Question: For those in Texas...temp problems!

ladygodiva35

ladygodiva35

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How are you keeping your axolotl temperature down? I usually rotate ice bottles in my tank but now my freezer is having issues keeping my bottles frozen. I also have two fans clipped to my tank but it's still reaching 70-72F. I don't know what else to do or try. Should I put less water in the tank or keep it full?
 
I use my chiller. Never have to worry about regulating temperature always stays at a constant and crisp 63!
 
Make your house cooler! AC is an axolotl's best friend.
 
leandrah said:
My tank sits at that temp all the time and they are fine
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What is the highest temperature to avoid that can start to cause harm? I read so many different things saying no to over 64-74F. I've always kept my temperature 64F until this terrible heat arrived. Not even my house is staying cold anymore with AC!
 
The optimal temp to keep axolotls in is 16-18. However they can survive in warmer waters like 20-22 BUT they are more stressed out and inclined to have a lower immune system which can lead to fungus and general illness. I've heard of axololts living in 24 celcius without developing fungus, but conditions outside the optimal range will most likely decreased their average lifespan.
 
You see, i think it depends.
Because my Axies are so stoked with life and their temp sits at around 21/22 degrees.

The highest my temp has been is 27 degrees.
I also think that my axies have adapted slightly to the warmer water, because in SA, the coldest it gets is 21 degrees.

My axies are all 300% and healthy :)
 
leandrah said:
You see, i think it depends.
Because my Axies are so stoked with life and their temp sits at around 21/22 degrees.

The highest my temp has been is 27 degrees.
I also think that my axies have adapted slightly to the warmer water, because in SA, the coldest it gets is 21 degrees.

My axies are all 300% and healthy :)
Click to expand...

I've said this before too, that some areas such as Australia, I believe they can tolerate higher temperatures. This doesn't mean it's optimal and I certainly don't recommend or tell people that it's okay for them with no ill effects, and still advise 16-18 celcius and recommend fans, AC, ice bottles or chillers.

Mine have lived in 21 degrees here and there, and have no health effects present like fungus however I don't think it's very healthy in the long term. Just saying an axolotl living to it's expected 10-12 years in warmer waters is extremely highly unlikely.

And yikes at 27 that's ridiculous. I live in Australia which the average temperature is higher than South Africa and it never gets to that temperature ever. What do you use to cool it down...?
 
I am am shocked at the high temps some of your axolotls are kept at. If you can't keep them within their optimum range you shouldnt keep them.
 
xxianxx said:
I am am shocked at the high temps some of your axolotls are kept at. If you can't keep them within their optimum range you shouldnt keep them.
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If I can't get my temps stable then I will rehome my precious babies. It will destroy me but I will do whatever it takes to keep them alive and thriving.

I can't afford a chiller. My husband is out of work and is having a hard time finding a job. Believe me, if I had the money I'd get one asap. It would save me time and stress.

I doubt anyone here has a chiller they can donate to me so if it comes down to having to rehome my darlings then I will do it. I'd be torn to pieces but happy to know my little ones are okay. So far my ice bottles seem to be freezing fully again and my temp is around 68F
 
Calm yourselves down to a mild panic,
I said that's the HIGHEST its been, I never said that's the constant temperature.

When i first got them, the temp spiked as we had 1 extremely hot day. To date, my tank sits at 21/22 - as noted in my post.
Also, if you do your research - which I am sure you have as you are both very knowledgeable, it says that temps should not exceed 24 degrees.

I think in future more questions should be asked rather than assuming I am not looking after my Axolotls.
If you look at my "before and after" post, i am sure you will see just how healthy they are.
 
I'm very calm thanks, I just said it's a bit high. When I know a heat wave is approaching I put them in a large esky with an ice bottle so it keeps it reasonably cool - around 18-19 until the heat wave passes (obv. With daily water changes with the same temp water). Maybe you should think about doing that next time it gets a bit too warm? It is a lot more work than sitting there and allowing the tank to climb in temperature. However since it's optimal to have lower temps why let them settle for less than optimal? I don't have the funds for a chiller and I know a lot of people don't but if you decide to have an axolotl knowing you can't provide the right environment due to $, I would suspect one would do everything they can to get temperatures down again with what funds they have or not have an axolotl at all and look into another pet to have.

