Photo: My new and currently only axie

jay_coward

New member
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
101
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Age
32
Location
Yeppoon QLD
Country
Australia
Display Name
Jay
His name is Sebastien or Seb for short and he's a dark wild-type from what I can tell. I have had him for about three days or so now and I'm really happy to have an axie in my life again. :)

Pics aren't that great but, Enjoy!
 

Attachments

  • seb 3.jpg
    seb 3.jpg
    68.8 KB · Views: 336
  • seb 5.jpg
    seb 5.jpg
    80.6 KB · Views: 236
  • seb 7.jpg
    seb 7.jpg
    95.5 KB · Views: 223
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

Awww very cute, he looks just like my new axy! Does he have shiny freckles?
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

No his freckles are really dark. You can only make them out on his face but even that is pretty dark. Sometimes it looks as though he has no eyes lol. I'm really hoping he does well and survives because I have had axies before and the oldest one made it too a year and that was the record for survival unfortunately. I love this little man already so fingers crossed. If I can get some more clear photos I'll put them up.

How old is your axie that looks like mine?
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

Oh, interesting. Mine has both shiny and dark freckles :p Were you aware of cycling and stuff when you had your previous ones? A lot of people I know that have had them in the past had them die early on simply because they knew nothing about water parameters etc. Good luck this time around though!

I'm really not sure how old either of my axolotl's are :eek: They were both bought as juveniles and that's about as much as I know. They're both about 7-8" long if that helps haha
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

I wasn't aware to begin with but learnt. My main problem is water temp and trying to keep it cool. Stupid me though did forget about cycling this time and he is sitting in the tank while its doing so. I have no where else to put him except for an ice cream bucket which I put them in when cleaning or checking them for disease and such.
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

As long as you keep on top of water changes he should be fine. I'm in phase 2 of cycling with two in there and I change the water if the levels go above 0.50 :happy:
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

That is reassuring. He doesn't look overly stressed. How often would you say you do a water change. I did a 20% change yesterday and the cloudiness has lessened a little. It has only been 4 days mind you.
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

What is the cloudiness from? Sand?

How often you do them depends on how long it takes for your ammonia and/or nitrite levels to get to 0.25 - 0.50. Do you have the liquid tests to check the levels daily? I found that when I had just the one axolotl, I only needed to change 25% once or twice a week but you have to watch out for ammonia and nitrite spikes because then you'll probably have to do 50%. Once the tank is cycled you will have to test daily to see how long the nitrate level takes to go up to a maximum of 40, this will give you a rough idea of how often you need to perform water changes. You may not have to do them often at all but it depends on how much you feed and how often because with food, comes poop :p
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

I havn't got the tests yet because I have to wait till my next pay unfortunately. It is just white cloudiness from cycling I had thought. I have no substrate at all yet it is just a glass floor. I have been cleaning out his food and toilet habits :p etc and he has a filter that is brand new which I got the same day as him. I really hope there aren't any spikes before I get the tests cause I really want this guy to grown old with me. He is quite active at night though. He sleeps all day and swims around all night. He didn't eat today but I'm sure he'll be hungry by tomorrow.

I've been trying to get some more pics but the cloudiness and my bad phone camera mixed in with some glare and little of his swimming has made it quite difficult XD
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

I don't think you'll have too bad of a spike yet. Until you get your tests (I got the API master kit which has everything you need and is $40 online) I would just do 20% every 3 days or so. If the levels go above 0.50 then it shouldn't be by too much. I didn't know about cycling when I got my first one and therefore didn't know the seriousness of Ammonia and Nitrite which meant I didn't bother with tests! When I actually did test for Ammonia like a month into cycling, it was on 2 and then a few days later it was 4 and that is pretty deadly. I don't know how long my axolotl was exposed to high levels but he seems to be doing alright now that everything is under control (I'll have to wait and see if it has an effect on his health in the long-run :eek:)

Yeah they naturally love darkness. He's probably still getting used to the new environment and feels safer doing so when it's dark haha. Once he comes out of his shell you'll find that he'll be more active during the day!
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

I was shocked when I learnt about cycling and ammonia/nitrate levels and even PH levels. When I had only Shifter my first axie the levels where easy to maintain because he was in a 38 litre tank by himself. Its when I moved him and his new buddies into the 3ft tank is when it got difficult. It was especially hard to keep the water cold enough. Seb is currently in shifters old 38L tank so it shouldn't be too hard to do water changes often and so on. He has plently of water to swim in and he has an air stone and two little hidey holes. I made him a stone cave that I used to make for my other axies and he has a little fake log to use as a tunnel as well as his little tire and likes to sit halfway in. I really love having axies again, they just make me happy.

