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Planning For My Axie!

aesimpson6

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Hi guys! I am going to get my fist axolotl baby in a few days, and I want to make sure I won't do anything wrong, so I have a few questions that my research didn't fully answer.

1 - I have a 20 gallon tank being shipped from another city, and the soonest I can set it up before I bring the baby axie home is a day at most. Does it need longer to cycle?

2 - For the water conditions, some websites have said that a water conditioner is okay, and some have discouraged using it. I was planning on using the Tetra AquaSafe with the stress coat and the dechlorinater all in one. Do you use a preferred water conditioner, or not one at all?

3 - I know that they are carnivorous animals, and are fed live food as babies. When can you start feeding the axolotl frozen food or pellets? I have a source for both, but I want a reliable source for live food to avoid infection. When you start feeding pellets, what kind do you use?
 

tinasvfx

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unfortunately, my axie is adult, so I cant help with the baby raising part, but, I had a short amount of time to cycle my tank before I got my axie and she's just fine. Long story short, the day before my birthday, my bestie tells me to get a spare tank set up and cycle it. The next day she comes over with my axie as a gift! :D

As far as the water conditioner, the person I got my axie from did say conditioner is fine, but I've never used it in her tank, or my other tanks really.
 

Hayleyy

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Welcome!

1- You should cycle your tank fully before introducing an axolotl, otherwise it will stress them out. It usually takes a couple of weeks to a month. Can't get it done in a day unfortunately. You can let it cycle and keep your axolotl in a temporary tank, but you will have to do full water changes. There's heaps of info in the forums here, search for 'cycling' topics. You can cycle with the axie in the tank, but that isn't the best option for them.

2- You always want to use a water conditioner, tap water usually contains chemicals not safe for axies. From memory I think I use the API brand. Some people do use certain brands of bottled water also, which I don't think needs water conditioner.

3- As for diet, I would recommend you feed live earthworms/nightcrawlers once they can eat it as they offer everything the axie needs. I give mine earthworms every day and sometimes throw in some pellets and/or frozen bloodworms and/or blackworms. I'm not sure what age you move them to the bigger foods though as I've only got an adult. How big are they? They might be okay to eat defrosted bloodworms, I've seen a lot of people feed that to their babies.

Make sure you get your hands on some testing kits if you don't already, mainly ammonia, nitrite and nitrate so you can monitor the tank through it's cycling :)

Goodluck! And post some photos once you get it!
 
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