Question: Basic questions

If all goes well i will have a 20 tall in a few days ( 2ft x1ft)

i just have a few questions on setting it up for an axolotl ( i can't set it up until march at least but i want to make sure i know all i need to first)

* is an in tank filter ok?
* can i use my whisper 10i for a 20 tall?
* are there any things i should know before getting started?
* is playsand ok as substrate?
* will they disturb plants?

Elliriyanna said:

If all goes well i will have a 20 tall in a few days ( 2ft x1ft)

i just have a few questions on setting it up for an axolotl ( i can't set it up until march at least but i want to make sure i know all i need to first)

* is an in tank filter ok?
* can i use my whisper 10i for a 20 tall?
* are there any things i should know before getting started?
* is playsand ok as substrate?
* will they disturb plants?

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1) Yes provided the outflow is not too strong, you can break up the flow with a plastic plant or a rock or turn the outflow nozzle toward the wall of the tank.

2) I don't know I'm sorry, it is not a brand I am familiar with.

3) Gravel bad, Earthworms good
In all seriousness, keep an eye on your water quality, use a dechlorinator but double check it does not bind ammonia (e.g. avoid Prime and go for a brand such as Amquel) and make sure you remove poop and uneaten food ASAP. Be diligent with your husbandry and your Axolotl will love you. If you can, try to cycle your tank before you bring the Axolotl home - just makes life a bit easier.

4) Yes provided you wash it to within an inch if it's life, once you have done that then wash it again! I would go for a bare bottomed tank while your Axolotl is small and only introduce the sand once it has grown up. If you can train it to eat from a feeding jar or a dish then this will minimise the amount of substrate that gets hoovered up with the food.

5) Yes, they are the bulldozers of the natural world! Plants are great but make sure they are hardy and well rooted - you can get plants ready rooted on things like bog wood and coconut shells that are good options.

Good luck and enjoy your new babies

The whisper 10i is only rated for 10 gallons

OK if they bulldozed plants I would feel much safer with artificial for them

I am actually only planning on one axie


I don't mind washing sand one bit lol I kind of find it fun


I currently have the filter I plan to use in my Betta tank cycling, I am very obsessive about KY water quality ... doing cycles from scratch is killing me

Any recommendations on caves?

How do you train them to eat from a bowl? I know with some amphibians you just always feed them in the same place

How to you clean poos? I have feeding tongs or a gravel vac ...

Elliriyanna said:

The whisper 10i is only rated for 10 gallons

OK if they bulldozed plants I would feel much safer with artificial for them

I am actually only planning on one axie


I don't mind washing sand one bit lol I kind of find it fun


I currently have the filter I plan to use in my Betta tank cycling, I am very obsessive about KY water quality ... doing cycles from scratch is killing me

Any recommendations on caves?

How do you train them to eat from a bowl? I know with some amphibians you just always feed them in the same place

How to you clean poos? I have feeding tongs or a gravel vac ...

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Lots of people use plastic pipes, I have terracotta pots as hides. You can use pretty much anything so long as it doesn't have rough edges and doesn't leak anything into the water (e.g. isn't painted etc), Nikki uses ceramic oil burners which are cheap and visually appealing.

To train them to eat from a dish/jar you essentially just keep putting the food in it and the Axolotl will find it eventually.

The easiest way to remove poop is a turkey baster or a siphon. Feeding tongs tend to break them up and gravel vac's often don't suck hard enough.

If you are going for fake plants then check they don't have any metal parts in.

I love live plants but if they will just destroy them it isn't worth it

I am very careful about everything I put in the tank

Darn I was hoping you wouldn't say terra cotta pots but I guess I can always hide them in the back



What size does everything need to be? Pots bowls etc ( I can figure out the plants)

I will pick up a Turkey baster then

Be honest with me ... how entertaining are they? I LOVE RES turtles ... how do they.compare to them?

Java moss us a great plant to use. Does not require a substrate and grows well un low light.

+1 on the turkey baster.

And if you do decide to go with fake plants, make sure there are no sharp edges and I would rinse them with warm or hot water first.

Also, a +1 to the bare bottom tank as well. You wont have to worry about substrate accidentally being eaten and it will make it easier to find poop and uneaten food.

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A standard size jam (jelly) jar will do as a feeding jar.

I use one of those tea bag rests as a feeding dish just because was cheaper than buying a 'proper' feeding dish, I know several people use small reptile feeding dishes but I like my tea pot!

