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Question: 64 litre tank

StormWolf

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Hi all, I have a interpet fishpod 64 litre tank which was previously being used as a tropical tank for 4/5 years which is now empty (my last fish died and I decided not to restock). My question is is this suitable for a single Axolotl? I also have a interpet pf2 filter, air pump, 2 fake plants and two ornaments.
 

Hayleyy

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The general rule is minimum 10 gallons per axolotl so it is suitable for one axolotl. Your tank is about the same size as my quarantine tank, which I currently have one axolotl in.
I looked up that filter and it appears to be an internal one, which can be okay but they do release a lot of heat into the water. I would recommend a hang on back filter and small sponge filter. Sponge filters are pretty cheap and will attach to the air pump you already have. You won't need the air stone as the filter will oxygenate the water enough.
What kind of ornaments are they? You don't really need them for axolotls, you're better off using the space for hides. Axolotls aren't fond of light so need some nice dark spaces to hide, even if you don't have a tank light. I use ceramic pots placed on their side, super cheap and easy. You can buy hide ornaments, but watch that they don't have anything sharp. Most of the ones I have seen are sharp inside, which can injure axolotls.
Plastic plants are great to use, it provides extra shade and some like to sit on them.
What substrate do you have in there already? You want either big stones (bigger than an adult axolotls head. I don't like these because they trap debris and poop!), sand or bare bottom. I find sand the easiest to clean, I have bare bottom in my quarantine tank and it's a pain to keep clean.
Depending on where you live and what temperature the water will naturally sit at, you may need an aquarium fan or chiller. You want the water under 20 degrees.
Sorry for the paragraphs! Hope this info helps. Please ask if you have more questions :)
 

StormWolf

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Hi Hayleyy, thanks for your reply.
It would only be for one Axolotl. The filter is only a six months old, so want to keep it if possible, when I set up/start cycling the tank I'll keep a eye on the temps, if it's too warm or too much flow on the lowest setting, then I'll change to a sponge filter. The ornaments are a small stone bridge and a single roman coliseum arch. As for substrate I'm planning on using sand.
The tank is in my bedroom, next to my radiator (that's not in use due to not working) so it can get cold in here in the winter months but with it being at the front of the house (west side), quite warm in the summer months due to afternoon/evening sun. I also have my crested gecko in my room at room temperature (both summer and winter) and the lowest his temps have got is 16.8°c and the warmest is 28.4°c (I forgot to put the fan on that day like a idiot... but as soon as I got home two bottles of frozen water and the fan on brought it back down). We've had/are in a heat wave at the moment hence the high temperature. I hope this helps
 

Hayleyy

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Okay see how the filter goes. If you can position the pump part above the water (as long as it doesn't create a lot of water flow) it will reduce the heat going into the water. Use a mesh lid, or no lid if the water is a few inches below the top. This will encourage evaporation and keep it cooler. Play around with a fan you already have and see how much that drops the temp. You can always get an aquarium fan for summer. Frozen bottles are good for emergency summer days! If you have ongoing temperature issues look into a chiller or ice probe (or you can DIY one!). I don't have an air conditioner in my house and summer around here gets to 40 degrees, so that has been necessary for me!
 
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