Recommended "tools"

Hi guys,

So I thought, what are the tools you use to maintain your tank that you would recommend other people to buy?

The one thing I have that I really like and use regularly other than the regular magnetic glass cleaners and gravel siphon is the Super Fish Aqua Tool.


The one I have is the one pictured above but there are also versions with other attachments such as plant forks and there are other brands of what look to be the same tool.

Anyway I find this tool particularly handy. The net itself is too small for an axolotl but is good for clearing out debris, especially since the handle is so long so you can reach to the bottom of the tank. The "blade" algae scraper I find is good for cleaning the back and side glass as with most of my tanks I can only clean the front glass with magnetic glass cleaners. The scrubber attachment, which turns 360 degrees is handy for cleaning some ornaments while they are in the tank as well as cleaning the glass. Now for the rake, well this is actually the part I use most often. My axies love to move the sand around and sometimes dig and block up the entrance to their hides with piles of sand, with the rake I can simply and easily just put the sand back to where I want it and even out the terrain again!

Anyway that's the one tool I have which I would recommend, hopefully it might help some of ye out. Is there anything you have that you would recommend to others?

My list of essential tools:
Turkey baster - I have 2
Siphon or vac - I have a battery powered vac, an air powered vac and a large gravity siphon
Sharp scissors - for cutting up worms (medical grade stainless steel)
Large jug, 2 x 30L plasterers buckets, 4 x camping water carriers (10 and 15L) for water changes
Brinshrimp grading sieves - for filtering BBS and daphnia for feeding larvae
Deep tray (photographic developing kit) tray

And the most important bits of equipment I use for feeding, cleaning and caring for my axies - my HANDS!

I have 5 tanks, mostly axolotls but one full of minnows, so occasional axie treats.
I use the following:
1x bucket 15L bucket, Water changes
1x gravel Cleaner
1x Electric pump (Emptying tanks where gravity wont work.
2x magnetic cleaners
3x Brand new pumps (spares) internals, spondee, and a HOB
1x Scissors
1x 20L spare, clean substrate
1x Spare air pumps

Oh and among one of the 5 tanks i also have a little 20L tank that has about 15 snails in there. Some people say don't put snails with your axie, and i don't usually but i haven't had any issues so far.

Well, I guess I'm pretty lo-tech. I have three tanks by the way, Lotl tank, Goldie tank and a 2.5 Betta tank.

I have (just sittin' around)

-API liquid Test kit
-Turkey Baster (Ah the essential tool)
-Airline tubing (still got a lot left)
-Tupperware containers of various sizes
-Scissors (for fish reasons only)

And of course my hands. I don't have anything fancy to clean the glass, I just stick my hands in there. My friend and I say we're going 'scuba diving' when it's time to clean our tanks LOL. I've trained my goldies to be real comfortable around my hands (Yes you can literally train goldfish) they nibble me while I'm cleaning, as opposed to being dead scared of me like they were when I got them.

Cups. Oh god, cups. The amount of worms I've lost down the sink.... I don't even know.

I use the small cups for a) putting a bunch of worms in (screw using hands yuck!), b) rinse the worms without losing grip of them in the tongs, c) turkey baster-ing many little baby poops and large adult poop instead of attempting to run to the bathroom to put it in the sink / use of an unnecessarily big bucket and d) thawing out bloodworms instead of losing them all over the tank.

I love my trusty cup. (Just make sure you label your axolotl cup, so no one reuses it!)

hayleykahnita said:

Cups. Oh god, cups. I love my trusty cup. (Just make sure you label your axolotl cup, so no one reuses it!)

Click to expand...

This one is my favorite... by a lot.

hayleykahnita said:

I love my trusty cup. (Just make sure you label your axolotl cup, so no one reuses it!)

Click to expand...

This made me smile. I use all kinds of cups and bowls and tupperware from my kitchen. I never label it, I just wash it and put it away. If it gets reused for the Jacks that's fine, and if it's reused by me that's fine too!

My family don't appreciate axolotls like I do, and certainly don't wanna drink from the poop and worm cups haha, can't say I would like to either :\

SuburbanGirl said:

This made me smile. I use all kinds of cups and bowls and tupperware from my kitchen. I never label it, I just wash it and put it away. If it gets reused for the Jacks that's fine, and if it's reused by me that's fine too!

Click to expand...

ummmmm from your kitchen? I hope you don't mean cups and bowls that are also used with food. No matter how they're washed there can be food residue or etc and it could harm your axie.

Plus... ew

Kaini said:

ummmmm from your kitchen? I hope you don't mean cups and bowls that are also used with food. No matter how they're washed there can be food residue or etc and it could harm your axie.

Plus... ew

Click to expand...

Well my cups don't come into contact with the axolotls or the tank so there's no chance of harming them. Plus my family only drinks water, or soda from cans, don't think the water would harm them

Kaini said:

ummmmm from your kitchen? I hope you don't mean cups and bowls that are also used with food. No matter how they're washed there can be food residue or etc and it could harm your axie.

Plus... ew

Click to expand...

ok, I will confess that I do have a designated tong for worm feeding, and a designated pair of bowls for tank things (water changes, cleaning things, soaking things etc).

Back when I was feeding live blackworms to Jack I used a fork to get them out of the bag, and I would just toss the fork in the sink when I was done. We went through a LOT of forks then. My sister thought is was funny that I couldn't keep track of which forks were for the Jacks and which were forks for people. She would move them around just to make me wash them.

Here is my list from most used to least used.

1. Turkey baster
2. Plastic Tupperware
3. 5 Gallon Bucket
4. 5ft Siphon
5. Butcher Knife

Hope this helps.