question from beginner (axolots)

First I must tell you; I'm not very good at english, I hope that someone will understand what I'm telling/asking about.

So..I'm thinking of taking an axolotl (ambystoma mexicanum), and noe I have some questions.
Here, In finland, it's hard to find information of axolots, there's only some basic information at finish web-sites, so I trye to find something more.
And here we go...

1. How many axolots can I take when I have a 190 liter aquarium?
2. There is about +18 c* in aquarium, is it fine?
3. Is it fine if there have been fishes in aquarium?

I will ask some more questions later, but pleace, answer easily, so I sure understand what your saying.

(I'm still sorry about my bad english...)

oh..I forgot!

4. Hoe easily do axolots breed? I just can't find anything in finish..

Welcome weemano!

All of your questions and more can be answered right here. It is put far better than I can ever type out myself.

I'd advise you to read the article that Jason posted above but I'll give you specific answers to your questions also.

weemano said:

1. How many axolots can I take when I have a 190 liter aquarium?

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Between 3-4 adult axolotls depending upon the dimensions of the aquarium. How tall and wide is the aquarium?

2. There is about +18 c* in aquarium, is it fine?

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18 degrees C is fine. Temperature should not be above 21C

3. Is it fine if there have been fishes in aquarium?

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It is fine if fishes have been in the aquarium. It is not okay if fishes are currently in the aquarium.

And 4. The answer varies. Some breed very often - my two bred every three weeks until I separated them, while other people have had males and females together for years without them breeding.

-Eva

I'm sorry that I ask questions witch can be found at old topics..It's just so hard to try to find answers when they are in forgein language, especially when you don't speak the language wery well..

But..

Abrahm// the aquarium is about 120 cm long x 35 cm wide x 35 cm tall.
So, how many ADULT axolots I can keep in it?

blueberlin// I just hope that I could get a breeding pair..There isn't any in finland, or I just don't know of them.

And I have questions!

5. Do any golored axolots breed whit any golored? exmpl. golden&albino?

4. What kind of golors do axolots have? Links would be nice. I have seen albinos, browns and yellow/golden.

Yes, it is difficult to search for something when you do not automatically know a good word to use for the search. I have the same trouble in German.

I have an aquarium about the same size as yours. It will very comfortably fit two axolotls, maybe three. You can technically have more in there, but if you are keeping the axolotls as pets, it is always nice to give them lots of room. Also, axolotls make a lof of waste, which means that the more you have in one aquarium, the more difficult it will be to keep the aquarium and its water clean.

Color does not influence whether or not axolotls can breed together. As I understand it, they can even breed with other types of Ambystoma. There is a genetics page with lots of information:
http://www.axolotl.org/genetics.htm

As to what colors there are, if go click on the axolotl home page http://www.axolotl.org/ and scroll down, there is a picture with a variety of axolotls. The ones in that picture are all single-colored. Axolotls often have freckles - spots of brown or black or yellow or glittery color - and the size, shape, and amount of these freckles varies as much as it does on humans. If you look through the axie gallery http://www.caudata.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=62 you will see an amazing variety.

If you have more questions, just keep asking. Don't be shy or discouraged - questions and answers is what the forum is all about. We don't think you are lazy for asking.

-Eva

Well..I'm going to have 5 axolot babies next week, there isn't any way to have less than 5, so I will sell 2-3 of them later.

And questions again. :wacko:

*They're about 7-9cm tall now, so they could be together a few moths?

*At first they will be in ~80 liter aquarium, there havent been any fishes, so it's kind of sterile environment. It's good, isn't it?
(Only momentary arrangement, 1-2 month at moust.)

*when will I can find out witch sex they are?I have read that the lenght of axolot have something in common whit the ability of breeding.

*Do males finght whit other males?

*Would it be better if I have just one male+one female of if I have one male+two famales?

Thaks of your answers.

Hi Weemano

weemano said:

*They're about 7-9cm tall now, so they could be together a few moths?

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If they are in the large aquarium, it should be ok. You'll see when things get too small - they will be stepping on each other, trying to get to the "best" places.

*At first they will be in ~80 liter aquarium, there havent been any fishes, so it's kind of sterile environment. It's good, isn't it?