They are really entertaining, I loose hours watching their antics :happy:

Is the 10 gallon filter OK?

I will get a pot saucer and 2 terra cotta pots and a Turkey baster ... do they need anything else? Other than plants? ( which I will find a way to weight)

They seem pretty simple ...

How can I make the tank more visually appealing?

Are there other substrates I can use? I really love the look ... maybe an organic soil or something?

I should think the filter would be ok, just keep an eye on the outflow and your water parameters as I said.

Slate tiles can make a good substrate (stick them down with aquarium safe silicon before you put the water in to stop crud accumulating under them) or large (i.e. bigger then 3 inches) smooth pebbles, pebbles can be a nightmare when it comes to siphoning up crud though. I think if you used soil you would have to put something else over it e.g. sand, personally I would avoid it.

Start a wormery for food for them and get some bloodworms for initial feeding when they are tiny. If you can't get fresh bloodworms then frozen are ok just ensure you wash them thoroughly in aquarium water before you put them in the feeding jar/dish.

You can make the tank more appealing with ornaments I guess, it depends on what sort of theme you are going for, I just have plants and bog wood in my tank as I wanted a more natural look but I have seen tanks with everything from dinosaurs to Mcdonalds toys in.

Oh cool they sell that size in large bags at hardware stores correct?

After cycling how often should I test the water? I do have an API master test kit

How do I start a wormery?

I was planning on starting a shrimp and guppy breeding tank also

Have a look at this thread

Poll: FYI: How To Build A Wormery

There are 'professional' kits available on line also. You can buy worms in bait shops and walmart aswell.

I got large pebbles in B&Q which is a DIY shop in the UK so I guess that is our version of your hardware stores.

I test my water once a week or so now it is not cycling, or if I suspect there is a problem (the Axolotls start acting funny or the water smells fausty) but it is down to personal choice, there are forum members who choose not to test their water e.g. Kaysie and rely on good husbandry to maintain healthy water. The choice, as they say, is yours.

Guppys and Shrimp are good 'snacks' for larger Axolotls but can nip gills and limbs of smaller ones so I wouldn't introduce them until your Axolotls have grown up. When you do introduce them be vigilant for parasites.

Avoiding parasites was the very reason I wanted to breed my own ... red cherry shrimp are very peaceful so they shouldn't do much but I will be careful

I just want to do my best by my pets ( heck my room is being rat proofed when we move lol)

Elliriyanna said:

Avoiding parasites was the very reason I wanted to breed my own ... red cherry shrimp are very peaceful so they shouldn't do much but I will be careful

I just want to do my best by my pets ( heck my room is being rat proofed when we move lol)

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Lol, I have a Chinchilla proof lounge :happy:

It sounds like you will be a great Axie Mama, welcome to the club :grin:

Thank you Only problem is my boyfriend ... he is not such an animal fan ...

i cant wait to move and update you guys

Elliriyanna said:

Thank you Only problem is my boyfriend ... he is not such an animal fan ...

i cant wait to move and update you guys

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Dump him, it's the only sensible thing to do

Plenty of pictures when you welcome your new arrival please :grin:

lol ... then who would feed the cat?

did i mention my other hobby is photography there shall be tons of spam

my boyfriend just wants me out of debt and to be sure we have space before we do anything

It's my experience that plants attached to driftwood or java moss wrapped around mangrove branch has worked really well they love to climb over the anubias on driftwood & rub their faces on the java fern.

I love having live plants in a tank & if you choose true aquatic plants which come with established roots then they will grow well / help the water & be welcomed by your lotl - so much more benefits than fake plants (which can cost more than real ) here's a pic of my tank. Pretty much every plant is attached to driftwood or rock. Except the rush grass I've just poked into the front corners.



As for entertainment they are so much fun to watch & see their antics my husband didn't like axolotls at first but now he's the one staring into the tanks & taking pics of their silliness when I'm not home & sending them to me. I got a 6'ft tank & it was his idea to donate the whole thing to axolotls trust me your man will come around - he may not openly admit it. Mine still says he just 'likes the lizards (his name for lotls)' but I can tell he's enamored with them as much as me

If he doesn't come around then kick him to the curb - animal lovers need to be with animal lovers people who really don't like any kind of pet / animal I've found are heartless people I don't want to waste time around



<3 >o_o< <3

he likes cats ...

i am depressed now ... i just did the math and i cant get ANYTHING for at least 4 months

on the bright side i have all the info here i need