New tank set-up

Hey,
I'm trying to set up an axolotl tank - I've never had an aquarium before so I've been reading up on Axolotls a lot to make sure i get it right. The tank is 2ft x 1ft x 1.5ft and it came with an internal power filter - TC-500, if that means anything. It doesn't have much information, only that it does 420 Litres/h. Is that good enough for my tank? It says you can adjust the flow, which is the only thing of importance I've noticed in my research. I'm going to be using sand, even though the pet shop attendant told me that it will mess with my filter. Every shop I've been into has strongly recommended small gravel, claiming that axolotl's pass it easily. I ignored them and bought sand anyway, but is there a special filter i need that won't get wrecked from it? The attendant just looked at me like I was insane when I insisted on not getting gravel.

I've also got a water testing kit, a glass bowl for food, a syphon and a light that came with the tank - what strength bulb can i put in so it's not too bright?

I was going to pick up some Java fern, Java moss and Anubias from the aquarium shop. Are there any other plants that go well? I've looked around the forums but haven't really seen many others mentioned. I know that axolotls rip plants up, but I wanted to make some dark little corners.

I read somewhere that it's ok to put a couple of glass or cherry shrimp in with an axolotl - is that true? And if so, would it be better to put one in while I'm cycling it or do i just leave the tank with plants and water until it's ready for the axolotl?

I've also had some trouble finding hides - aside from pipes, I can't find anything. I wanted to get something that looks nice, as the tank will be living in my lounge room. All the tunnels in local aquariums have rough/sharp edges and I read somewhere that these could scratch an axolotl - is that true? A friend gave me one that looks like a log, but the edges are still really rough - is there anything I can put on them to make it smoother?

Finally, my tank has a hood but no glass lids. Will this be enough to hold the little guy in? I've read they can jump, and the hood has a gap in the back for cords.

Is there anything I've forgotten before I set it all up?

Thanks a lot, any comments would be greatly appreciated =)
(sorry that was so long!)

Maybe a picture would spark some replies?
Try sanding the log

Your filter sounds too powerful to me, try turning it right down to the absolute lowest setting. Unfortunately you won't know how its going to affect your axolotl until you add it.
Sand won't affect your filter as long as you keep it off the floor of the tank. I have both sand and an internal filter in my tank. The filter is positioned about halfway up the tank wall and its been running for almost a year with no 'sand' problems. The attendant may have been trying to direct you to something more expensive, its a known trick.
Ok your bulb won't need to be too bright if you are growing anubias and java ferns as these require little care and can thrive on little light also. In my tank I have 2 bulbs, one is a normal 'run of the mill' aquarium bulb and the other is a sunlight bulb. The sunlight bulb is a more natural warm light and aids plant growth to an extent.
You may be better lighting the tank with a sunlight bulb if you are going to use lighting.

Plantwise you could try some elodea densa , which is used a lot in ponds and cold water tanks. However the lighting may not be enough to sustain these. Another option is watercress, which you buy from the supermarket, and throw in bunches of that and let it root. One member has had great success with this. I did try it and wasn't so successful hence I now only keep anubias and java fern.

Cherry shrimp: I have seen these being fed to an axolotl but personally I have never kept them so I can't advise on these. All I can say is that any new fish/shrimps you add to an axolotl tank should have been quarantined by yourself at home in a separate container for 30 days before you add them to the tank. This is to help prevent any diseases it may be carrying being passed to your axolotl.

Ok hide wise. Can you get your hands on any pieces of slate? If not how about some terracotta pots.
I have my tank filled with large terracotta pots that my husband broke up for me. He then sat and patiently sanded off all the rough/sharp edges for me. Take a look at my profile page if you want to see my tank. Its in the albums section.

The hood alone should be fine. My tank is set up the same way.
If you want to avoid your axolotl jumping out try lowering the water level a little.

Ok anything you may have forgotten.....ummmm...Ok I will try not to sound patronising, but do you understand all you need to know about cycling your tank?
What foods have you got sourced for your axolotl?
How many axolotls are you planning on keeping in the 2 ft tank?
How many plants do you have in the tank right now, I only ask as this can hinder one type of tank cycling and aid in others.
Oh and the shrimp could be added to aid the cycling but you couldnt add the axolotl for 30 days.
I hope I have covered all the important things for you.

That was very helpful, thank you for the plant suggestions in particular =)

Ok I'll try and address everything..
Firstly, I don't think the attendant was trying to make me buy something better...I think he was just shocked that I was insisting on using something as difficult as sand when gravel is 'so much better for the filter and the axolotl.' He actually spent 5 minutes trying to talk me OUT of buying the expensive water testing kit, saying that I didn't need it.
I fell in love with an axolotl in a local aquarium about a month ago, and I've been trying to find out as much as possible about them before I actually brought one home. I have learnt to take what the pet shops tell me with a giant grain of salt after spending weeks browsing this site. I've been to 6 different aquariums/pet shops, and I've been told that
1. 2 adults will fit in a 50cm tank.
2. 2 adults will have heaps of room in a 2 ft tank
3. Gravel is fine and that its not bad for them/is good for them, etc
4. They all told me not to test the water and to just run the tank for a few days and chuck them in.
5. 2 adults together in one tank will nip each others limbs off... I think this is true with younger ones, or in a cramped space but I wasn't sure... I originally wanted to get enough space for 2, but this guy talked me out of it. So I settled with a 2ft tank for one - please let me know if I need to go seeking a bigger tank =/

So you can understand why I'm skeptical about even starting the tank, let alone bringing an axolotl home.

I started out knowing absolutely nothing about fish or salamanders or anything that lives in water, so please forgive my ignorance - I've tried my best to learn as much as I possibly can, and want to know everything there is to know.

I don't have any plants yet - I was too scared to start the tank in case I had the wrong filter, and I wasn't sure whether the plants would help or hinder the cycling process.

In regards to the shrimp, I was directed to these forums from a badly set up tank on you tube. There was also a link to Spyk's site - http://spyyk.blogspot.com/ (Apologies for forgetting the name of the beautiful little guy's owner). I noticed there was a shrimp happily sharing the tank, but I wasn't sure if this was normal or not.
To quarantine - do I have to do anything to the water in the container? And would I add the live shrimp during the cycling process instead of frozen food as a source of ammonia?

I probably don't know much about cycling. I've read the cycling information on this site, and it seems straightforward for somebody who knows what they're doing... My plan was to figure it out as i went along. I know it takes quite a while and I've got the testing kit, so hopefully I'm one step closer.I don't have any foods either - it says that it can take up to 3 months to cycle the tank, so I didn't want to rush out and buy food yet. So far I have bits and pieces and a tank with an inch of very clean sand (and a very sandy bathroom)

Because I've never done this before I wanted to have it all ready and functioning before I brought home my new axie - if I'm going to mess this up I want to do it before theres anything in the tank I could accidentally hurt. However, after looking into it for a month I'm quite keen to get the process started quickly seeing as it takes so long.

Another question - How important is it to have something black over the polystyrene under the tank? If I leave it white, will it just blend into the sand?

Thank you so much for your help, I want this to go as well as possible =)

In regards to pics, I didn't know if i had the right things so I haven't set it up yet. However, I can show you all the parts.

Gap at the back of the tank:


Tank:

Water treatment: (Is this the right thing to use?)

Log:



Will I be able to use that if I sand the edges back?

Thanks =)

Ok here goes.
2 adults in a 2ft tank is not really a good idea. Yes they will fit but it doesn't allow for much freedom from each other and you will find you need to do more water changes as waste will build up more quickly in a smaller tank. 2 babies however will be fine until they reach a size that they need a bigger tank.

Its down to you whether you test the water. I personally don't right now although I did in the early days (16 years ago) when I was new to aquarium keeping. For you being new ,testing your water will help guide you to the amount of water changes you need to do and if you are overfeeding (overfeeding fouls the water as rotten food decomposes). You can do as you have done, purchase a kit or get your aquarist shop to do it for you. My local shop charges £1 to test water.

Now this is where there are a few differences in ideas. There are different ways of cycling your tank.
You can fill your tank with water, let the filter run for a few weeks, monitor bacteria levels with your test kits and at the end of maybe 8 weeks or so your ammonia levels reach zero and you happily throw your axolotls in.
Or you can do the same as above but throw in a piece of raw meat. This aids the cycling process by introducing a waste producer which is known to speed up the process of accelerating your good bacteria rate.

Or you can do as I did. I filled my tank with water and let it run for 3 days. Added my axolotl and carried out religious water changes every day for around a month. I have never used a test kit on my water and I have never had any problems with my axolotls with regards to water quality. I don't recommend my method to an amateur.
With regards to your last question about something black over the polystyrene, I think you may be referring to the axolotl.org site on housing them. Its not really neccesary to have black plastic over the polystyrene. As the author states its just to reduce glare but if you don't have strong lighting it shouldnt be a problem. The plastic may protect the polystyrene from water drips.

Your water treatment I'm not sure about. Some people just use water dechlorinator and nothing else. Some of the chemicals in that treament you have may be harmful to an axolotl. Do you have a list of ingredients on the bottle?

If you sand any rough edges on those decorations they should be fine.

Thanks for the reply =)

Sorry if my ranting and raving wasn't very clear - I got a 2ft tank because I decided to have only one axolotl. I'm regretting it now because I can't decide which colour I want, but I'm sure one will be enough.

