Your first Axolotl

[crazydragon89]

So, I thought why not start a nostalgia thread?

So what i want to know is what was your first experience with axolotls? did you read about them, know someone who had one, or just stumble upon them in a fish store one day?

Your first axolotl; what was his/her name? what kind of type was s/he? Are they still your dear companion, or have they passed after a nice long life? Do they, or did they, have any quirks/characteristics that made them so unique to you?

And are there any other interesting anecdotes about your experience when you first started owning axolotls?

 

[crazydragon89]

Personally, I had a friend who, years ago, had an axie she got from her elementary school teacher. i met her in high school, and remember walking into her room one day to see some weird salamander thing in a fish tank by her bed. it was so cool looking! i loved dragons and lizards and had previously owned 2 fire-belly newts so i was fascinated.

however, he was all but forgotten until last january when i decided to purchase a fish tank for my college dorm. while sleuthing craigslist for some reasonably priced tanks, i found a local breeder who was selling a 2-3 month old clutch of baby axies. i had a flashback to my friend's old pet, and jumped on the chance. when i saw the breeder's stock, i was so amazed by all of them and all they're different colors! he let me pick the one i wanted, but i couldn't decide between the last (beautiful) leucistic or a golden. he was so happy by my enthusiasm that he let me have both for just $20. the leucistic was eventually named Morgan, and the golden is Beryl. Beryl was actually purchased missing two legs on his right side, so i nicknamed him 'Nubs' until i gave him a proper name. in such a short time of owning them, they've become my dear little friends, and i hope to have them for as long as i'm able. :wacko:

so share your stories, people! i'm very interested in how so many enthusiasts came to actually BE enthusiasts with creatures that so many people have never even heard of!

 

[blackdog]

In primary school i had the same teacher for the last two years who had a wild type in the classroom.

Poor thing - i remember we would take it in turns to take him home for the weekend, so he must have been in a tank small enough for an eleven year old to carry home.

He had no hides, plants or substrate, nowhere to hide out of the light, just an empty tank!

We fed him mince meat......

I remember him being really big (maybe i just remember him bug because i was small?)

So, despite our apparent best efforts to do everything wrong with the poor guy, he survived long enough to get big, and he was alive and well for at least the two years i was there.

I was always fascinated by him, and when my daughter got into having some fish a while ago, i stumbled across axies again while researching how to look after her fish properly.

I then found an advert for a couple of golden albinos from a breeder and i just had to have them.

 

[The Banana]

Our family had a 4ft tropical community tank, we have had it (still have it) before I was born.. so I remember so many times going to the LFS with dad to get more fish. I can't remember when I first saw the axolotl, but I wanted one of these awesome creatures. We never got one (thankfully, wouldn't have gone down well).. but since last year I've gotten into Bettas (Siamese Fighting Fish), and breeding them.. then I realized, I can have my own tanks now I WANT AN AXIE!
So I read up on them.. going, yeah I can do this.
Then, for Christmas last year, my sister got me a lovely golden albino, Banana.. a possible male, but still a little unsure. He is currently living happily in a 400L (106 G) tank, with two other axoltols - a wild type named Aristotle Axolotl, and an albino named Tenedor.

 

[aymeh21]

I first discovered an axolotl on a website called The Cute Project - Collecting the World's Cuteness!. It's a website where people post adorable cute photos of their pets. The person who had posted this picture had came across the axolotl at a local greenhouse where they was keeping it a tank there. Ever since I saw that picture I was on a hunt to learn everything about them and to make one my own! Now I have two who...and I want more!

 

[Sykadelic]

The first time I saw an axolotl I was in kindergarten in Australia (I think in the US it's called pre-K) and I was 4. There was this huge (or huge to me!) tank in our class. It had lots of plants and stuff from memory. It had an axolotl in it and I would guess wild-type 'cause it was dark coloured. I remember always being interested in it but never saw them around so never had one as a kid. We called them "mexican walking fish".

Around Year 11 (16/17 y/o) I got my first one. I was at the local nursery buying plants and they had this indoor area that had a tank with plants in it and another tank that had some plants but then I noticed something move... So I asked the lady if they were for sale and she said yes!

Now that I know more about them he (I called him a him) was a wild type. I don't know how old he was. I called him Iggy which was short for Ignoramus because when she (the shop lady) was getting him out to put in a bag for me he slithered out and onto the hard floor. He seemed fine though and I called him stupid for trying to escape and decided Ignoramus was fitting and shortened to Iggy was a cute name.

