Setting up a 120 litre tank please help!!

I own two axolotls muffin and crumpet and i will be getting a third axolotl. However i am going to get a bigger 120 litre tank for my axies. I was wondering what filters, base and tunnels or caves should be used. :happy:

All help would be greatly appreciated as i am new to this site and this is in fact my first post. Please help.

:wackoETAHOLIC:wacko:​

Welcome! :happy:

First of all, if you're getting another one make sure you keep him quarantined for around 30 days to stop any nasties he might be carrying from infecting your other axies.

What are the dimensions on your new tank? My 3ft is 220L and I think 3ft is only big enough for 2 (maybe 3) axies, but I'm not sure. It's the floor space that matters rather than the number of litres - Your tank should be 18 inches long for each axolotl. 3 axolotls = around 54 inches long (although they would probably be happier in a shorter tank if it was wide).
[edit: Actually, I just figured out that my 3ft is something around the 180L mark, so I'm guessing your new tank is either 2 1/2 or 3ft long]

Sand is the easiest (and I think prettiest) substrate. Play sand is cheap and most hardware stores sell it - if you decide to use it make sure you wash it a heap of times in a bucket until the water runs clear. Don't go crazy because you don't need much - it should be less than an inch thick.

I'm not sure about filters, but internal ones do heat up the water temperature - if it's already pretty hot and you don't have a permanent cooling system then maybe steer away from these.

Have you checked these sites out?
http://www.axolotl.org/housing.htm
http://caudata.org/cc/articles/filters.shtml

As for hides, I've noticed everybody uses something different. There's no 'axolotl hide' store. Pvc piping is the cheapest and easiest, but it doesn't look very nice. I glued pebbles to mine, but it took a long time and I wouldn't recommend it unless you're seeking a distraction from piles of assignments. I think it's Becky who uses terracotta pots cut in half with the edges sanded - they look really lovely. You could try some of the hides for reptiles, just make sure they don't have sharp edges. For a more natural look, rocks leaning against each other look nice too. Have a browse through the gallery section and check out what other people have done :happy:

Have fun setting up your new tank!
(btw - LOVE the names muffin and crumpet)

Hi I love your axies names, they are so cute!!!

Just wondering, how do you manage to keep the temp in you tank down in Rocky? It's hotter there then it is here!

Can't wait to see your tank when its done!

Hey, thanks for the great help, yea i like my axies names too. I have decided that i will have to get a bigger tank than 120 litres because it is not very long, thankyou for the tip about the pot plants and the sand.

I will also keep the axie alone for 30 days, i never knew about that, but hey i do now.

btw thinking of naming my next axolotl toast, waffle or pancake.:happy::happy:

Sorry just had to check where you were from Kira, well you are right the water gets a bit warm these are a couple of things i do to keep it cool:

• Put in a large ice pack
• Put a few tray fulls of ice in the water

Have you ever heard of a thing called chillers?? They are also a great way of keeping the tank cool and a little further down the track Crumpet and Muffin may get one.

I hope i was as good a help as you were for me!!

Hey, I just wanted to say that if you're putting ice cubes into the water make sure that the ice is made from dechlorinated water and not just regular tap water, and be careful of using ice packs if you don't know whats in them in case they break. Fluctuating temperatures can be worse than it being a bit hot, so make sure you're not letting it get really cold and then really hot again - I think ice cubes might melt too fast and change the temperature too much, but I'm not sure. The best way to cool the tank on a hot day is to use frozen bottles of dechlorinated water and to rotate them before they've completely defrosted. You could also try getting a fan to blow across the surface of the water, but like you said a permanent chiller is the best way to keep it cool. Qld sucks.

Using ice bottles safely is a skill: if the temperature changes too much, too rapidly, it can be more stressful to the axolotls than maintaining a stable, if high, temperature. Typically, ice bottles cause the temperature to crash into the teens Celsius (50s to early 60s °F). After thawing, the temperature will begin to climb back into the mid-to-late 20s once again. Then, if we put another ice bottle back in to the aquarium, the process repeats itself. This is a fast and effective method to kill an axolotl. This is because the temperature changes so rapidly and does so repeatedly, stressing the axolotls to the extreme.

Click to expand...

http://www.axolotl.org/requirements.htm#heat

Ok, thankyou for that i will stop using ice cubes

YEAH, QLD sucks!!!! (Well for axies it does)

Guess my question answered. I was gonna ask how you keep your water cool enough aswell. I live near mackay QLD and left my axies with my sister on the gold coast until I could work out the temps up here. Sadly a few months ago 2 passed away and I'm still very upset by this. I'm wanting to get some new axies they sell them in the pet stores around town with no mention of cooling water I was thinking of actually buying a glass door fridge. They have there own tank in the cool and I can still see there beauty. The water was really warm even on the coast in july so I was using the frozen bottle idea but it never really seemed to make a difference to the water temp. Cheers I really miss there smily faces, I'm having withdrawels.