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Beginner - LOTS of axolotl questions, all help very much appreciated!

TunaPips

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I know this is a lot of info but I just wanted to post everything here and see that I'm doing things right/everything is ok :love:

I brought home my new axolotl (called Tuna) on Monday. I have had 2 adult axolotls before and they were very happy and healthy, but I haven't ever 'raised' a juvenile and I feel like a complete beginner. I have researched for months and months (mostly thanks to this website).

He is about 4/4.5 inches at the moment, and is regrowing his limbs after being kept in a pet shop tank (about 15gl) with ONE HUNDRED other babies/juveniles (I just had to get him out of there!). Other than that, he seems a good size/weight with no scratches or anything. His gills are a little small (is that just due to him being so young? Will they grow?)

His tank:
Cycled for 6 weeks prior to him going in
10 gallons (plan to move him to a bigger one when he is older/larger, just saving up the money right now)
Set up: Pisces natural sand (black), polyresin bonsai tree, large rocks, half log to hide in
Average temperature 18C or 64F - this fluctuates up to 22C (71F) because of the Australian heat, I've been trying to cool it with an aquarium fan which usually lowers it to 20C (68F) (is this ok?)
Filter flow - seems pretty strong (for an axolotl), I am making a spray bar this weekend to help lessen it (is that enough?)
pH 7.5
GH 60 ppm (mg/L)
KH 80 ppm (mg/L)
Nitrate 20 ppm (mg/L)
Nitrite 0 ppm (mg/L)
*The lights are only on for photos*

Feeding:
The aquarium was feeding him black worms and small parts of earthworm. I fed him some earthworm after a few hours on the first day which he happily received, however he hasn't eaten since then (4 days). I assume it's because he is settling into his new environment, however because he is a juvenile I am a bit worried. Is he just still a bit stressed? Should I just keep trying and eventually he will come around?

He's not terribly active, likes to move around from hiding spot to hiding spot.

I suppose my main concerns are:
The size of his gills/regrowing limbs
Tank temperature
Filter flow
Feeding
General stress and if it will pass after he settles in


Any feedback or advice would be so so greatly appreciated :) Thank you!!! :love:
I'll attach a photo (If I can figure out how haha!), he is a special little guy.
picture.php
 

Hayleyy

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Great that you were prepared! He is a beautiful colour, where did you get him from?
The limbs should grow back pretty quickly. The gills could either be genetic or as a result of the water conditions in the shop. If it's the latter clean water should help them grow in.
Check gumtree for tanks. I bought a 4ft one for my turtle for less than $100, and it included a lid and stand.
In the long run you don't want to temps getting over 18/19 degrees. Once in a while isn't the end of the world but it can cause health issues. On really hot days when the fan isn't enough you can rotate frozen bottles. The downside is it can cause stressful temp fluctuations. The best option for an aussie summer is a chiller. They're expensive but when you upgrade the tank I would 100% recommend one. For the 10 gallon a shrimp chiller/probe might be enough. Have a look into them, they are significantly cheaper and could be good in addition to the fan.
Do you have an ammonia test kit? It is probably one of the more important kits to have :)
The lights are fine to use as long as there are hiding spots. For my 2 axies I have 3 dark hides and other shady spots. For one axie I would have 2 hides. I use ceramic pots, another option are plastic plumbing pipes.
What kind of filter do you have? I have a hang on back one with a prefilter sponge at the output so there is barely any current.
The axie may be shy at the moment which is why it isn't eating. My axies always take time to adjust. Have a few different foods in case they have a preference. The frozen axolotl cubes you can get from chain pet stores are really good, I've never had any refusals of them haha. What kind of earthworms are you using? I order nightcrawlers online as the red wrigglers are not well accepted by my 2. I mainly order from The Worm Man, but have also used Jan Juc fishing worms and A1 Bait Supplies.
Wow, I wrote a lot. Sorry, I hope this is all helpful!!
 

TunaPips

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I know right? He is so beautiful!! I got him in Kellyville, the previous owner kept 100 in the tank and the pet store managed to get it down to around 20 (but almost none of them had any limbs). Do you know the rate at which he will grow? When do you think he will be his full size, or is it hard to say?

