New tank buddy

Hola a todos!

My girlfriend and I currently own 3 axies in my 150lt tank (Sorry I'm mexican wouldn't know what that is in gallons) Two black axolotls by the names of Mole and Chipotle and a leucistic one by the name of Nogada (All three named after mexican sauces)

My concern.. well not concern exactly because nothing bad has happened, its this one.

Are there any things I should ´do to make the new axie's home more comfortable, I'm speaking of the white leucistic one; Nogada. He has ben eating, he isn't showing big stress signs, the other ones are trying to know him and are constantly seeking him which i noticed it freaked him out a bit... other than that i don't notice anything else that i can recall as important.

I'll put up the photos and wait for your comments..


PS. I couldn't take pics of the third one because he's way to shy for it... once i've taken them into a special photo shooting tank i'll upload more










THE TANK

Hey it all looks good to me !

We also have 3 in a 165 litre tank.

Your set up looks great, plently of place to hide.

Just keep an eye on her, remember the "wild types" can be a bit more agressive (we have a wild type too) If things get out of hand you can always get a tank divider.

Just one thing..... sorry but if I were you I would remove any pebbles that are smaller than your axie's heads. The last thing you want is one of them eating it, which could cause major problems, better to be safe now rather than sorry later.

Good luck

Hi asprine,

Beautiful tank and axies. Cool names too.

I would say follow paul's advice on monitoring for aggression and use a divider if necessary. Another concern that paul has pointed out are the green pebbles. Some of them seem rather 'gulp sized' and could potentially be ingested and cause an impaction. Would recommend you to remove them.

Cheers

I just have one thing to add.
How fast is the water flow in your tank? I ask because I noticed that Nogada's gills seem to be slightly curling. I was wondering if Nogada might be a little stressed or if the water current is pushing them up?

Anyway! You have some beautiful axies there and a great looking tank.

Hey thanks for all your replies! ta!

It's cool to know so many australians that are enthusiastic for axies, i say this because my girlfriend herself is both (aussie and enthusiastic) it's funny because i saw axies for sale everywhere when i was back in Oz a few months ago, and they're so difficult to get here! (legally) How ironic, being that they're mexican and all!

Loved the comments. I did a full tank cleanup today because one of the logs was starting to grow what it looked like fungi to me, i also checked this too late because i took some new pics of how the thank looks now and the little green pebbles are still there, They're a bit bigger and a lot of them are buried deep in the sand, so it was difficult to take them out.

On the filter concern I have 2 filters active, one that barely creates flow and that helps me drag all the poo that the axies create on the floor, also another one a big one that creates a flow up to 700L/H. I know its a lot but i can't find a way to lower the flow although they sold it to me as one that would. If you could help me out on this one because I know that its stressful for them, but it also keep the tank really clean and the water ammonia levels low.

Thanks for all your replies!

Mario

Also!

We just bought nogada on thursday the 5th which would be friday the 6th for you guys back in Oz, so he's been in the tank for less than 2 days. We went through a lot of jazz to get a white axolotl via legal ways, so the only place that sells them is 2 hours away from home, so the trip also stressed him big time I reckon, because he had his gills like that before he went into the tank.

Again! Loved all your replies. Ta!

Mario and Julia

Hola Julia and Mario,

I love your setup. Every time I look at it, I notice something new - today it was the frog.

What kind of filter is the large filter? Did it come with instructions?

-Eva

Thanks! We've done our best to keep the tank pretty!

Well the filter is big its a RESUN SP-1200L i found an image here
I lost the instructions manual but maybe there.s one on the internet

Hm, I've been looking for 10 minutes now but can't find an online manual for this filter. That doesn't mean there isn't one because I am lousy at internet searches. Maybe you will have more luck.

