Question: Tank Set-up

Hey all. I'm new here and planning on getting my foist axolotl in two days. Just wanted to check with you my tank setup:

The tank is 46*26*29 cm of which there is 38*26*29 of water in it

There is about 3-5cm of gravel on the bottom. The gravel is about 1cm in diametre.
I have a fairly large "cave" for the axolotl to hide in.

One plant.

I have a mini filter which filters 150L/hr (my tank is about 20) and claims to be a filter for a 10L tank however I am only keeping one axolotl in the tank and no other fish.

Ten centimetre spray bar.


How does it sound??

Hi. In my view your tank (area 26cm x 29cm) is rapidly going to be too small for even one axie -- you'll need a larger one. I think people usually say each axie needs 12inches x 18 inches area, (which is about 30cm x 45cm). Plants are good, though they tend to wreck real ones, as are hiding places (usually 2 per axie). My tanks are bare-bottom; other people use sand. Apparently axolotls when gulping food can inadvertently gulp down any pebble marginally smaller than their own heads, and can become quite seriously ill as a result of that. As for the filter, as long as its not making the water too turbulent, and you check your water parameters regularly and change an amount of water to maintain quality, it should be ok. I know you're going to really enjoy having an axie as a pet; I love mine. This site is great for information and problem solving.

Hey there

I would strongly advise you to remove the gravel as the axolotl will swallow them which can cause them to get stuck in thier stomachs and intestines. also if the gravel is sharp it can do damage to the axolotl when it is trying to excrete. Having stones in the stomach also leaves less room for food.
Sand is a great option that most people use, it looks nice and is safe for the axolotl. Other people use bare bottom tanks which are good too but i find that it stesses mine but that is just my opinion
I think you tank would be fine for just the one axololt while it is small but you may need to upgrade to a slightly bigger one and the cave is a great idea as they like to hide.
Good luck with your axie