It looks like my axies will be on their own for 8 days... what should I do?

I'm going to Colorado from the 25th of Dec. to the 2nd Jan. I live in a house with 7 other people, but I'm almost 100% positive that none of them will be at the house during the time I'm gone. I want to know how I can make sure I find my axies just as happy and healthy as I left them.

Advantages:

-My filter outputs into a peace lilly plant sitting in a little plastic tub with some sponges. That water then trickles back into the tank. The plant filtration is SO effective that I almost never have to do water changes, I just end up adding more water to replace what's lost through evaporation. Their water is always so pristine, but I do do water changes every other week or so because I worry what will happen if I don't.

-Since no one will be in the house while I'm gone, I will probably turn the heat in the house off to save on the gas bill. This will probably result in their tank being in the low 50's, which would slow their metabolism.


So my plan is to do a big water change and tank clean the 24th, and feed them their regular amount. Then I will be gone for 8 days :/ I know that axies can go a while without food but I wonder, will they be ok for that long? I breed guppies as treats, and was planning on putting some 2-3 week old fry in their tank while I'm away so that they can feed themselves a little, but would the fry be able to handle the lower temps? I've had guppies survive months in the tank around 65 before finally getting eaten, but would the 50's be pushing it?

I did come home from a winter vacation and find all my guppies dead. We had turned down the thermostat. I don't remember what temperature it might have been, but this is a risk. You might want to move most of the guppies to another tank if you have a lot of them.

I would suggest doing the big water change on the 22nd or 23rd. This gives you plenty of time to make sure everything is still working and running properly before you go. Also, you might find yourself swamped with other things to do the day before you leave.

Regarding your water routine under normal circumstances.... don't forget that when water evaporates it leaves behind minerals and salts. So even if their water is pristine and the plants deal with the nitrate, some invisible things are building up over time. Water changes are still a good idea.

I think your plan is good and your axolotls will be fine. Enjoy your trip!

If it were me, I'd put a heater in the tank with the axolotls. One with a thermostat that only turns on if it's neccesary.
I'm not experienced enough to give any further advice though, but that's just a thought that would keep your guppys alive and the axies.

Hmmm, well I definitely don't want to put guppies in there if the cold will kill them. It couldn't be good for the axies to have dead fish in their tank!

However, I only have one heater, and that's in the guppy tank. I can't move that one to the axie tank because then ALL the guppies will die and I'd have to start over. I guess I'll see if I can find another one for cheap and then I'll be able to put some fry in there with the axies. If I can't do that, will they be ok without eating for that long?

Also, the axie tank has copepods in it. I don't really mind them. But would colder water kill them? And if that were the case, could a bunch of little dead copepods foul my water?

Thanks for the advice! I'm going to try to see if someone could come by the house and at least check on my little guys. I'd like to know that they're doing ok!

I wouldn't bother with a heater. It's just one more thing that could go wrong.

Kaysie said:

I wouldn't bother with a heater. It's just one more thing that could go wrong.

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Alright, so do you think they will be ok with no food over the time I'm gone? Before we turned the heat on in the house their water was pretty cold and they were lethargic and it took a lot of coaxing to get them to eat. So could it possibly be like fringing them, but in their own tank?

I had to fridge one of them a couple of months ago because of a floating issue. She was in there for two weeks and wouldn't touch food. If it end up being like a giant fridged tank I could relax a little

I wouldn't bother with a heater.
Most aquarium heaters don't go low enough to be comfortable for an axie. My fish tank ones usually bottom out at 70-73.
if it does short out that would be one more thing to worry about, cooked axies.

You are correct, the colder it gets the more like fridging them it will be, and their metabolisms will slow.

I have a friend who actually does fridge her axie during vacations so she doesn't have to worry about it lol.

It would be like fridging, but with the benefit of not having to do water changes in a small tank.

Just make sure it's not going to drop below freezing, or you'll come home to axiecicles AND frozen pipes!