My new pet

kimo · Oct 19, 2012

I went to my local pet shop & saw these amazing things. I fell in love! They look like anime creatures.
So Ive decided to get a pair.
Ive done my research & found they are easy to care for ( i was very shocked at that)
Im getting a 70litre tank.
some wood to put moss on (to help with oxygen & make the tank look nice)
A cave of some sort
A filter ( although not sure which 1 yet)

Im confused about a couple of things so could use some advice.
1) food. Ive seen blood worm pellets & brine shrimp pellets & axo pellets. are these all correct foe feeding?

2) the gravel. some say use huge gravel so they cant swallow it & others say use sand so they can swallow it but it comes out. Which is right.

Also is there anything im forgetting for my tank?
Cant wait to get my new babies x

mackinthebox · Oct 19, 2012

I would suggest keeping a bare bottom tank, you will be able to more easily remove their waste
The waste looks like a black jelly bean

I feed mine frozen bloodworms but you may want to check with the store youre buying them from and see what they are being fed there in case they dont like the food you decide to feed them

Theyre going to like live food best but there are plenty of people feeding pellets and frozen foods as well
Everyone here says earthworms are best

kimo · Oct 19, 2012

Here in the UK pet shops generaly dont have frozen food. its all freeze dried. I didnt think to ask the pet shop about food, makes sense taht if they eat there they will eat it here lol Thanks:happy::happy:

kiathepooch · Oct 20, 2012

kimo said:
Here in the UK pet shops generaly dont have frozen food. its all freeze dried. I didnt think to ask the pet shop about food, makes sense taht if they eat there they will eat it here lol Thanks:happy::happy:

80% of UK fish stores sell frozen food,sometimes its in a freezer in the fish area sometime near the counter area,pet/fish shops usually also sell frozen. They usually supply fresh live food too but the best food is earthworms.

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NeekaLovesYou · Oct 20, 2012

kimo said:
Here in the UK pet shops generaly dont have frozen food. its all freeze dried. I didnt think to ask the pet shop about food, makes sense taht if they eat there they will eat it here lol Thanks:happy::happy:

Frozen food is most certainly commercially available over here - I'd be in trouble if it wasn't with all my aquatics and amphibians! :happy: Try researching online for aquatic centers near your area or failing that, even pets at home stock frozen goods now! If not, buying online is always an option.
As for substrate I've always used river rocks mainly because I have undergravel filters which sand would clog. Having a bare bottom tank is by far the easiest option as any waste is just picked up from the bottom. Which ever you choose, avoid regular fish tank gravel (even fine gravel) at all costs. Good luck!

kimo · Oct 20, 2012

The empty tank bottom def has its plus points but what about "good bacteria" for the filter. Will there be enough for the filter to work. I dont want to poison the poor things.

NeekaLovesYou · Oct 20, 2012

kimo said:
The empty tank bottom def has its plus points but what about "good bacteria" for the filter. Will there be enough for the filter to work. I dont want to poison the poor things.

Hundreds of people keep their tank bottoms bare to avoid the nastys that cause problems with water quality and substrate is the main culprit of trapped food and waste. It's all a matter of preference and how much effort you're willing to put in.

kimo · Oct 22, 2012

Ive just been to get a tank its 24in x 15in x 12in. Its 70 litre suitable or not? I plan on getting a fluval u2 filter as well (any good). I was always under the impression you needed the gravel so you have good bacteria growing in it & then better water quality. is the bacteria in the filter going to be enough?

NeekaLovesYou · Oct 22, 2012

kimo said:
Ive just been to get a tank its 24in x 15in x 12in. Its 70 litre suitable or not? I plan on getting a fluval u2 filter as well (any good). I was always under the impression you needed the gravel so you have good bacteria growing in it & then better water quality. is the bacteria in the filter going to be enough?

The tank should be fine for a pair. Again for substrate it's totally upto you. Most of the beneficial bacteria is in the filter medium but can also be on just about on any surface; plants, hides etc. If you feel you want a substrate that's fine as long as its sand (no more than an inch deep) so if axie eats it its normally easier to pass or failing that, stones larger than their head so they can't ingest it at all. Fluval are a good quality brand so as long as it's suitable for the tank size it should be fine. If you feel it's producing too much current place plants in front of the outflow or (if it doesn't already have one) invest in a spray bar so the water is distributed more evenly.

mackinthebox · Oct 22, 2012

the majority of beneficial bacteria used to filter and clean the water is housed in the sponge and other biological media in your filter. any amount of bacteria in the tank and on the items in the tank have a negligible if even noticeable impact on your water quality. a good filter is more important than substrate. The only time that substrate might make a difference on your water quality would be if youre using an undergravel filter, which would require gravel and as we all know that is bad for an axolotl as they will tend to swallow it and not be able to pass it.

kimo · Oct 23, 2012

I have also been reading some posts about having fish in the same tank?
I have some full grown peppered corry there about 2in long. im guessing my axi wont be able to eat them? but do i or dont i put them in?
Thanks to all the peeps who comment on my posts by the way. Your hellping me loads!

mackinthebox · Oct 23, 2012

I would keep the cories separate. the axies would def try to eat them and they have sharp tips to their fins and can cause damage to the poor axies or worse. best to keep other fish out, they can also nip at gills and cause other injuries,

kimo · Oct 24, 2012

so far ive got the stand, tank & filter. what do you guys put under your tanks to stop them slipping on the stand. I found a propper mat but its nearly £10

naomihelenn · Oct 27, 2012

I'm pretty mucha newbie but I use fine sand in my tank with an undergravel filter and my filter doesnt clog. Also, I use a table cloth though its stapled down on my desk so that doesnt slip.

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Kaysie · Oct 27, 2012

The point of a foam mat is to properly distribute the weight of the tank, not to keep the tank from slipping. Water is unimaginably heavy, much more than people give it credit for.

I should also point out that a 70l tank is not going to be big enough for 2 adult axolotls. You'll need a bigger tank in short order. They grow very quickly.

kimo · Oct 29, 2012

70l not enough? I was told 60l was ok but found the bigger tank. I found my frozen food & im so pleased about that. Im going today to pick my babies up today. Cant wait:happy::happy::happy:

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