Lagomorphette
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- Aug 21, 2012
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Hi, everyone. This is Jeni in Minnesota, a first-time axolotl owner.
I bought my first axolotl (wild color) Saturday night. I've been reading up on them and their care for about 3 weeks now, and I'm grateful to have found this forum.
My little guy...well, not exactly little (he's about 6")...is in a 55 gallon tank with a Fluval U300 filter that's flow is dispersed by a huge hunk of granite. The tank is in a spare room, and is positioned right over a vent. The air conditioning is keeping the water temp at a steady 61 F. (In the winter, we'll shut the vents in the room to keep the temp low, even when the heater is running; I'll buy a water cooler if needed, as well.) The substrate is chunky gravel that is too big for the axy to eat. I also have some rock structures for the axy to hide under, java moss, and some driftwood. When I set up the tank, I filled it about 30% with cycled water from other healthy fish tanks, and added the driftwood, moss, and many big rocks from cycled tanks.
So far, he is doing great. He ate a goldfish from the store worker before I bough him, and has accepted worms from me on Sunday & Monday. He's been exploring his new home, and he seems very curious, overall. He comes to the front of the tank to look at me when I'm watching him! It's very endearing.
As for me, I'm 33 years old. My husband & I have been married almost 2 years. We have no kids but lots of pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, hermit crabs, tarantulas, & now the axolotl). I work full time as an editor and part time at a LPS (but not the one where I bought the axolotl). I love all animals, but I'm especially passionate about the misunderstood & underestimated ones.
I hope to get other axolotls from breeders rather from stores, and have been in contact with people selling leucistics & gold albinos. I hope to get one of each for a total of 3 axolotls in the 55 gallon tank. Does that sound reasonable? I'm buying them at 4+ inches to try to avoid any cannibalism.
Well, that's about all for now, I guess. I just wanted to say hi & introduce myself. : )
-Jeni
I bought my first axolotl (wild color) Saturday night. I've been reading up on them and their care for about 3 weeks now, and I'm grateful to have found this forum.
My little guy...well, not exactly little (he's about 6")...is in a 55 gallon tank with a Fluval U300 filter that's flow is dispersed by a huge hunk of granite. The tank is in a spare room, and is positioned right over a vent. The air conditioning is keeping the water temp at a steady 61 F. (In the winter, we'll shut the vents in the room to keep the temp low, even when the heater is running; I'll buy a water cooler if needed, as well.) The substrate is chunky gravel that is too big for the axy to eat. I also have some rock structures for the axy to hide under, java moss, and some driftwood. When I set up the tank, I filled it about 30% with cycled water from other healthy fish tanks, and added the driftwood, moss, and many big rocks from cycled tanks.
So far, he is doing great. He ate a goldfish from the store worker before I bough him, and has accepted worms from me on Sunday & Monday. He's been exploring his new home, and he seems very curious, overall. He comes to the front of the tank to look at me when I'm watching him! It's very endearing.
As for me, I'm 33 years old. My husband & I have been married almost 2 years. We have no kids but lots of pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, hermit crabs, tarantulas, & now the axolotl). I work full time as an editor and part time at a LPS (but not the one where I bought the axolotl). I love all animals, but I'm especially passionate about the misunderstood & underestimated ones.
I hope to get other axolotls from breeders rather from stores, and have been in contact with people selling leucistics & gold albinos. I hope to get one of each for a total of 3 axolotls in the 55 gallon tank. Does that sound reasonable? I'm buying them at 4+ inches to try to avoid any cannibalism.
Well, that's about all for now, I guess. I just wanted to say hi & introduce myself. : )
-Jeni
