make sure you you feed your axolotls the earthworms very quickly as they are quite messy if bits of them are left. I wouldn't recommend wild worms as you don't know where they've been or what potential substances they have on them. You can buy worms from most pet shops which is a safer option. You may want to be weary that in a small space axolotls may attack each over, you may want to think about upgrading your tank in the future and some Pets At Home sell no thrills empty large tanks for a reasonable price. Make sure you have aquarium water conditioner which removes harmful substances such as chlorine and zinc found in tap water. I don't think you need a snail as you can get them neat algae magnets in most fish shops for about 5 pounds.