Photo: The Critters and their new tank.

harliquinnraver · Jul 20, 2010

We went from having 2 axies in a 29 gallon (same footprint as a 20 gallon, but taller) to having 4 axies, which meant it was time for a tank upgrade. we decided on a 40 gallon 'breeder' tank. it makes my 55 gallon tropical tank look small in comparison!

the filter will be getting an upgrade on payday. and ill be adding more hides then too.
the substrate is Tahitian moon sand.

the 2 new axolotls are both GFPs and came from a friend who was moving out of the country and couldnt take them with him.
my other 2 axolotls are Phoenix, a golden albino and Valentine, a regular albino. ive had Phoenix since she was about half an inch long. Valentine came to me as an adult with tattered gills and while theyve grown a bit, i get the feeling she will always have odd gills. doesnt bother me in the least because shes still awesome.

they all seem very happy with the new tank and decor. excuse the cloudiness please, the sand is still settling and the cloudiness is normal.

one of the newbies. the other looks identical. any idea for names?

dazkeirle · Jul 20, 2010

wow thats a fantastic looking tank, just as I'm looking for inspiration for my 160 litre.

I love the moon sand although have never heard of it being used before, I shall be investigating further.

I suppose the only issue with black sand is it's harder to see waste.

As for the cloudiness that's what you get with sand, no escaping it, although filter aid works amazingly if the axies arnt in there.

The wood looks amazing though and the slate awesome.

As for names, you're litte axie has a rather bemussed expression :s I'd call him puzzle (as in he looks puzzled). lol

harliquinnraver · Jul 20, 2010

dazkeirle said:
wow thats a fantastic looking tank, just as I'm looking for inspiration for my 160 litre.

I love the moon sand although have never heard of it being used before, I shall be investigating further.

I suppose the only issue with black sand is it's harder to see waste.

As for the cloudiness that's what you get with sand, no escaping it, although filter aid works amazingly if the axies arnt in there.

The wood looks amazing though and the slate awesome.

As for names, you're litte axie has a rather bemussed expression :s I'd call him puzzle (as in he looks puzzled). lol

thank you!

the cloudiness will clear up in another day or two, it just takes time but i was impatient and wanted pictures to post LOL
in their previous tank i was using pool filter sand, which is a little more natural looking but not very pretty, IMO.
i chose the black sand because the axies colours tend to 'pop' more on a dark background. i can see their waste easily enough to siphon it out, but youre right, the waste would be easier to see on white sand. though the downside to white sand is that it tends to look dirty more easily.

i like the name Puzzle! im unsure on the genders of the new ones (neither has a definite swell behind the legs though *supposedly* at least one of them is male) but since they are twins, i like Puzzle and Riddle as names.

melfly · Jul 20, 2010

WOW
That is amazing.
I would like to live in that tank. Could you adopt me please?

Gorgeous axolotl too. Looks like a girl to me.

Mel

harliquinnraver · Jul 20, 2010

melfly said:
WOW
That is amazing.
I would like to live in that tank. Could you adopt me please?

Gorgeous axolotl too. Looks like a girl to me.

Mel

LOL! i take that as quite a compliment because ive read other comments youve made in various posts. you definitely know your stuff and if you approve, im flattered.

i will try and get pics of all 4 to post here later.

Mac Myers · Jul 20, 2010

I've got the Moon Sand in Black and it's easy to see everything on it. The only thing I don't like is that you can't see the Axolotl footprints like you can on other sand. :happy:

CherryBlossom · Jul 20, 2010

looks awesome! great job!

harliquinnraver · Jul 20, 2010

Mac Myers said:
I've got the Moon Sand in Black and it's easy to see everything on it. The only thing I don't like is that you can't see the Axolotl footprints like you can on other sand. :happy:

i had light sand in my last tank and couldnt see footprints on it either so i dont think im missing out on much. maybe someday ill change over to the white sand but i like the black stuff right now.

harliquinnraver · Jul 20, 2010

CherryBlossom said:
looks awesome! great job!

thank you!! they all seem happy and relaxed so i think they like it. i know the 2 new ones like it, theyve been climbing all over the stump and the filter and the plants! poor things werent kept in the best conditions when my friend had them but theyll be spoiled rotten from here on out.

harliquinnraver · Jul 20, 2010

sibling to the one in my original post. they really do look identical.

and this is Valentine. shes chunky but is on a diet now. ill have to get a picture of Phoenix later since shes hiding from me!

CherryBlossom · Jul 20, 2010

harliquinnraver said:
poor things werent kept in the best conditions when my friend had them but theyll be spoiled rotten from here on out.

good stuff.. I spoil my newts rotten hahahaha!

harliquinnraver · Jul 22, 2010

CherryBlossom said:
good stuff.. I spoil my newts rotten hahahaha!

well look at those faces! they just BEG to be spoiled!

theyre such sweet things.

dazkeirle · Jul 22, 2010

Ok you've made my mind up, for my new tank I'm going for black sand, looks wicked.

you have a 40 gallon tank there, which is similar size to my new one, how many lb of sand did you get? 20lb or two bags for 40lb?

