Floating axolotls,water temp help

[jaybeee]

Hi Brand new to owning Axolotls bought two yesterday,

Every thing was fine yesterday they were settling in well, however this morning i found that their tank has gone all foggy. is this normal for a new tank setup?

Also, both my Axolotls are both floating in the top 2inches of water, they ocasionally make a bubble im not sure if this is normal they are as another thread i read said doing it all the time.

I have checkd the Ph =7.2
ammonia= 1

water temp brand new into tank says that the water is 24 degrees celcius however it doesn't feel that warm at all. both eating fine

I love my two new pets, can you help please

Thankyou

 

[gr33neyes]

hi there, I'm assuming that you didn't cycle the tank first before adding your axolotls, this may be the cause of your problems. Basically you havent given time for "friendly bacteria" to build up in your tank. Cycling your tank can take weeks . Also your temperature is too high, axolotls like lower temp ideally not much higher then 20. What size is your tank?
Did you dechlorinate the water before adding it?
Do you know the diet of an axolotl?
What information were you given from the place you purchased them?
There are numerous questions, but for now you need to start water changes, 20% daily, making sure you replace the water removed with dechlorinated water.

you will need your water test kit as basically over the next few weeks you will be monitoring the bacteria and health of your tank. I would imagine your axolotls are floating because of the water quality and trying to get oxygen.

It would be very helpful if you could give a complete rundown of your tank setup, size, filter used, substrate used, foods you have fed. Plants if any. All this will help.

 

[jaybeee]

My tank is long=500mm height=300mm 250mm deep
I have a air machine but was told they do not like it and not to use it as aparently they do not need it. It is a sting ray one
I have a few stones (big enough not to eat) plastic plants, water lilys, 2snails, aquarium log to hid in.
I dechlorinated the water before adding axies, sat the bags they were in for 15mins before releasing them. have added today stress zyme.
Fed them tiny slither of beef. No filter went to purchase on today the lady told me not to get one

 

[kapo]

As it is a new tank setup, then yes that is normal. You need to do frequent partial waterchanges daily (about 20=30% only) this will keep the ammonia levels down low enough for your axies to reside in.

I assume you didn't cycle your tank which is why you have the cloudiness in the tank. See: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml and http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/waterquality.shtml

As well as doing the daily waterchanges make sure you clean out any uneaten food within a few hours as this will foul the tank, increasing ammonia buildup. Do not buy anything to fix ammonia, cycle tank or fix pH - the frequent partial daily waterchanges will sort things out.

Also, most importantly do not use any fish medicines if you think your axies are ailing - most fish medicines can be toxic to an axie.

If in doubt, ie; the petshop advises you to use something to fix your tank or medicate your axolotls - check here first as most petshops aren't experienced in salamander (ie includes axolotls) care and will generally try to sell you something that is not needed.

If the temperature says 24C then chances are it is. You need to cool the tank, down, get it at least below 20C and try and maintain the temperature as well, as this can stress your axolotls. See: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cooling.shtml

How large is your tank (measurements)?

If you have gravel as substrate, remove the gravel as this can be a problem for axolotls. They will ingest it and it can cause severe blockage/impaction leading to problems such as at worst a possible prolapse and eventual death (one of our axolotls died of prolapse due to pebble/gravel ingestion).

 

[jaybeee]

If they dont eat the food i take it out straight away.

 

[gr33neyes]

right well the lady was wrong unless you are prepared to carry out water changes almost daily. Some people do manage without a filter but this involves a lot of work, replacing water and monitoring your water health. A filter will help control any polutants once the friendly bacteria have established themselves. Tank size is on the small size, altho if they are babies they should be fine for a short period. Do you know the age of them? How long are they, this could help give an indication of age/maturity. I keep my 2 axolotls in a tank of length 81cm long, giving them a good amount of ground each.

 

[jaybeee]

they are aproximately 120mm, ok so tomorrow i'll get a filter, so they are ok with out air?

 

[kapo]

If stress zyme is the stuff that supposedly adds bacteria to a new tank, stop using it. This is one of the things that is adding to your bioload (effectively causing the cloudiness). Your tank will cycle without this product.

Yes you can use an airstone/bubbler in the tank.

That size tank is very small for two axolotls. Axolotls use floor space as opposed to height. You should base size of tank on about 1.5times size of an adult axolotl or 18inches per axolotl (this is based on the fact that an adult can reach 30cm/12inches; therefore for itwo adults you would ideally need floorspace of at least 3 foot long. As the tank is considered small, you will find that the tank heats up much quicker and fouls much faster especially in summer.


As for filter - because you don't have one in the tank you will need to be rigorous in doing spotcleaning and frequent partial waterchanges daily till your tank cycles; thereafter you will probably need to stick to every 2-3 days otherwise the ammonia will build up pretty fast.

Invest in a turkey baster this can be handy for spotcleaning.

 

[jaybeee]

Since your in NZ aswell do you have any filters that you would reccomend?

