Hello! Getting my Axolotl soon, any advice? :)

Hi,

I'm new to keeping amphibians but I am getting an Axolotl soon. (I found someone kind enough to trade me an axolotl for some fancy rock specimens in my collection).

What I know is it needs cold temperatures (use an ice filled bottle)
I have a 20 gallon long for just 1 Axolotl
keep clean water with no current
no gravel or substrate
plenty of places to hide
nothing in the tank smaller than its head or it will eat it
don't keep it with fish
feed worms and pellets (How often? I've seen several times a day and once every two days)

My questions mainly are:
Can I put a filter on the tank if I manage to somehow break the current?
Does it need a bubbler and an air stone (at a low setting)?

Thank you!
-Elaine

EDIT:
OH and does the tank need to cycle like for fish? I am wondering if I can put him in the water that is already in the tank (I JUST got rid of my tropical fish today and I removed the heater!) OR if I should put in totally fresh water and start cycling the tank. I'd rather just put in fresh and get him soon but I don't know what is best for him. Thanks!

Elliriyanna said:

it needs an air source so if your filter does not aerate the water yes you will need a bubbler. a sponge filter is typically the best filter but you can use a whisper type HOB or even a canister filter if you point the spray bar at the side.

How often to feed depends on how big your axie is, babies generally need fed 1-2 times a day.

If you " feed" your tank you could probably technically put him in the tank but I am unsure, they do need a cycled tank.

Don't forget plants Mine loves to sit in her silk plants, but you can also use live I just am horrible at keeping them alive.

Click to expand...

Thanks! Right now all I have are plastic plants which I didn't think would be a good idea because they are a little spiky... I have one that isin't spiky though. I'll put that one in as well as alot of well smoothed tumbled rocks. I built it a den out of stones too that is tall enough to break the current from the filter.

Thanks for the information!

I've recently purchased my first Axie.

I did some reading, a few people recommended using sand in the bottom of the tank, gravel can kill if ingested, sand can pass through the digestive system.

Temperature wise I've seen any where between 14 and 24 degrees C. My tank doesn't have a heater/cooler and is sat at a steady 20-21 degrees C currently on the kitchen worktop.

There are signs the axolotl will give if the conditions aren't right. For example too much water flow and they will curl their gills forward.

Too hot a temperature and they will develop blotchy skin (on the top of the head mainly)

Most recommend feeding youngsters once a day and adults every couple of days, and about as much food it can eat in 15 minutes. Try and clear/clean any un-eaten food as this will foul the tank quicker.

They don't need a light source (actually prefer the dark so hiding places are a good idea) but you can add a lamp for display/decorative purposes if you wish.

I have a small axie in a small pet keeper style tank until it grows a bit. plenty of space currently with a couple of plastic plants and a cave type ornament and sand as a substrate. I purchased a small hang on type filter on ebay for about £6 and is doing an ok job so far (granted I have it set very low). Still waiting on an air pump to run the aeration in the axie tank, and a brine shrimp culture I aim to grow.

Again, other people have recommended changing between 20 and 50% of the water weekly. Keep an eye on the pH which should be between 6.5 and 7.5 so pretty much neutral. Try to monitor chemicals in the water (I'm yet to read into this greatly thats next on my list!)


Hope this helps, All is information I remember reading recently around the web prior to purchasing my Axolotl (please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

Cheers,

Jordan