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The aquarium needs to be cycled first if at all possible. If not, the aquarium will begin to cycle once you have animals in it, and the chemicals released in the cycling process are deadly to animals. Here: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

*when will I can find out witch sex they are?

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There is really only one good way to tell. The cloaca on the male are larger than on the female. If the axolotl has "bumps" behind its back legs, it's a boy. Females also have fatter bellies but only because (when) the belly is full of eggs. This page has a picture of male and female cloacas: http://www.axolotl.org/biology.htm

*Do males finght whit other males?

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Not as such, no - they are not aggressively territorial. Any axolotl may bite another accidentally though. They do not see very well and tend to suck in anything they think is food (because it smells tasty or moves interestingly). Because an axolotl's body is very delicate, a bite can damage it, even partially or wholly removing the bitten body part. (This is why it is important not to crowd them in a small aquarium.)

*Would it be better if I have just one male+one female of if I have one male+two famales?

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If I had them all in one aquarium, I would only have males or only females, to prevent them from breeding constantly. Making eggs is very hard work for the female, so I (personally) think it is better onl to breed if you truly want to raise the young. It is not a problem to have several males together because, again, they are not aggressively territorial.

I hope I've kept my English understandable for you? My Finnish is really, really bad.

-Eva

Here in finlad we say that aquarium is "ripe" when there is all of the useful bekteria in.
I have a bag of fish aquarium sand in ~80 liter aguarium, so it will give some bakteria to new water, aquarium will be "ripe" in two days.
(I know, no one will uderstand, so I just say: I had have aquariums for 10 years now, so I know how to make them work. :uhoh: )

Hmm..I just were in hope of that I gould raise axolots.
I thinkd that axies don't breed if water isn't about 20-22 C*, silly me...
I could keep ~80 liter too, if it isn't too small for one male? Its about 70cmx35cmx35cm.
Well, we see, what wiil I do whit those litle ones, whitch I'm going to get.

*Is black sand ok in aguarium?

And I must thank you, here the answers gome so quick! In finish forums you have to wait many days to get any information!

What will you do with all of the little ones? That's usually a question people at the forum would ask you . You can separate the ones you want and then give the rest back to their parents, who will eat them.

I think that the smaller aquarium is plenty big enough for a single axolotl.

People here have used black sand and red sand - you can see pictures in the Axie Gallery (you might try searching for "black sand" and "red sand"). If you have a dark-colored axolotl, he might be invisible against black sand, though (which would be a shame because they are awfully nice to look at). This thread is about using different colored sands: http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=54788

Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember reading somewhere that axolotls might not breed if it is too cold, but "might" is a big word. I suspect that my axolotls are descended from laboratory animals and that is why they breed so much.

weemano said:

And I must thank you, here the answers gome so quick! In finish forums you have to wait many days to get any information!

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I agree with you - this forum is really excellent. It is generally considered the best in the world (and again, I agree) and one advantage is that its membership is international, so that no matter what time it is in your corner of the world, there are probably several others also online at the same time.

-Eva

Here isn't just any people who raise axolots, and demand is huge..
If I had one male and two females...i would maby get them breed.
And if there isn't demand for litle ones, I just find a nice home for the male.
Lucy me, I have another 200 liter aquarium, if I really need it.

It's ord to frite english..I never before had to do it in real life!

I am not a breeder but I would think that you should not give the babies away until they are at least juveniles if you are selling them to inexperienced people. This would mean keeping all of the larvae until they are, what, 8 months old? That would require a LOT of aquarium space. Then, think about how much it will cost to maintain them until that time. The going price here (I hope this isn't indiscreet to post) is 1 euro per cm of body length. I have 26 larvae right now and they currently cost me about 40 euros a week in food. In other words, I do not see that it is possible to make a profit on axolotls unless you have the room and equipment (and time) to raise very many of them, and unless you raise your own food for them (more space, equipment, and time).

I salute you for writing English - it's good practice, too! You'll see how quickly it improves as you go.

-Eva

Mayby I think of that breeding system later, just now I trye to get more and more basic information.
I want to know all necessary thing of axies, before next week friday. (omg...)

*Is it fine to feed axolots whit earthworms? I live in contryside, so there's lost of bugs here.