 

[Casaloxl]

"If the temperature says 24C then chances are it is. You need to cool the tank, down, get it at least below 20C and try and maintain the temperature as well, as this can stress your axolotls. See: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cooling.shtml"



please read the following article and take note of the temperature stated...

http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_mexicanum.shtml

"In captivity, any temperature between 14 and 22°C (57 to 72°F) is reasonable for adults. Any temperature over 25°C (77°F) is unsuitable for anything more than a few days."

 

[kapo]

Two of our tanks are unfiltered so these get changed every 3rd day (twice a week) depending on water tests.

Our filtered tanks have internal filters (waiting to upgrade to a canister on our larger tanks) which husband picked up after our hit and miss affairs with the internal filters we were supplied with (shark filters). Most of our filters have been modified with an added spraybar attachment to reduce the flow/current of filter outlet so the axolotl doesn't get stressed.

The filters you shouldn't buy are undergravel filters (waste builds up beneath plate), power filters (current too strong), shark filter (flow is adjustable but model is topheavy and falls of the glass constantly, suckers don't hold it) or stingray brand filters (the stingray looks like a plastic stingray and flow is not adjustable and can cause a current in the tank).

Basically you need one that can be adjusted/turned down that will not cause a current in the tank.

Hang on the back/waterfall filters are used by quite a few NZ axie owners that have 3ft or smaller tanks - the only thing is you need to tie something beneath the outlet (where the water flows), like plastic plants or something so the flow is dispersed and doesn't stress your axolotl.

The following link might give you an idea on filters: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/waterquality.shtml

Also, regarding food - sounds like you have juveniles. Meat should only be fed occasionally/as a treat. As you've only just bought your axolotls though make sure to cut the meat in strips and cut of any fat or tendons. Don't use mince.

A better/ideal staple for your axies are earthworms (you can chop them in bits and place in the tank); slaters, garden slugs are a better food source (and cheap) as long as you don't use pesticides in the garden. If you don't have any earthworms, or can't find them, then you can purchase some online or find out from your hardware/garden centre where to purchase worms (especially if they sell wormfarms/compost bins).

Avoid using mealworms - if you do happen to use them, they will need to have their heads cut of or crushed and should be fed only occasionally.

Frozen bloodworm cube can be purchased at the petshop for $5-$6 = you need to defrost the cube and give it a rinse before dropping it in the tank otherwise the thawing matter adds excess waste to your tank.

 

[Amiracle]

"If the temperature says 24C then chances are it is. You need to cool the tank, down, get it at least below 20C and try and maintain the temperature as well, as this can stress your axolotls. See: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cooling.shtml"



please read the following article and take note of the temperature stated...

http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_mexicanum.shtml

"In captivity, any temperature between 14 and 22°C (57 to 72°F) is reasonable for adults. Any temperature over 25°C (77°F) is unsuitable for anything more than a few days."

I'm not sure what you're getting at Casaloxl; but a temp of 24C is probably too high- considering that 25C and up are considered to be fatal temperatures. My tank used to steadily sit at 24C and I find now that keeping it below 20C has improved their health; and it means less maintenance for the tank- that is, less cleaning and far less issues with water parameters.

 

[Casaloxl]

mine have been healthy at 22 deg for 2 years now, it goes down in winter to about 6 but it follows the natural environment change here. I have only ever had one problem with a cloudy eye, but that was caused by a tadpole introduced to the tank for food by my son.
and as a rule my parameters have been perfect till i had to do a tank change.... but today my ammonia problems went to 0 so im cruising...

I lowered the temp as an experiment a year ago down to about 16 in summer and they went nuts, altering their natural environmental cycle they had been used to affected them negativly...

if they get to 24 i generally give them an ice bottle or two,but I don't stress and they don't stress, and my vet agrees......

I only suck out the poop every day now... teeny water change involved in that.. like 2 L

I am following the advice on the caudata article, which people do do.
I started reading those articles when people started pointing me towards them as if they were the bible for axolotls.

My two are eating fine, gills are perfect, so are the filaments, perfect colouration on them, no gulping or sprinting around the tank, the tank is immaculate no algae or anything..... they respond perfectly to stimuli....whats wrong with that?

 

[gr33neyes]

If all seems fine then it shouldn't be a problem but probably best as you are doing to keep away from the higher temperature...just remain as observant as you have been :smile:

 

[John]

22-23 degrees Celsius is about the safe ceiling for adult axolotls. Larvae are a little more tolerant, up to 25 degrees Celsius (but no higher). Most people maintain their axolotls in the late teens because this gives a nice buffer against increasing temperatures due to weather changes - you can see when it's starting to get hotter in the tank and take precautions with plenty of time, instead of coming home one day in the summer and finding the tank in the late 20s when you weren't expecting it. I've seen heat stress symptoms in adult axolotls that have experienced a few days at 24-25 degrees Celsius. I always worry in these situations and if keeping a tank in the late teens gives me more warning than keeping it at 22, I'll take the warning.

I hope that makes sense.

 

[Casaloxl]

It does make sense, I will take heed, but the temp doesnt change too much and im a worry wort. I am always checking the tank. SO the paramaters cant change without my noticing.
But they havent been sick yet.. so I must be doing something right.?
(everyone ready for a sigh of disbelief and relief.... I JUST BOUGHT A CHILLER!)