Sure I'm guilty of having some days where my temp has increased over optimal range (23 at highest I think?). But I do not allow it to sit at these temperatures too long, maybe a day or two at tops. To OP - as mentioned in previous post there are many ways to keep temperature down. AC, ice bottles, fans, chillers, insulating your tank with foam or wet towels with a fan on it, eskies etc. Where I live - the summer that just passed had a range of 27-49 degrees celcius room temperatures (80-120 Fahrenheit), I've managed to keep it in the optimal ranges with a few days at 21-23 max. I'm sure 90% of people can do it on this forum as long as they have the right attitude and time! :D

True that it does said should not exceed 24 degrees in some sources but if they thrive mostly in cooler temps you should be advising and recommending others to do so instead of saying that your tank sits on the warmer side so it's "fine". We can see your axolotls look generally healthy right now, but prolonged exposure to higher temperature is surely to affect an axolotl internally in the long run.
 
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Nooooo, I meant that my tank sits at 21/22 daily and its fine. I definitely wasnt referring to the 27 degrees!!! that would be terrible for them. The 21/22 degrees is during the day, at night it usually sits at around 18 degrees

I bought an aircon for them :) and mine only stayed at 27 for a couple of hours, and it hasnt done it again. I didnt expect it to get that warm thats why I never put the ice bottles in, in the morning. I have a cold flat, and my other tanks stay cool - so i didnt expect the Axie tank to get so warm, once i realised it was so warm, I did a water change and added the ice bottles to the tank every day after that when it was so warm
 
leandrah said:
Calm yourselves down to a mild panic,
I said that's the HIGHEST its been, I never said that's the constant temperature.

When i first got them, the temp spiked as we had 1 extremely hot day. To date, my tank sits at 21/22 - as noted in my post.
Also, if you do your research - which I am sure you have as you are both very knowledgeable, it says that temps should not exceed 24 degrees.

I think in future more questions should be asked rather than assuming I am not looking after my Axolotls.
If you look at my "before and after" post, i am sure you will see just how healthy they are.
Click to expand...

Higher temps increase the likelihood of sick/fungused axolotls and increases the rate at which water quality drops. If your axolotls manage to avoid this the increased temp will increase their metabolic rate reducing their life expectancy. So congratulations on having "healthy" axolotls that will be burnt out before their time as their keeper hasn't the intelligence or compassion to keep them at a suitable temp.........
 
For those that are only a few degrees over check the temperature of the room first. If your room is 75-80F, then the fans are doing as much as possible but are not enough. You can turn down the AC to about 71-72F and then the fans will bring the tank to the right temp.
If you are only struggling with summer temps you might want to move the tank to the lowest possible location in the house. Its not common in florida to have basements but that would be the coldest location for you. You can also buy any type of insulating material to work with the fan and prevent heat from moving into the tank from the sides and bottom.
 
Nai live, i think you are incredibly rude.
Did you not see my post after that explaining what I met?

As for referring to my intelligence, I am a Group Sales Manager at the age of 23. I was accepted into Medicine, I got a 90% average for Matric, having studied Maths, Science, Biology and History all on Higher Grade. I assume the same cannot be said for you.

If you were for some reason unable to read my last comment, I said that it only reached that temperature for a few hours and i quickly rectified it so that it would not happen again. Which I have also said in my post.
As for compassion, you do not know me at all, I do daily water changes for them and I give them the very best possible.

Your comments and judgment are irrelevant when you do not know their actual living conditions, and seeing as I explained exactly what I meant in my post after the one you have quoted, i think that you have just made yourself look very silly.
 
leandrah said:
Nai live, i think you are incredibly rude.
Did you not see my post after that explaining what I met?

As for referring to my intelligence, I am a Group Sales Manager at the age of 23. I was accepted into Medicine, I got a 90% average for Matric, having studied Maths, Science, Biology and History all on Higher Grade. I assume the same cannot be said for you.

If you were for some reason unable to read my last comment, I said that it only reached that temperature for a few hours and i quickly rectified it so that it would not happen again. Which I have also said in my post.
As for compassion, you do not know me at all, I do daily water changes for them and I give them the very best possible.

Your comments and judgment are irrelevant when you do not know their actual living conditions, and seeing as I explained exactly what I meant in my post after the one you have quoted, i think that you have just made yourself look very silly.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your interest in my level of education, I have a joint honours degree in English lit and psychology from Liverpool university. For all your impressive qualifications you still fail to keep your pets at a suitable temp and even fail to see the implications of this. You could try using some of your salary to pay for a chiller, solving the problem you don't seem to realise your pets have.
 
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