One of the problems with internal filters is exactly that, that they create too much water flow. Is it possible for you to return the filter and get an external one? (Just a thought from a fan of external filters.) If not, let's see. The filter has an output pipe. Is it possible to fit a spray bar (a pipe with holes) or tube of some kind onto the end? The tube could be perforated to function as a spray bar. A series of these spray bars with a plug at the end can help brake the output flow a good bit. Otherwise, or in addition, you could put obstacles in the way of the water to disrupt the flow.

I'm afraid I haven't found out a way to control the flow rate - perhaps the salesperson can explain it to you?

-Eva

Yeah! The thing about doing this kind of sales and buyings in Mexico is that often the vendors don't know anything about the actual sold product, or they don't care about the customer, just about selling, I bought this filter about 2 months ago and yeh, I doubt they'll change it =(.

On the other hand, I could try to buy an external filter, could you recommend any specific type? cascade perhaps? Something that doesn't make too much noise?? The other 2 axies don't seem to mind this filter anymore, it's the new one that seems a bit annoyed by it. For now i'll try to put obstacles on the output of the filter and try what you told me!

Thanks!

Hi Asprine,

I highly recommend an external canister filter, i just feel its the most effective based on personal experience. Otherwise you might like to consider an external mounted waterfall type filter. Have a look at this link.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/filters.shtml

Cheers.

That's a shame about not being able to return the filter. Maybe you can use it in a different aquarium for fish or something.

I don't know if we are allowed to recommend specific product names in this forum so I will send you a PM about what I use. I posted some pictures recently of my tanks and if you look in that thread (click here) you can sort of see in the third picture how I attached three spray bars (using a little section of rubber hose) and attached them along the back of the tank. This works really well - it moves the surface of the water nicely but the flow is very gentle.

-Eva

Hey so good and bad news!

The good news is that i accidentaly broke the filter! Bad news is that I have to buy one! anyone knows about websites that tell you how to build a filter for now until i get around some money?

Hi Mario,

Have you ever heard of a Hamburger Matten Filter? As the name would imply, they are very widely known here in Germany. A good 95% of all the axolotl keepers I know here use a HMF. I had a hard time finding info on where to buy one when I looked in English, but there is a good reason for that - they are so inexpensive to build, most people just make them themselves.

Essenitally a matten filter is a large piece of that coarse foam matting, blue or black, that you can buy and cut for the inside of a filter. Tied to the back (e.g., with fishing line) it is a plastic tube with a splitter on the end (like a T). A hose is attached to the pipe and leads to a small membrane pump. The other end of the pipe lets out into the water.

The way it works is, the air from the membrane pump draws water into the pipe - this draws water through the matt. The water is put back into the aquarium from the other end of the pipe. That's all there is to it.

The reason it works is because the matt offers a very high amount of surface area for bacteria to colonize. What is really neat is that even if there is a power failure or something, the filter will still function because the bacteria can take enough oxygen from the tank water. The filter pad can be used as a substrate or placed along the side or back glass or aroud a corner, or you can even make funny shapes out of the filter, like a "volcano" or I don't know what all.

Added to that is, again, the fact that you can build one of your own for under 10 dollars (or whatever), plus the membrane pump.

Here is probably the best-known (English) website about them. You can google images and see more. Below are pics from one I have here.

P.S. Congratulations on breaking the other filter.

-Eva

That looks a really simple, effective and affordable filter Eva, I'm impressed! (Perhaps too easily!)

that's awesome!1 THANKS Eva

They really are very common in aquaria of all types here in Germany. I just never wrote anything about them before because I didn't understand them at all. I had all these great plans about measuring water parameters and comparing them to a tank set up with an external canister (my standard filter) but things turned out differently. If you want a laugh, below is a pic of how I first set up mine. I don't want to confess how long it took me to realize that this was wrong...but I had to turn the water on first before I realized my mistake - quickly.

OK after everything i just have one doubt

Call me stupid

but how do you power it?

Sorry to take so long responding.

The filter is powered with a "membrane pump", that is what they call it in German, anyway. The one I have looks like this: