Hello from Portland Oregon. Plus Axlotl feeding tip.

Hello, I am pretty new to this. I have set up a ten gallon tank for my sons Axlotl. I am using a hang off the back filter that I run for only 6hrs a day to keep currents down. I run a air stone to keep the water airated. I started feeding him blood worms but it was very hard to keep the cage clean with him missing a lot of the food. Then I heard about Salmon Pellets. I got the small ones for him and started feeding him by hand, but he had a hard time getting the tiny pellet out of my fingers. Lots got spilled and I couldnt pick them up well. I change out 20 percent of the water each week, but the pellets sink and dont vaccume up well. So my solution was to add a small bowl. I just placed it below the small door on the top of the aquarium and drop them in. He just goes and eats them out of the bowl. I give him about 3 or 4 pellets a day. He is about 4 or 5 inch long. Some times I feed him with my fingers above the bowl and if any fall, he can easily get them later. Before if they fell into the gravel, I couldnt pick them up.

One question? how do I know if I am feeding him enough?

-James

Hi and welcome! Cute little guy! I use a bowl for mine too. As far as feeding him enough, I give mine what they will consume in 15 min, the excess is removed immediately. Are you feeding him any earthworms? They are much healthier for him, can be handfed or with forceps. How big is he? You may have to cut the earthworms for him. (Canadian nightcrawlers - if you don't have earthworms. You can dig up your own if you KNOW there are no pesticides being used.)

Also, what are the parameters of your tank? Temp, pH, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia? All are vital to the well-being of your new addition. You mentioned a door in the top - this sounds like a hood - might need to take this off if your temp is up. Check this out if you haven't: Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander
Lots of great info out here!

Now a couple more suggestions -
Your filter, not doing any good running for part of the day, if your tank is cycling - will never complete. If completed, you could actually destroy your bacteria using the filter this way. I use this type of filter - can you adjust the flow? Does it have an adjustment where you can turn down the intake volume? I control the outflow through some cotton filament and a hanging artificial vine (reptile type).

Also, for the safety of your little guy, please remove the gravel and either replace it with sand, tile, or rocks larger than 1" in diameter. These guys are little Hoover vacuums and will suck up that gravel and that could cause an impaction - not something you want to have happen as it could be fatal. Bonus: the sand or tile is much, much easier to keep clean!

Good luck and hope this helps! If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask, lots of great people with a lot of knowledge and they will help you!

hih james
welcome to the forum.....i use a jam jar to put the food in for abby and she goes in and hoovers up the food........
lea

Thanks Dragon Lady and Lea.

Here are the tank numbers before 20% water change

Water temp 71 Degree. Would taking the lid off make the water cooler than the air in the room?

pH is 7.5

Ammonia is .5

Nitrite is .25

KH=2 or 3

CO2 is 2 or 3

I have read mixed things about the gravel. I would like to change it but worry it will change the balance of the tank. Could I just put sand on top of the gravel?

So I should just put some worms in the bowl?

If the filter wasnt working wouldnt my ammonia be high? I will try to make some sort of water flow control so I can run filter all the time.

Thanks again for your feedback

hi james
i would get rid of you gravel....it is very dangerous to axies..the gravel will come thro anyway.......i have 1mm gravel in my tank and if abby eats it she just poops it out.......i dont think it will upset the tank to much if you change it now(someone please let me know if this is wrong info).......you can put a worm on the plate, they might try and crawl away.......lea