I'd love to get one in 3 days time, but I'm sure it will be safer if i wait until it's cycled. Plus we don't have a lot of water to spare over here, so waiting is probably the best option.

My local shop said they'd test the water for free whenever i wanted, but I thought it would be safer to at least start off with a testing kit just in case, I'm sure I'll need one eventually anyway.

Thanks for your advice! I guess I'll fill the tank and turn on the filter... eek!

Hi Neke
Becky has given you some good advice .
If you are going to fully cycle your tank first , dont bother testing the water for about 2-3 weeks as it really is a waste of time . After this time , you need to wait till your ammonia and nitrites read a big fat 0 . Then make sure your nitrates are acceptable by doing a couple of partial water changes .
As Becky stated , if you keep a diary of your test results a pattern will start to emerge and you will be able to make a call on the time between water changes and how much . You could also use a small pinch of fish food on a regular basis to keep your cycle going .
Dont be scared , if you have any questions , just ask .
Hope this helps .

Do you know how long it takes to cycle if you add frozen brine shrimp or something like the cycling page suggests?

I've noticed packets at the aquarium shop to speed up the cycling process - I assume the ingredients would be harmful to an axolotl?

I'm trying really really hard not to be impatient, but now that I've got my tank full of water I just want to go and get an axolotl already =) But I don't want to hurt him by sticking him in too early and messing up the cycling, which I'll probably do considering I'm new to all this.

Thanks for your help!

Hi Neke,

Cycling can take quite some time - I've heard rumors that it can take up to three months! Never saw anyone have to wait that long, though, so do try to be patient. You should start showing readings by the end of the first week.

Those "starter" things are supposed to contain "beneficial bacteria" to kick-start the cycling process. They generally do not work (how can the bacteria stay alive in that little bottle? What do they eat?), although there is a product called BioSpira that is refrigerated and considered to be a good product.

Bacteria will come; it's already everywhere, right? You only need to wait for it to build up numbers strong enough to deal with the various phases of the nitrification process. Even bacteria need time to procreate.

It is, of course, entirely possible (and very common) to put the axolotl right into the tank - to cycle the tank with an axolotl. If you do that, you just need to be very careful and diligent about doing water changes every single day to avoid poisoning your pet. There are plenty of threads about that here in the forum.

Good luck,

-Eva

Thanks, I'll see if I can find some BioSpira.

Another question, even though it's pretty stupid - How am I supposed to change the water? Do I just scoop some out and and put more in, or would enough be syphoned out when I'm cleaning the bottom? And when I put more in do i use the water treatment on it first? And does it need to sit for a while with the treatment in before being added to the tank?

Thanks =)

I find that (more than) enough water is removed when I siphon the floor clean. If not, you can just keep using the siphon to drain off more water.

What sort of water treatment are you using?

-Eva

It's called 'Aquarium Science - Complete Water Treatment, Extra strength.'
The pet shop guy promised me it would be ok for an axolotl =/
However, I'm concerned because the amount it says to use on the bottle is different to the amount it has written on the measuring cup - I opted for the smaller amount. Is there a way to tell if it's right?

It says it rapidly neutralizes toxic chemicals and that it makes it safe for all aquatic fish and animals - It removes chlorine and ammonia

Contains:
Electrolytes: to prevent dehydration
Vitamin B: to reduce stress
Aloe Vera and PVP's: to repair and replace the slime coating lost in times of stress due to transportation/water changes

One more question...
My filter is quite strong I think, but you can turn it right down. I was hoping that if i turned it down as low as possible and directed the flow to the wall of the tank it would be ok.
However, when I'm cycling the tank is it better to just leave it going on full, or should i reduce the water flow now?

Thanks =)

Ok I am out of my league with the water treatment here. I can't say whether it is armful or, more importantly, helpful. Hopefully someone else will look into it and answer on that score.

What kind of filter do you have, then? I have an external canister filter that is quite strong. I simply connected a second spray bar to the first with a piece of that green rubber tubing to slow it down. I also bought some green filter foam squares to cover the intake pipe because some of my little fish were getting sucked against the basket.

Personally, I think it best to let a filter run full strength - it is easy enough to direct or disrupt the incoming water flow. That's just my personal taste, though.

-Eva

Its a Weipro internal power filter - TC-500. I think it does 420L/h and it came in a package with the tank, which is only 2ft long. At the moment all I'm worried about is making the conditions in the tank as good as possible for cycling. Are there any plants that will help?

And since you mentioned fish, is it particularly good or bad to feed axolotls live fish like guppies? I've seen people talk about it, but not much is ever said about it except that you can't leave fish in the tank with an axie for long and that they have to be quarantined for 30 days first. Do Axolotls like them enough for me to bother, or is food just food? (I want an excuse to have guppies later on once my tank is settled - my partner thinks enough is enough).

Thanks again for all your help - because all of this is new I have a million silly questions