Iggy moved with me to Uni and back home a couple of times. I remember him being sick once with a curved tail and also with white stuff on him another time. I now know why the tail was curved (thanks to reading here) and the white stuff was heat related. Eventually (I'd say 2 years i had him? Maybe 3) he died while I was out of town (I was living on campus). I had someone looking after him for me (but I don't blame him) and I'm not entirely sure how he passed but I think it was either fungal or heat related (could also have been impaction 'cause I had gravel in the tank.. oh the things you learn :S)

I don't know what any of you will think of this next part but .. .the campus managers knew me quite well as I was quite active at Uni. When I got back to campus I was expecting to clean out his tank and I wasn't sure what state he'd be in. I walked into my room and found his tank practically empty.. of water AND him. I went to speak to the manager lady (who's name escapes me after all these years ) and she told me that they thought I might be upset if I came back to a smelly room and him all decomposing so they put him in a tupperware container and put him in the freezer so that I could bury him when I got back. I know for sure he had passed so I wasn't worried about him being frozen alive or anything and I thought it was awfully sweet of them to think of me and how much he meant to me and do that. So later that day I buried him on campus (and put vinegar on his grave to dissuade animals) and that was it.

I decided I would never have another axolotl (or fish) till I was in a stable home environment (moving with him 6 hours drive home each year was stressful for him AND me) and until I knew more and could afford the things I needed. So here I am. Married and we own our own house and just today actually I was in Petsmart and Petco pricing and sourcing things to know how much money I need to save before I can get one. I am determined to have my next one/s live a long healthy life. Never forget my first silly little guy

p.s. I am really happy to have this and the axolotl.org site around. There is so much I know now about what *might* have happened with my last guy that I wouldn't have known without it. The forums are invaluable and a reply is never too long away so thanks to everyone in advance. I will upload pics when I finally get new one/s. Might be a couple of months but time will tell

 

[Bellabelloo]

I saw my first axolotl when I was very young, I may have been only two or three as my brother was still in a pram ( I used to sit at the bottom, by his feet ).
We used to visit a very small pet shop to get various pet supplies, it seemed to be packed with all sorts of beasties. I remember looking up to a counter and just being able to see that the fish tank had something very mysterious inside. My father had to lift me up to see these amazing creatures...it was love at first sight:kiss:
When I was deemed old enough to be responsible enough to own a pet, I bought a book on amphibians , to learn a little more about them....I still have the book. I had to save my Christmas and birthday money to save up for the book, and then the fish tank. By the time I had the money , axolotl had disappeared off the face of the earth.....so I bought fancy mice instead.
Thirty plus years later I decided it was time to seek out my axolotl. I joined here to research . Easter Sunday , four years ago I collected a pair of axolotl from a girl who was off to travel

 

[Lady Axolotl]

The four baby axxies I have now are my first, and I raised them from eggs I got off ebay!

I first decided to get them though after seeing them in my local aquarium garden centre... I became pretty much obsessed with them, and then one day I saw this amazingly-coloured wildtype, and it was the cutest 'lotl I've seen so far. As I was watching it, it turned towards me, stared right at me 'smiling' for about 30 seconds, while floating towards me I knew then I had to get some myself! (true story...)

 

[Star]

I studied animal management in college and they had their own zoo licence so owned some pretty amazing animals. In the aquatics room they had several axolotls I used to like watching. I was in a pet shop by where I live last year and the guy had several leucistics in a tank. I decided then that I was going to get one, I just needed to convince my dad and get a tank set up and save up some cash. As it was near easter and I can't really eat chocolate my mum said she would get me an axie as an easter gift, we got a cheap 2ft tank, pretty gravel (that was removed straight after finding this site...) and a hide and fake plants. Was pretty basic at first, PVC tube and a couple of plastic plants Then to ask dad. Decided to start off with, dad, can I get another fish? He said yes... Then as I walked out of the room I added it has legs by the way... too late, I'd got a yes haha. We went straight back to the shop but he'd sold out of all the leucies Was devastated until he offered to order another in for me. He rang me a week later to tell me he had managed to get hold of a little wild type for me. We went and picked her up, put her in her new home and I was in love! She's a little stunner, exceptionally active and I am content just sitting watching her for hours! She definitely knows who mum (bringer of food) is and gets very excited when I'm next to the tank. She gets excited when people look at her, if I'm stood further away she goes off and hides, if I'm there she does a little dance at the glass for food

 

[Erzs]

This is a great thread. =]

I first saw an axolotl at the LFS. I had no idea what it was but memorised the name and when I got home looked it up. I found this site, along with axolotl.org. I bought my first axolotl soon after, following guidelines from the LFS.