He kind of reminds me of my first Axie Shifter. He was my first and most favourite axie because he swam all the time no matter the time of day. He would even swim if I just entered the room, probably to make me feed him or something. All my other axies were world champion statues haha. I have a good feeling about Seb so far. I plan on buying him some earthworms tomorrow if my budget allows it, at the moment he's on bloodworms but it gets a bit messy and disperses before he snaps at it most times. Its kind of a waste of food in the end.
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

Wow really? Bigger tanks are generally easier to maintain temperature wise and the water parameters should be easier to keep steady. Perhaps your filter wasn't suitable for the tank size and therefore wasn't doing its job.. 38l sounds a bit on the small side but maybe that's just because I'm so used to a 3ft tank lol.

With the bloodworms I used to make it sink in front of him but began using a feeding jar instead. Basically just any jar such as a vegemite jar put sideways will work. This stops the worms from spreading everywhere and you're able to clean whatever is left! I rarely feed bloodworms now that I have two because my boy is greedy and it is so hard to keep them separate long enough for the new one to eat.
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

The filter was a little inadequate. It did 140 L and my 3ft tank is a 160L tank. My axie isn't overly big but I really want to set my big tank back up. I just need to find somwhere to put it. Also my dad and me built the tank stand and it looks pretty cool. It doesn't have any doors though and dad wants it to have doors before it comes inside. It is currently in the shed collecting dust :( Hopefully after a little more convincing I can have it somewhere inside so my little friend has a big world to explore.
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

Oh that isn't so bad, which reminds me I have to get a more suitable filter for my tank size (hypocrite much? haha :rolleyes:) Yeah I had the tiniest beginner tank and my axie was like half the length of it so I snatched up a 3ft tank pretty cheap and made my own stand out of a coffee table frame we had lying about then just gave it extra support. My tank's in the lounge and at first it annoyed people but now we all just block out the sound of the air pump and filter. Awww well I hope you can convince your dad! I find the bigger tanks are fun to decorate but maybe that's just because I'm a girl :lol:
 
Re: My new and currenlty only axie

I like putting in heaps of plants and hides but the downside to that is you never see your axolotl cause it could be anywhere hahaha. I bought some earthworms today and got him a snail friend to stalk and chase. Hopefully that gives him something to do even though he has been swimming all morning.
 
Here are some more pics. He has been swimming all morning. I gave him an earthworm for lunch and now he is still swimming. He is going to sleep well tonight.......or is he. Dun Dun Duuun.
 

Attachments

  • Seb 8.jpg
    Seb 8.jpg
    39.4 KB · Views: 179
  • Seb 9.jpg
    Seb 9.jpg
    45.6 KB · Views: 175
  • Seb 10.jpg
    Seb 10.jpg
    45.1 KB · Views: 194
  • Seb 11.jpg
    Seb 11.jpg
    40.7 KB · Views: 183
  • Seb tank 1.jpg
    Seb tank 1.jpg
    51.8 KB · Views: 185
  • Seb tank 2.jpg
    Seb tank 2.jpg
    54.9 KB · Views: 258
I absolutely love how much you love your lotl already :D I remember RIGHT when I got my axolotls in the mail, I had to go to class... and the only reason why I went to class was because my boyfriend made me. lol :) Shifter reminds me of one of my lotls Krakken! He is also a melanoid, but he is a mutant and was born without a leg. But he is the most active thing and swims around constantly. :3
 
They are so cool I can't not love them. Shifter was my first axie and was a golden albino. This one is my new little fella named Seb. He has a little snail friend now and he's been pushing him around the tank. He is still swimming and having a good time. I love just watching them swim and seeing their little faces. When I see his face it just makes me smile. The have an ugly cuteness to them but mostly cute :)
 
I thought that axolotls were just plain weird looking when I first saw them online. I'm not the greatest with things that are slimy... but my boyfriend wanted one. So I was being the supportive girlfriend and drove down with my boyfriend to pick it up with him so that I could hold the bag and make sure the little critter wouldn't get hurt or really stressed out in the car ride. Eventhough I don't like slimy things, I do love animals. When we got there and I saw the different colors they came in, the melanoid was the color that really caught my eye. I thought that it looked beautiful and velvety. After seeing them and bonding with my boyfriends lotl and realizing how much of a personality that they have, I had to have one... then two ... then three ... and now I have 25 newly hatched juvies that I am taking care of :D I absolutely love these critters and now I think that they are adorable!

But I would not have the snail in the tank. Axolotls can try to swallow anything that is the same size (or smaller) of their head...
 
My little Seb already swims around when I enter my room (I think its cause he wants a worm) and he follows me as I walk past. His friend Gary the snail is too big to swallow or even fit in his mouth so I'm not worried about his getting a snail stuck in his throat or anything. He does stalk old Gary though so Gary doesn't come out of his shell often. They are an addictive pet for sure.
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
    +1
    Unlike
  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
    +1
    Unlike
  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
    +1
    Unlike
  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
    +1
    Unlike
    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
    Back
    Top