information on a baby axolotl

Hi I'm new to this forum I just wanted to ask a few questions.

How many times a day should I be feeding my axolotl?
Do babies just lay on the bottom of the tank when they are younger?, because my axie doesnt seem to move around alot
last question at what age can you tell what sex your axie will be the guy at the pet shop said its still to young to tell.

thank you for any answers and or comments.

Kylez86

Hi Kylez,

Once a day is ok when they are little. then every other day when they have grown a bit. The axies I get from our pet shop always look a bit thin so I feed them once a day for about two weeks or until they stop looking under fed.

What is your setup like? My first axie came from a tank which had nothing in it only a gravel substrate. He sat around and didnt move much.

I got him some plants and rocks and caves and he now doesnt stay still unless hes sleeping.

It is hard to sex axies when they are small when they are nearing sexual maturity you wil notice that the tips of their toes darken in light coloured axies and conversely in dark coloured axies. Check out www.axolotl.org it has pictures and info on sexxing axies.

Good luck

Ian

My tank for him/her has plants in it as well as a pvc pipe for hiding and big rocks on the bottom of the tank so it cant eat the rocks by mistake

Hi Kylez86

Here's the link that should give you an idea on sexing/maturity. http://www.axolotl.org/biology.htm

Eating the rocks won't be a problem, the main thing you have to watch is water quality and temperature, especially during summer months. Gunk does build up beneath the river rocks (2inch +) /gravel even with siphoning.

How long have you had them, and how large/long are they (can you still see their insides (looks like a darkish/red mark on sides of their bellies)?

I only got my axie yesterday he still very small I would be guessing he/her is about 5 weeks
old. ive been testing the water often so its the right ph

thanks

Ianclick I've noticed in your tank you dont have any gravel how do you keep plants in your tank without the gravel holding them in place

I planted mine in small teracotta pots with the sand from the tank. I did this as I started with sand and its been gradually syphoned up so I did this to keep the plants in place. It has worked really well so far and when Maude decorated her tank with eggs it was much easier to just lift up the plant and pot to remove the eggs.

kylez86 said:

Ianclick I've noticed in your tank you dont have any gravel how do you keep plants in your tank without the gravel holding them in place

Click to expand...

I don't have any gravel in mine either mate - some plants I leave floating on the top, others I wedge under large pebbles/hides.

Thank you everyone who answered me you where all very helpful you've given me some ideas and lots of information thank you again

Kylez

Kylez = did you cycle your tank, see: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

If you didn't then the most important things to test are ammonia, nitrite and nitrate over the next few weeks. You can buy these from the petshop in a master freshwater test kit or individually. Most tend to use the API, Aquarium pharmaceuticals brand, the test tube variety, as it's more reliable than the all in ones or dip strip brands. Don't buy an ammonia binder or ammolock type chemicals as these will not help your tank cycle, it will just cause problems in the long run.

If you don't have a test kit for these then take a sample of tankwater to the petshop regularly, every few days, till you can afford the kits or at least ammonia one first, and ask them to test the tank water for the ones I mentioned. Then ask them to give you the figures, if they say its fine or toxic or something other than the figures, don't accept it, make sure they write the figures down and then most importantly DON'T BUY anything from the petshop to fix it (especially if they suggest you do so!)

Basically, your tank will start cycling since you added your axolotl, if you haven't already cycled it, and the ammonia/nitrite and nitrate are more important than pH to test while it does cycle. (Cycling can take between 3-10.5 weeks to cycle) If the test results for ammonia and nitrite rise above 0, you need to do a partial waterchange (only 20-30% no more). If you're unable to get the water tested within the next few days, then make sure you do 20% waterchanges every 2 days and clean up any uneaten food or waste spotted (buy a turkey baster if you don't have one, they're great for cleaning)

Be very wary about what the petshop advises regarding axolotls. If in doubt check here first, this forum is full of many experts, and especially quite a few australians that have found this forum, through inexperienced petshop people giving poor advice concerning their axolotls care and needs.

Also, the best food to feed axolotls is earthworms. If you have problems finding any then you can use, even now at that size (I'm assuming it's below 10cm) = mosquito larvae (found outside in water containers) or frozen bloodworm cube. Up until 10-12cm you can feed him/her twice a day, up to 15cm once a day, up to 20cm once every 2 days, over 20cm once every 3-4 days. This can vary depending on season/temperature. Some axies will eat more when it's warmer and less when its colder or as they mature.

If you've been advised to feed mealworms, you need to chop the heads off as they can bite the axolotl as it's being swallowed. Mealworms should only be fed as a staple.

What is the tank temperature? If you don't have a thermometer, make sure you get one, this will especially be important with your summer coming up (ideal temperature to keep them at is 18-20C during summer. Anything over 22-24C and you'll need to cool the tankwater so your axolotl doesn't get sick/stressed).

I did all the proper test and they all came back clear he/she is doing much better know i just think he/she just needed a little time to settle into the new tank thanks for all the tips. I feed it frozed blood worms and sinking pellets.

Hi Kylez,

I have like Phil, wedged them under rocks or I jam small pebbels into the plastic base occaisionally some break free and float and thats good to as I have found that my axies are visually sensitive to movement form above this provides an extra hide for them.

I had pebble substrate to start with then sand but none is by far the easiest with regards to cleaning and my axies don't have any trouble moving on the bare tank floor.

Keep asking questions there is a huge collective knowledge on this site and you are getting answers from some of the most experienced breeders and keepers.

Im not including myself in that statement Im just a beginner too.

Best of luck

Axolotls can get quite large, so I would recommend at least a 56-75 litre tank. Most owners will find a filtered aquarium easier to maintain; without a filter their water will need frequent changing. However, the filtration rate should be fairly slow and avoid powerful filters that create strong currents. A siphon can be used to vacuum the bottom of the tank, and a 20 percent water change should be done weekly. If you are not using a filter, you will have to do a 20% water change every day or every other day. Never do a full water change as this creates a situation where the water chemistry changes too drastically.

Tap water should have any chlorine or chloramines (added during the water treatment process) removed using commercially available solutions. Never use distilled water. The pH of the water should be 6.5-7.5
sambrown