Update on Toothless...and a new member of the family! *PHOTOS!*

So...it finally happened to me.
Having had my beautiful Wildtype Toothless for a month, and with the help of you lovely and knowledgeable people, Toothless is now 7" and her gill fronds are lovely! Having had consistently good results for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and PH since the 19th of April, I finally decided to move Toothless into her new 15 Gallon tank (now with fine aquarium sand rather than the coral sand I was using - oops!). She now has a great hide, java fern, mini water lettuce, an air stone and a filter.

Why the move now?
Well, I was making way for the golden albino I have wanted since getting Toothless. Meet Galaxy, my (roughly) 3 month old, 5 and a half inch baby! She is now in the old breeding tank, and loves her worms! Unfortunately she literally has stubs for gills so I am lavishing her with water changes and worms every day until she is better. (My axxies are all female for the sake of argument until I can say for sure otherwise!)

Toothless is settling in well, but she still seems to have the same problem she did when she was in this tank before. She occasionally seems a bit restless, swimming around in corners and around the tank. Is this okay or is there something I have overlooked? Her filter is a PF Mini which has its flow blocked by a shower puff (thanks Nikki, that pompom trick is amazing!) and has an air bar to keep her tank aerated. She isn't active all the time, just now and again. Her parameters for yesterday (before she was put into the tank) and today (to ensure the addition of her and her leavings didn't crash the tank; I will be testing every day to make sure and have a large container and dechlorinated water on standby in case it crashes or becomes unsafe) are here:

29.04.2013

PH 8.0 (A little high I know. I had just removed the coral sand and I might have read the colour a little wrong).
AMMONIA 0 - 0.25 (the colour is yellow with a mild green tinge. It isn't enough to merit the light limey green of 0.25 and is almost banana yellow otherwise. It has been this colour since the 17th of April).
NITRITE 0
NITRATE 40 ppm

30.04.2013

PH 7.4
AMMONIA 0 - 0.25 ppm
NITRITE 0 ppm
NITRATE 10 - 20 ppm

To ensure it was safe for Toothless I changed half the water last night and added Quick Start. I have also added a little Quick Start today just in case. I may have read some of the colours a little wrong, which might explain the sudden drop in PH and Nitrate (the colours for 8.0 and 7.4 on my PH test kit are both light brown; the nitrate test is a light orange for 10 ppm, a darker orange for 20 ppm and a dark red for 40 ppm. At the very least, the worst nitrate reading I can have is 40 ppm).

Also, I think I already know the answer, but I'm going to need a bigger tank for these two to cohabit, aren't I? It's only 15 gallons and I'm pretty sure you need at least 20 for two fully grown axxies.

Do you guys also think anything is wrong with Toothless, or is she just getting used to her new tank and the noise of the air bar and filter? Her light is off nearly all the time except for a few hours each night for the plants, and she has a pillow case to shield her from the light coming from the window.

Thanks for reading! Any suggestions or help would be welcome!

Temp is also 20 degrees. Also forgot to mention both axxies also have pet moss balls! Here are some more piccies of Galaxy and Toothless

Woo, Sarah had the axolotl bug!

It's so contagious! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAAAY! It'll get you too lol! :angel:

Oh God. Did something totally boneheaded today.
After checking Tooth's parameters for the day, I realised ammonia was still at 0.25 ppm and nitrite looked suspiciously purple-tinged, but not enough to merit 0.25 ppm. Nonetheless I immediately did a 50% water change to make sure she was comfortable, and set up the siphon to clean up the muck in the sand that was there.

Unfortunately, I got so distracted by the muck that I failed to watch where the siphon hose was going. It wasn't going into the 50 litre bucket, oh no...it was spilling all over the pile of Terry Pratchett books I had piled up near the dresser after a night of doing dissertation work! I had to leave a massive towel to soak the carpet's drenched fibres and spend quite a lot of time on the landing using a hairdryer to dry the unfortunate literature. Luckily they were saved, but God, I will be watching the hose in future! I also had to use (clean) hands to lift Galaxy back into her tank (I had stupidly thought to try giving her bloodworm, and it got all over her tank and the tub she was in; I had only just cleaned it and I didn't want rotting bloodworm all over the tank). The poor thing was so startled when I lifted her out of her container that she dashed out of my hands and onto the carpet! The poor thing! I had to quickly scoop her up and pop her in the tank. She looked so stressed by the whole episode and even started flaking her skin a little. I won't ever do that again!

Anyone else ever get the feeling that they've done everything wrong one day, and the next day, the axolotls are happy, the water is clean and the worms slurped up with gusto? It's like all is forgiven

Oh my gosh, I can just imagine doing something similar...! (Also, you're called Sarah? That's a lot easier to say than Petersgirl.)

Toothless has such pretty iridiophores.

*Blushes with axxie mommy pride* I'm sort of half hoping that Galaxy might turn out to be a Galax - he. That way we might get some really iridescent babies! I only worry about how to find good homes for them 0.o So many young kids would see them and be like, 'ooh, little water dragons, cool!' and then lose interest in them after a month. >.< There's another user on here with an amazingly beautiful wildie with even brighter spots, and he wants to breed his too.

Yeah, possibly the most vanilla name ever, but it's short and sweet, like me It's like when someone types a post you find really helpful and you have to be like, 'thanks...er...what's your name? ILuvEdwardCullen2013? :shocked: I am not writing that! You must have a real name, surely?' Lol!

Ahhh, your axxies are so beautiful!

You also have the hide I want to buy! The fake stones with the fake tree trunk....how does Toothless like it? I'm debating between that one or just buying another of the hide I've already bought (it's a little cave that fits into the corner).

Thank you Knypto! She loves this particular hide, it's got plenty of room underneath and she can also back out if she needs to. She even sleeps in it, and she's a notoriously picky madam! She's about 7" and it comfortably fits about 2/3s of her body, her tail usually sticks out a bit but she seems to love it! It's also cool because you can put a java fern or java moss in the tree and it roots really well!
I do personally recommend it, it seems perfectly safe and there's even room on top for axxie sunbathing (or darkbathing, I suppose!) I keep her bogwood on top of it so she has more room on the main tank. Little caves are awesome too, but I really like this particular hide. I got it from an exotics shop for £12, but it could go up to as much as £25 from a chain store. Shop around for a good deal, I say Buying this hide might be nice for a change. I'm debating what kind to get Galaxy. What's the cave like? Do your axxies like it?

Petersgirl said:

Unfortunately, I got so distracted by the muck that I failed to watch where the siphon hose was going. It wasn't going into the 50 litre bucket, oh no...it was spilling all over the pile of Terry Pratchett books I had piled up near the dresser after a night of doing dissertation work!

Click to expand...

I've done this way too many times! Mine soaked my signed David Attenborough book! :nono: Now I hold the tubing so I know it won't happen. *sigh*

All Living Things Desert Cave

That's the hide I have. I don't have any axies yet, so no idea if they'll like it, but it's pretty big and fits nicely in the corner of the tank. I did have to sand the inside edge, though, because it was kind of sharp.

Don't know about distracted but I accidentally tipped about 3L of waste water onto the carpet the other day ...... Just not watching how I lifted the bucket

Having a panic right now, made the mistake of moving the chiller onto a higher table next to the tank - hose is now leaking hope I don't have to sit up all night watching it.

I thought I was the only one who'd done that! >.< It sucks that your Attenborough got soaked, Beks! Luckily I got my hairdryer on mine toute suite so there's barely any damage, but one of them was quite expensive - the Guilty Of Literature essay book - which cost me £15. Glad it's still readable. The things we do for our bubbies!

Knypto - OO. The cave looks cool! Maybe I'll check it out for Galaxy. I like the room and the fact it's square so you can tuck it into a corner. Are you going to get an axxie any time soon? If so, which kind?

Jen10s - Ohnoes! o.o I don't know what to suggest for that. You're so lucky to have a chiller though! I can only dream for now...

There's an aquarium store near me that gets them in occasionally so I'm waiting for them to get a shipment (which is fine since it's giving me time to cycle my tank). I'd REALLY like a black melanoid and any variety of white, but at this point I'll just go down there whenever they call me and pick two I like.

If that doesn't happen in the next few weeks I'll either hit up a reptile show or they do have in an adult axie right now that I might just pick up (they normally get them in 4-6 inches, but they got one from a customer that's about 10 inches, it's just a lot more expensive so I decided to wait).

Gosh. 10 inches. I wonder how old he/she is? Melanoids are stunning. They look quite dark and brooding, but I hope your aquarium can tell melanoids and Wildtypes apart. Mine couldn't and Tooth was sold to me as simply 'black,' but now I can tell them apart by their eyes. I wanted a Golden Albino for as long as I could remember. Sure enough, my local shop was selling Galaxy simply as 'albino,' and I wasn't about to correct them as they'd probably have doubled the price!
This might sound really girly, but you'll know when the axxie is yours. Look at it and keep looking. If you feel like someone's punched you in the chest and that you can't leave the store without them, it's your axxie and it was waiting for you! How long do you think your tank will take to finish cycling? I honestly don't know how you resist! Every time I see axolotls I think, 'I want to take you all home!' but space and common sense dictate two is enough, especially since I'm looking for a flat for after I get married.

When they first called to tell me about him they said it was a "Brown" so I'd assumed he was wildtype, but when I went to see him he looked melanoid to me. I REALLY wanted to take him home, but I knew my tank wasn't ready. I may be tempted to this week if he's still there (I'm going in probably Wednesday to look).

I'm hoping my tank will be cycled by the end of the week, I FINALLY got the ammonia to start climbing so hopefully it will start dipping soon to let me know the cycle is starting. I'm having such a hard time being patient! I was the same way before we got our puppy, it was all planning and hoping and waiting for him to be born!

Ooh! If he has black or blue eyes without shininess, you've got your Melanoid right there! Oh God, I know. Mine's still adapting to having Tooth in there and keeps giving me weird colours - like banana yellow with the faintest hint of green for ammonia and blue with a faint purple tinge for Nitrite. I keep panicking thinking she's poorly and after I check it's like, 'okay, that's not too bad...or is it?!' They do like to keep us on our toes!

It was like when I got Galaxy. I knew, in the back of my mind, that my current large tank is about 13 UK Gallons, or thereabouts. Which is barely big enough for Tooth. So I'm going to have to get a bigger one if I want to keep them together. But that flew to the back of my mind when I saw Galaxy. I was like, 'I don't mind doing water changes every day! I don't mind cleaning up after one more! If I get to take you home, I'll do everything to make you happy!' I failed to twig that I live in a tiny room, which doesn't have room for a 20 gallon unless I move my printer or get rid of the old one. I reasoned that Gally is barely 5 and half inches so I have plenty of time to get a new tank...but the clock's ticking and my room isn't getting any bigger so I have to get on it soon!

Keep us updated on whether you take the brown axxie or not

It was a strain to get my husband to agree to ANY tank, so I got lucky he let me get one as big as I did (still trying to talk him into letting me start a small wormery on our balcony ).

I'm sure I'll post 400 photos if I end up getting the "brown" guy! I've been saving up the progression pictures of my tank set up for when it finally has something in it!

Hehe, I literally have a 5ltr plastic tub with compost and damp newspaper shreddings inside for my worms, but every time I open it there's a bunch of worms stuck to the very top of it (under the lid). I've had a few escapees already! I bung them vegetable cuttings every now and again.

Can't wait to see your axxie in the tank! I get super excited every time my axxies do something new or I notice something. Like now, Gally has tiny little shiny gill stubs! After only a week!

I got a bargain yesterday. A 215 litre, 2.5 foot tank was sold to me for £60, and I got it home, filled it with all of Toothless's stuff, and yesterday I tried to see how they'd interact for the first time.

I was so nervous. I knew that Gally is 5 and a half inches, and 6 would have been better, but I wanted to see if they'd get on. They ignored each other for a while. Then they spotted each other. Sniffed at each other. Tooth, probably a little stressed from the move, barely twitched. Then Gally was sniffing her face, gills, feet. Nothing. I was so tense.
He climbed over her, spotted her tail and nipped.
OK, I thought. Maybe Toothless will nip back and it'll be okay. Like dogs meeting for the first time.
No. Toothless leaned forward. They were in a little axxie circle, each sniffing the other. I thought all had been forgiven.
Then Gally spotted her irresistible tail. He nipped her more strongly this time, so I separated them again.

Today I went looking for a tank divider. My local exotic shop sold me a condensation sheet which I cut to size. I also fitted a new PF1 pump with fresh foams inside on one side, complete with new air bar (so they had one each) and a shower puff to block the flow. They are now in a separated tank, Tooth with about 20 gallons of room, 3 times the length of her body, Gally with the rest.

What I'm wondering is, is there any way to know when they might get along? Is this early nipping a bad sign or is Gally just in a nippy stage? I've never tried to have 2 together and Tooth is quite shy and gentle, while Gally is much more assertive and nippy. He even attacked his air bar the first time he saw it!
Does anyone have any experience with keeping 2 together and can you give me any tips?