I've looked into chillers they're just so expensive! But I think the changing temperature over the past few days might be stressing him out so I'll look into a shrimp chiller, you have to drill into your tank for a probe don't you? :/

I've got the Imagitarium Platform 35 Aquarium so the filter is kind of inside the tank and sits at the back (hard to describe), but I can't adjust it!! I've positioned my large plants and rocks in front of it and that seems to have eased the flow a lot. I just got some of the fish fuel axolotl cubes and he was very interested in them, but only had a little nibble, so I might continue with those. Thanks so much for your reply!!! Really helpful :) Sorry for my annoying questions!
 

Hayleyy

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Was it Kellyville pets or a different store? I know Kellyville Pets don't have the best conditions for their axolotls, mainly because kids can easily put their hands in the tiered tank they have :/ I do go there a lot for other supplies though, I'm not far away. I am looking to get a freckled leucy but this colour is lovely.
I think the probe can literally just be placed in the water, I may be wrong though haha. I got my chiller (hailea brand) from Kellyville pets on sale for a couple of hundred. Expensive, but worth it!
I wonder if the internal filter is causing some temperature issues. They usually do heat the water up a bit. If you can it might be worth checking for some sales on a small HOB filter to reduce this.
I got Steve eating by using those cubes, so keep trying them. Cut them up before they defrost so you're not wasting any if he doesn't eat a whole cube.
Very happy to help, it sounds like I'm not far from you so if you need any specific recommendations I'm happy to help.
 

Acacia

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It looks like Hayley has it covered, but for curiosity's sake I must ask- is that just a strange camera angle, or does Tuna's left top gill branch into 2 ends?
 

TunaPips

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It looks like Hayley has it covered, but for curiosity's sake I must ask- is that just a strange camera angle, or does Tuna's left top gill branch into 2 ends?
I hadn't noticed before but I just had a good look, and it seems as though it does! Is that normal/okay ?
 

Acacia

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A forked gill usually happens when the gill is bitten off but regrows twice. It's not too rare of an occurence, as if you cut off the gills of enough axolotls (obviously an ethically questionable action) a couple of them are going to grow back double. It's just a cute quirk he'll live with!
 

TunaPips

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Was it Kellyville pets or a different store? I know Kellyville Pets don't have the best conditions for their axolotls, mainly because kids can easily put their hands in the tiered tank they have :/ I do go there a lot for other supplies though, I'm not far away. I am looking to get a freckled leucy but this colour is lovely.
I think the probe can literally just be placed in the water, I may be wrong though haha. I got my chiller (hailea brand) from Kellyville pets on sale for a couple of hundred. Expensive, but worth it!
I wonder if the internal filter is causing some temperature issues. They usually do heat the water up a bit. If you can it might be worth checking for some sales on a small HOB filter to reduce this.
I got Steve eating by using those cubes, so keep trying them. Cut them up before they defrost so you're not wasting any if he doesn't eat a whole cube.
Very happy to help, it sounds like I'm not far from you so if you need any specific recommendations I'm happy to help.

So it’s been a week now since he’s really eaten. I’ve tried 3 different foods and I’m now feeding him defrosted bloodworms in a little dish in his tank. I’ve seen him eat SOME but then he immediately spits them back out. He snaps at things as though he is hungry but then won’t actually EAT. He’s been much more active and doesn’t seem as stressed anymore so I’m really at a loss for what to do :(
 

Hayleyy

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It's good that he hasn't seemed too stressed, the next step is for him to eat. All you can do is keep offering food. Eventually he should take some. Does he usually respond better to live food or does he not seem to mind?
 

TunaPips

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I can’t really tell what he prefers yet because it’s so rare of him to be interested!! The two things he’s taken (and then spat out) are earthworms and bloodworms. I thought he was finally eating but he actually just spits them out then sits ontop of them. What do I do??? Ahhh. I’m getting worried for his health & growth, should I go back to Kellyville Pets?

Also, are there any indicators for happy behaviour?

Sorry I’m still so annoying!
 

Hayleyy

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They probably wouldn't be able to tell you any more than people on here can. Have you tried pellets? If you let them soak for a bit then drop one from the top of the tank maybe the little guy will eat it.
 
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