What would you have done differently?

I've got a tank set up that I'm pretty happy with, but there are a few things which I wish I'd done before I installed my axolotls, eg building some sort of 3D background to create shelf space, or siliconing some sand to the base. It's a lot harder to do these things once you've already got axies living in the tank! TBH I'm not sure if I would have been patient enough to do these things anyway, just waiting for the tank to cycle was hard enough, I just really wanted to get an axolotl in there asap! I expect I'm not the only one who has done this...

So my question to you is...if you could start over, and design your perfect axie tank from scratch, what would you do? I'm thinking more of realistic things here, not OTT axie palaces (although I'd be interested to see what some of you could dream up!)

I wish I'd started with a brand new tank, the scratches in the 35 gallon where my Japanese fire bellies live really get on my wires. The tank was home to a musk turtle for about 15 years so the inside is covered with them, I wish i'd just thrown it out and got a new one!

I would have bought a bigger tank... 2nd hand... for less money!
And I wouldn't have wasted money on big river rocks.

Lol auntiejude said exactly what I was thinking. I wish I hadn't gotten these pretty river rocks that I ended up taking out after only about a month. I also wish I had gotten two different color morphs instead of two albinos...

I wish I bought a tank that didn't have a frame around it so it would be easier to attach a fan to it.

I would have gotten all wild types. I have 5 axolotls, a leucistic, wild, golden, and two melanoids. After I got more into it I realized how much I like planted tanks and how strange it looks to see a bright golden axolotl in a beautiful natural planted tank haha.

I like my golden, he's easier to spot! My wildtype is lovely but I can't see him half the time

I wish I'd planned my tank a bit better rather than having whatever hides and plants took my fancy in the pet shop. I also wish I'd put some old carpet under the tank as I keep dripping water all over the living room carpet... Not ideal!