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Going on vacation when you have axolotls

AlexisJG

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Hi!
I have 2 4in juveniles (I’ve had them about 2 weeks and they are doing well I think they’ve grown a little already honestly) but I am supposed to go on a 5-6 day vacation in October about 3-4 months from now. I am wondering how I should go about their care when I am gone. I thought about putting them in separate (fairly big) containers with plants or bubblers with fans (or hopefully a chiller) in the dark and either fridging them (my last plan) but I am hoping to to either have someone I trust come feed them and turkey baste waste out or just leave them out and clean the containers before we leave and have someone come check on them once or twice. Does any of this sound like a good or bad idea? I want to do what is best for them. All help appreciated :)
 

GutlessGove

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Have you thought about perhaps putting some feeder fish in tank before you go? And getting someone to check and clean halfway through your trip?
 

MnGuy

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I don't have axolotls but I have three alpine newts and for years have kept freshwater fish and saltwater reef tanks.

I do not bother having anyone feed my animals or change the water if I'm gone for a week, and have never had issues with the animals' health. The reality is if you have someone who is "reliable" but does not keep the same animals themselves, they can very likely cause more problems than they solve.

I see that you live in Florida. If you can't keep the AC on to get water temperatures low enough fridging them separately makes a lot of sense. If you can keep them in their main tank with low temperatures I'd still put up a barrier to separate the axolotls so they don't get any ideas about munching on one another. (I've never kept axolotls so I don't know if they're prone to that. My newts have never gone after each other.)

This is what I do for my animals before I go on vacation:

-Feed well every day for a week or more. Feed the morning before I leave. Be careful not to overfeed.
-For fish, I will drop in a slow-dissolving food tablet the day I leave.
-Leave all tank lights on timers (they are always on timers anyway).
-Close house blinds to limit heat.
-Leave AC on if it's summer EVEN IF THE FORECAST IS NOT GOING TO BE HOT. Heatwaves can strike and kill fish/aquatic animals.
-Do a water change A FEW DAYS in advance or the week before as usual.
-In the past I have had trusted friends feed my animals if I'm gone for more than a week.
-For high-tech setups like reef tanks, it is sometimes helpful to have someone pop in just to make sure all of the equipment is still running. I have no concerns about my low-tech, low-populated fish or newt tanks going offline in the event of an electrical outage or equipment malfunction. Those are all on sponge filters.



Things I would recommend NOT TO DO:

-Do not change the water the night before or right before you leave. You never know if something could go wrong with a water change (sudden change in tap water chemistry, contamination, etc.) that you may need to address.
-Do not turn off home AC during the summer.
-Do not have an inexperienced friend, neighbor or relative help.
-Never have anyone change water when you are gone for less than a week.

Good luck.
 

AlexisJG

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Location
Florida
I don't have axolotls but I have three alpine newts and for years have kept freshwater fish and saltwater reef tanks.

I do not bother having anyone feed my animals or change the water if I'm gone for a week, and have never had issues with the animals' health. The reality is if you have someone who is "reliable" but does not keep the same animals themselves, they can very likely cause more problems than they solve.

I see that you live in Florida. If you can't keep the AC on to get water temperatures low enough fridging them separately makes a lot of sense. If you can keep them in their main tank with low temperatures I'd still put up a barrier to separate the axolotls so they don't get any ideas about munching on one another. (I've never kept axolotls so I don't know if they're prone to that. My newts have never gone after each other.)

This is what I do for my animals before I go on vacation:

-Feed well every day for a week or more. Feed the morning before I leave. Be careful not to overfeed.
-For fish, I will drop in a slow-dissolving food tablet the day I leave.
-Leave all tank lights on timers (they are always on timers anyway).
-Close house blinds to limit heat.
-Leave AC on if it's summer EVEN IF THE FORECAST IS NOT GOING TO BE HOT. Heatwaves can strike and kill fish/aquatic animals.
-Do a water change A FEW DAYS in advance or the week before as usual.
-In the past I have had trusted friends feed my animals if I'm gone for more than a week.
-For high-tech setups like reef tanks, it is sometimes helpful to have someone pop in just to make sure all of the equipment is still running. I have no concerns about my low-tech, low-populated fish or newt tanks going offline in the event of an electrical outage or equipment malfunction. Those are all on sponge filters.



Things I would recommend NOT TO DO:

-Do not change the water the night before or right before you leave. You never know if something could go wrong with a water change (sudden change in tap water chemistry, contamination, etc.) that you may need to address.
-Do not turn off home AC during the summer.
-Do not have an inexperienced friend, neighbor or relative help.
-Never have anyone change water when you are gone for less than a week.

Good luck.
Thank you for your comment! Honestly either way I will probably put them in separate good size containers a few days before with bubblers and plants, fan and chiller so it would be easier for (most likely my mom) to check on them. I could never leave my AC off I get so hot I would write out detailed instructions, I will be on a cruise so I will have to get an app and boat wifi to communicate. But last case scenario I may just feed them heavy and then do a water change and fast for 48 hours before we leave and spot clean right before we leave and just leave them in their regular tank with a tank divider. I have a few months to figure it out, just trying to have it all planned ahead of time. Thank you!
 

AlexisJG

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Have you thought about perhaps putting some feeder fish in tank before you go? And getting someone to check and clean halfway through your trip?
I do have feeder fish now but they don’t seem to even notice them I’m not sure if it’s because they are young or what. I am going to get someone (probably my mom) to check on them once or twice while we are gone. I may have a friend stay at our house and just monitor them but not actually feed/clean anything. Thank you for your comment!
 
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I’m going on vacation for 8 days in a month or so, and I’m planning on feeding my axie well for the week leading up, then keeping the lights low and a fan on (he’s in the basement, which helps with temperature as well). He doesn’t poop that much, and I have shrimp, plants, and limpids that clean the tank well, so I’m not super worried about it... I was going to post a thread about this, but I saw this and figured I’d just add on... what do y’all think about my setup? Does it sound safe and reliable?
 

alexburton

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Sounds like you've got some awesome axolotls! Taking care of them while you're on vacay can be tricky, but it's doable! Personally, I'd go for having a trusted friend swing by to feed them and clean up their tanks. It's less stress for the little dudes, ya know? Leaving them out for a few days might be risky, so having someone check in is probs your best bet. I've been eyeing some cruises. I found this site Cruise Timetables at https://www.cruisetimetables.cоm/cruises-from-los-angeles-california.html. It seems like it's got all the deets on cruises departing from LA.
 
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Herpin Man

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MNGuy is right. The animals are better off by themselves, than being cared for by someone who doesn’t really know what they are doing, no matter how simple you make the instructions.
 
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