I named her Arbie, after 'The Arbiter', (+1 if you know who that is!), and she will soon have been with me a year!

Baby Arbie:



Baby Arbie No More!

 

[Minniechild]

For me, I remember seeing axies around for YEARS, and although i did do the "dad-dy, can i have onnnneee??" thing, I never really loved them enough to buy one and bring it home (though i did bring my guinea pig Mike home...)
Now, i've probs told this a few dozen times; but what's wrong with blabbing it again? Fast forward to 2010, got the dog, cat etc, and began going regularly to my local markets held every sunday. One of the store holders who began coming late winter was bringing up stock from his aquaculture farm in Jervis Bay to a) get them to decent homes and b) get more than a pittance on the fish etc he was breeding. One sunday; i arrive pretty late in the day, and notice he's got a styrofoam box under a shrub. I nearly pass out from OMG-ing at the mass of juvies happily swimming away! At this point; i rather fell in love. I picked out my freddie; george and phree, convinced him that i neeeded to give him SOMETHING for them, and embarked on my journey, involving a beaker, gravel and many more mistakes before I found this site... Not to say that i'm not still regularly fluffing it all up, but i'm getting better! Now I've got my six axies, my 4 ft tank (200L), though my original trio refuse to leave their nice, cool tank on the kitchen bench (the other three are living it up in the big tank!) and food/ maintenance bills to go with!
So far, it's been darn incredible, and i'm hoping that 12 months down the track, i'll be posting about the next stage: babies!!

 

[mewsie]

I named her Arbie, after 'The Arbiter', (+1 if you know who that is!),

From Halo? (Off topic: I learnt a great Halo fact yesterday - Nile Rodgers from Chic wrote ALL the music to ALL the Halo games. Brilliant)

Well, I found out about them from my brother, when he visited us about a year ago. My family own a rare breeds farm/care farm, so we were discussing all the awesome creatures we thought they should get. He mentioned axolotls, and not having heard of them, did a quick google, and sat at my machine like this: for several hours while he and my OH played xbox.

It became my mission to at least SEE one of these things in real life. Scott was worried that the landlord would object to walking fish in the no-pets-allowed flat, but I talked and talked and talked about them for so long that one Saturday I woke up late and he said 'put your clothes on, we're going to Fife, I found you some axolotls'. I sat in the car like this: for a couple of hours, and then just melted when I saw their cute little faces in the shop. Chester made himself known by parading about the front of the tank. He was one of three leucistics, and about 15 albinos. I couldn't pick between the albinos, so in the end I just pointed and said 'that one' and watched her scoop little Roscoe P Coltrane out for me too. She wrapped them up tightly in a box with padding and I stared at the box like this: the whole way home.

They truly brighten my life.

 

[iChris]

for me, it started with myself wanting a new pet, we already have 2 dogs, Ciggy, my american bulldog and Bertrum, my tenterfield terrier.

I started out wanting a ferret or a cockatoo, but my late stepdad objected on the basis that a cockie would be too noisy and that ferrets smell, and so naturally being a keeper of tropical aquaria, I decided to get a "wet" animal, and from the list that I composed of possible animals, Marron which are a type of freshwater crayfish native to western australia, frogs, or axies.

upon doing some research and the fact that axies are readily available in Perth for usually less than $20 each, and having seen them in person, I decided that my new mate would be a axie.

my whole family has fallen in love with them, my mum nicknamed it "petal" because the gills remind her of a flower, and my stepfather used to call it "the thing"

 

[Star]

My dad calls mine the weirdos or the things ironically the mothers day present I got for my mum was a stuffed flower that has a face just like an axie and the petals look like the gills I'd post a pic but it won't let me from my phone :/

 

[kirsty]

My story is nowhere near as exciting as the others on here, but again starting with me wanting a new pet. I had gheckos a when I was at school but the boy ate the girl within the first few days of having him and then eventually he just refused to eat and after months of hand feeding him he eventually passed away poor sunny and sandy .
So I went to the pet shop and went downstairs to their reptile section and decided I wanted a Camelion but my dad refused to let me have one because my sister (who I share a room with) is scared of the live food!
Then one day I was happily watching TV with my bf (have i got news for you i think it was) when in huge one the screen popped up the picture of the most beautiful axolotl smiling, I had never even heard of them, but when they announced you could buy them as pets I done my research. Once I had all the information I asked my dad if I could get one and again he said no so I did what all daughters do and told him I would love him forever etc etc and then showed him a picture and who could refuse the little Axie staring at him so he said if I could find one in a shop I could have one.

Two weeks later after phoning around everywhere (about 50 shops) I had my two little golden axies I went to get 1 but there were 4 in the little tank (with Gravel) and I just had to get both of the golden ones, Spongebob was so tiny and kept swimming up to the side of the tank when I looked in and Squidward was the cutest little fatty ever and I came home that day with my tank and some sand (which I gave up trying to get clean in the end).

Now they have got so big and Spongebob has turned out to be a boy and Squidward a girl, I was hoping not to breed but I can't bear to separate them so if its fate it will happen

I love them so much and I can't believe I went 21 years without even knowing these amazing little creatures exist and I'm certain I will not be without them in the future

Super long post but I actually do love my Axies so much and was so happy to find a site with so many others who feel the same as I do about my babies (even though they are now about 17cm each!)

 

[Maythe27th]

I visited an event called the "Repticon' around a year ago. I was amazed to see all of the amphibian and reptilian enthusiasts representing their species. As we were preparing to leave, I saw a display of unmistakable pink-black salamanders; I saw my first real-life axolotls. I was incredibly disheartened to leave the Repticon without purchasing one. I picked up contact information from the man in case I could work out an order. I spent weeks that felt like years feeling pitiful about not having one. I was prepared though; I researches axolotls for weeks and summed it up in a three-page typed report. I was in luck though, because my birthday was coming around the corner. I ended up spending $100+ in total expenses for the tank, filter, basic tank accessories, and the axolotl with shipping.

Then, two days later, on May 27th, my young leucistic male axolotl arrived.

 

[Alioth]

I had always liked all kinds of reptiles, but never wanted one as a pet... Because I love all kinds of rodents as well (especially rats). i'm even part of a rat shelter. I would never be able to feed an animal that really can love you with all his little heart to an animal that just doesn't care if you're around or not.

But then I saw some pictures of an axolotl on the page of one of my friends on Facebook and I just loved their cute faces. Since she's a rat fanatic too I was intrigued... This would be an animal that wasn't fed on rodents! So I began my search and looked on all kind of sites... and the info that I found pleased me so much !!

We had an old aquarium that wasn't in use at that moment, perfect for 2 lotls...

I just felt hopelessly in love and began my search...first on a second hand website. And I was directly very lucky, a man who only lives 15 kilometres away had babies, wild types as well as leucists! Two weeks later our babies Ningyo and Pachua came to live with us! That's about 2 months ago

 

[sherrisixxx]

I'm unfortunately allergic to animal hair, so can't have any hairy pets. Had some fish, and then went to an aquarium store one day about 5,5 years ago...and saw Axelina, my first axolotl. I bought her, and fell in love with her playful,fun nature straight away. She could have been the advertisement for happiness of being alive. But also when I was sad and crying, she would always come and comfort me through the glass with her soulful eyes. She used different facial expression for asking for food, or if she wasn't well etc. Vary smart little darling. But I lost her 2 years ago to a horrible bacteria..sniff...However I still have my 2 other axies Orangina and Blackie, who are bit over 4 years old now. But no other axie can never replace Axelina...

 

[Boo Penguin]

I was rifling through old photo's when I came across a pic of an axi... when I asked my mum about it she revealed that his name was Charlie and he was an axololt. I wanted one right away but she said no

Around 10 years later I finally bit the bullet and just got one... but I did wait till my mum was out of the country :blush:

 

[Raziela]

The first I heard of axolotls was on the show QI (hosted by Stephen Fry) but I paid no attention to it.

A few months later I was looking for a new pet, but something unique, that none of my friends would have, which ruled out snakes/spiders/bearded dragons/geckos/praying mantis etc. So I asked my boyfriend what he thought I should get. Before I'd even finished asking he said "an axolotl", my response was "what the hell is an axolotl?"

He googled a pic and that was it. I wanted one straight away, and within a week I had a tank set up (unfortunately the local pet store that used to keep them told me gravel was ok ) and within a month I had my first axolotl, a 3month old leucistic, named Axie but usually called Spazzy after his first unsucessful attempt at swimming.

A month later I found this website and discovered that gravel was wrong for axolotls, but by then it was too late, the damage had been done (see my v.worried posts from late jan/early feb) and Axie/Spazzy passed away on Feb 16th at 1day under 6months of age, and the day before my 22nd birthday :'(

Axie had some awesomely funny habits, like attacking the pippette I used to feed him/her, swimming straght up to the top of the tank, realising there was nowhere left to go and floating to the bottom, and generally just mooching around the tank with an attitude like "w00t, this is mah space, imma awesome"


sorry for the epic long post, but remembering all tha thas actually just upset me again ;(