I'm glad you can see waste, that was my only concern.

I've also got some black backing going in the new tank so that combined with a blue light is gonna look mental with my white axie

Thanks for posting your pics and look forward to your reply regarding weights.

p.s. glad you like the name Puzzle.

harliquinnraver · Jul 22, 2010

dazkeirle said:
Ok you've made my mind up, for my new tank I'm going for black sand, looks wicked.

you have a 40 gallon tank there, which is similar size to my new one, how many lb of sand did you get? 20lb or two bags for 40lb?

I'm glad you can see waste, that was my only concern.

I've also got some black backing going in the new tank so that combined with a blue light is gonna look mental with my white axie

Thanks for posting your pics and look forward to your reply regarding weights.

p.s. glad you like the name Puzzle.

i used one 20 pound bag which gave me about a half inch of sand all over. i may end up adding an additional bag to at some point get it a full inch deep but im not sure yet if ill do that.
note: it is a 40 gallon breeder tank which has a larger footprint, and thus needs a bit more substrate than a standard 40 gallon.

black backing would be excellent. before i assembled my tank, i painted the back with black acrylic paint.

youre using a blue light? sounds awesome! i definitely cant wait to see pics.

and thanks again for the name suggestion. Puzzle was a fitting name and since theyre a nearly identical pair, Riddle seemed suitable for the other.

dazkeirle · Jul 22, 2010

I love it, glad they're settling into their new names, Riddle is a brilliant addition, and your setup is brilliant.

I use blue light now in my current smaller tank and Fred loves it (there's photos and stuff on my diary thread). He's very active in the blue I light, i think it's quite delicate for him.

Thanks for your recommendation on sand quantities, I think I'll just get two bags, then even if there's a little left it'll allow for the bits that get siphoned up over time.

I hope you don't mind, but I think I'm gonna get some slate too, gives a nice variety of surfaces and looks really nice.

Right now my axie is being weird, continuously digging in a certain corner but there's nothing there lol. My mrs says "he" is laying eggs, I certainly hope not.

harliquinnraver · Jul 22, 2010

dazkeirle said:
I love it, glad they're settling into their new names, Riddle is a brilliant addition, and your setup is brilliant.

I use blue light now in my current smaller tank and Fred loves it (there's photos and stuff on my diary thread). He's very active in the blue I light, i think it's quite delicate for him.

Thanks for your recommendation on sand quantities, I think I'll just get two bags, then even if there's a little left it'll allow for the bits that get siphoned up over time.

I hope you don't mind, but I think I'm gonna get some slate too, gives a nice variety of surfaces and looks really nice.

Right now my axie is being weird, continuously digging in a certain corner but there's nothing there lol. My mrs says "he" is laying eggs, I certainly hope not.

Thank you.

Give that black sand several good rinses. Its dirty at first but it cleans up nicely.

I already have a light strip, can blue bulbs be purchased on their own? I'd love to have a softer light. ( I'm on my way to find your diary thread now)

I don't mind at all!. I like the slate quite a bit. I'd just be cautious and sand any sharp edges to keep them safe. Slate can be quite sharp.
I guess I'm lucky mine aren't diggers! LOL! The most they do is climb up to lay on the filter or climb the stump. Maybe they think they're monkeys?

Neek · Jul 30, 2010

would you please be able to tell me wot kind of light you have and what an appropriate filter would be for axies in a tank that size, and also where i might acquire sand like that. i'm new. i don't yet have axies (well i have eggs) and I'm looking at buying a 3ft tank. i have no idea what i'm going to need to do to reach the requirements....i must say your tank is stunning, i hope i will dream about swimming around in a scene like that tonight lol

Mac Myers · Jul 30, 2010

harliquinnraver said:
Thank you.
I already have a light strip, can blue bulbs be purchased on their own?

Can they ever. You can buy single LED lights on up to massive arrays. Especially if you don't mind a wait from China. I got a 24 blue LED light "bulb" (standard E27 socket) off of Ebay from a US dealer for 8 dollars US shipped. Screws right in. Equivalent to about a 30 watt incandescent bulb. It uses very little power and generates no noticeable heat at all. I ordered some more from China but they take awhile. My GFP Melanoid glows under it too. Funky.
I'm also getting some white/blue white LED bulbs for other lights in my house. I hate a couple of my lamps because they generate too much heat. Even the fluorescent bulbs seem incredibly hot next to LED's. And LED's last a LONG time.

Photo: The Critters and their new tank.

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