I will get some dried food and living bugs&worms from petshop too, but if I feed something else too, it's more and more cheaper. :'D
In fact I have litle crabs, I don't know what they're galled in english..but finish axie people says that they're good food for young axies.

*What should I notice when I go to get my axies from shop? I think that I take a goolboks whit me, lower temperatures will be nicer for axies when I get them home..

Oh my...It's friday the 13 next week..Lyculy I'm not that mutch into those things..

a little question from me wemano. do you have undergravel filters?
i was just wondering as you were saying about using "ripe" sand.

Haha ok your English is now deteriorating a little, but I think I can still follow you.

You should be able to know most of what you need by next week Friday. Do you feel confident already? If not, you can certainly list what you have learned and people here will say "right" or "wrong".

weemano said:

(omg...)

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I see that your (forum) English is already improving!

*Is it fine to feed axolots whit earthworms? I live in contryside, so there's lost of bugs here.

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Yes you can feed them earthworms - they are an excellent food. Here is an article about all kinds of worms:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/worms.shtml

The important thing is to be certain that the place where you get the worms has not been sprayed (or whatever) with pesticides, though. You can also feed them other things that you can find in a garden, like slugs (a snail without a shell) or pill bugs - the little grey bugs that look like armadillos and roll into a ball when you touch them, their Latin name is Isopoda). The important things to remember are that 1) the earth/plants where you get the bugs has not been treated with chemicals of some kind, and 2) the bugs will not hurt your axolotl.

There is a detailed list of foods for Caudates (incl. axolotls) here: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/foods.shtml

Note that the things called meal worms (farther down in the list) are easy to buy but may cause problems - besides having a shell (exoskeleton) that may be hard to digest, they have very strong mandibles and may actually hurt your axolotl from the inside out.

I will get some dried food and living bugs&worms from petshop too, but if I feed something else too, it's more and more cheaper. :'D

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Yes this is exactly right. I live in an apartment house in Berlin which means no garden, so I have to buy all of the food for my axolotls, adults and larvae. And again, they are costing me a small fortune.

In fact I have litle crabs, I don't know what they're galled in english..but finish axie people says that they're good food for young axies.

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I believe you mean either "brine shrimp" or "daphnia". They are indeed very good food for larvae. They are also both very easy to breed at home ( = for free food). Brine shrimp (brine means salt water) used to be sold as "pets" called Sea Monkeys in the USA, maybe you know something like that in Finland, too? Daphina are "water fleas". If you search this forum with either of those words, you will certainly find lots of information, including how to raise them. I have found a good link for Daphnia http://www.caudata.org/daphnia/ but haven't found a separate link on brine shrimp yet.

*What should I notice when I go to get my axies from shop? I think that I take a goolboks whit me, lower temperatures will be nicer for axies when I get them home..

Click to expand...

I do not know how far you have to travel with the axolotl to get it home, so I do not know if a cool box is really necessary. Can't hurt, anyway, right? I brougt mine home like you would do with any other fish. They will give you the axolotls in a large bag with some water. Let it float in the new aquarium for 15-20 minutes, then add some water, etc. - since you've had aquaria for 10 years, you will know how that works. The only thing is that I would not use a net to catch the axolotl, but would open the bag and tip it a little - he will walk out into the new aquarium by himself. (I hope I understood the question correctly?)

Normally I would also say to look at the axolotls carefully before buying them. If they have places that are white and furry, if they look very thin, if pieces of their body is missing, then they are already in poor condition and you will have a lot of work to get them happy. (And you should not reward the shop owner for treating animals this way by giving him money to continue.) I don't say this now (see how I did not say it?) because you write that you have a very difficult time finding axolotls at all.

Incidentally, there is a place in this forum where you could look for axolotls being sold by people from this forum (sorry I didn't think of that before):
http://www.caudata.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=51

-Eva

I'm sorry...I didn't understand..

If I get it right, your asking what kind of filter I have? (I'm just so lost whit these "not so easy" words..Try to speak like you were speaking to some brainless people..)
Mayby I just tell what I have in the tank.. -.-'

filration:
in 80 liter there will be eheim aquaball, so it's in the water.
In 190 liter I have very forcefull filter, it's too inside the tank, and I have make the flouting smooler whit a piece of pipe; I made some holes in it and put it in output hole of the filter.
(pleace, someone, understand what I'm trying to say!)
Both of those filters are working now, in my mother fishtank.
So they're "ripe" *** well as the sand whitsh I put in bag.. xP

Haha ok your English is now deteriorating a little, but I think I can still follow you.

You should be able to know most of what you need by next week Friday. Do you feel confident already? If not, you can certainly list what you have learned and people here will say "right" or "wrong".

weemano said:

(omg...)

Click to expand...

I see that your (forum) English is already improving!

*Is it fine to feed axolots whit earthworms? I live in contryside, so there's lost of bugs here.

Click to expand...

Yes you can feed them earthworms - they are an excellent food. Here is an article about all kinds of worms:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/worms.shtml

The important thing is to be certain that the place where you get the worms has not been sprayed (or whatever) with pesticides, though. You can also feed them other things that you can find in a garden, like slugs (a snail without a shell) or pill bugs - the little grey bugs that look like armadillos and roll into a ball when you touch them, their Latin name is Isopoda). The important things to remember are that 1) the earth/plants where you get the bugs has not been treated with chemicals of some kind, and 2) the bugs will not hurt your axolotl.

There is a detailed list of foods for Caudates (incl. axolotls) here: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/foods.shtml

Note that the things called meal worms (farther down in the list) are easy to buy but may cause problems - besides having a shell (exoskeleton) that may be hard to digest, they have very strong mandibles and may actually hurt your axolotl from the inside out.

I will get some dried food and living bugs&worms from petshop too, but if I feed something else too, it's more and more cheaper. :'D

Click to expand...

Yes this is exactly right. I live in an apartment house in Berlin which means no garden, so I have to buy all of the food for my axolotls, adults and larvae. And again, they are costing me a small fortune.

In fact I have litle crabs, I don't know what they're galled in english..but finish axie people says that they're good food for young axies.

Click to expand...

I believe you mean either "brine shrimp" or "daphnia". They are indeed very good food for larvae. They are also both very easy to breed at home ( = for free food). Brine shrimp (brine means salt water) used to be sold as "pets" called Sea Monkeys in the USA, maybe you know something like that in Finland, too? Daphina are "water fleas". If you search this forum with either of those words, you will certainly find lots of information, including how to raise them. I have found a good link for Daphnia http://www.caudata.org/daphnia/ but haven't found a separate link on brine shrimp yet.

*What should I notice when I go to get my axies from shop? I think that I take a goolboks whit me, lower temperatures will be nicer for axies when I get them home..

Click to expand...

I do not know how far you have to travel with the axolotl to get it home, so I do not know if a cool box is really necessary. Can't hurt, anyway, right? I brougt mine home like you would do with any other fish. They will give you the axolotls in a large bag with some water. Let it float in the new aquarium for 15-20 minutes, then add some water, etc. - since you've had aquaria for 10 years, you will know how that works. The only thing is that I would not use a net to catch the axolotl, but would open the bag and tip it a little - he will walk out into the new aquarium by himself. (I hope I understood the question correctly?)

Normally I would also say to look at the axolotls carefully before buying them. If they have places that are white and furry, if they look very thin, if pieces of their body is missing, then they are already in poor condition and you will have a lot of work to get them happy. (And you should not reward the shop owner for treating animals this way by giving him money to continue.) I don't say this now (see how I did not say it?) because you write that you have a very difficult time finding axolotls at all.

Incidentally, there is a place in this forum where you could look for axolotls being sold by people from this forum (sorry I didn't think of that before):
http://www.caudata.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=51

-Eva

And for blueberlin: thanks, you have been so helpfull..

And no, the bugs here arent any way poisoned, we don't use any poisons in our garden.

I gotta go about 15km far to get my axies, that's something really special here, normaly it would be maybe 40-200 kilometers! But I want to do my best for axies, at the moment I get them.

And how do I feel?
um..I don't know yet. :lol: I were thinking that axies will gome in end of the mont or next month..But when I wald in the shop of my friend at this wery morning, she told me that I gould order axies today.
It was a litle shocking.. And here we are, trying to get as mutch of information as posible.