Question: Help newbie owner !

[Newaxiowneruk]

Hi all im jess from the uk !!

basically i rescued two axies two days ago from a algae riddled tub,
i have this set up and i was wondering if it okay for them !!
tested the water and it all seems fine !
i have test strips for everything so unsure how acurate it is
i went to the pet shop today and they told me i should buy shrimp to clean the tank and eat left over bloodworms im not sure this is correct i have done a lot of research but some of it contradicts itself.
if anyone has any advise i would appriciate it !
attached a picture of the tank
thank you for your time xxx

 

[Donna001]

Hi Jess and welcome to the forum. :happy:

Well done for rescuing the axolotls, they are adorable fellas and deserve a nice home.
As for your tank, I can't tell if your substrate is sand or gravel, but if you have any gravel or stones smaller than an axolotls head then get rid of them because they can be swallowed and cause impaction, which is very dangerous for axolotls.
Axolotls - Housing in Captivity
Have you cycled your tank? This is very important to do to ensure a good supply of beneficial bacteria to deal with waste. If you have not then it is worth putting your lotls into small containers with daily water changes (with treated water) until your tank is cycled, to avoid them being exposed to the toxins.
Caudata Culture Articles - Cycling
The general rule with tank mates for axolotls is to only mix them with other axolotls, that are less than an inch different in size to avoid biting. However, there is another recent thread and shrimp are also discussed there.
I think that your tank looks fine, just make sure that they have a couple of hides so that they can get away from each other when they want to, and make sure that you lid fits well to ensure that your lotls can't jump out. It is also worth ensuring that the filter outflow/spraybar is pointed towards the glass (also slightly upwards) to reduce the amount of flow/water movement that could stress your axolotls.
By the way, what size is your tank?

I have only been keeping axolotls for around 3 months, so I'm not the most experienced keeper. There are a lot of very experienced keepers on this forum who are always happy to help and offer advice, so it will be worth getting their input as well.

Best of luck with your tank and rescued axolotls. Please keep us updated, preferable with pictures because we love seeing pictures of lotls.

 

[Newaxiowneruk]

The substrate is very fine rounded gravel, it had a axolotl on the packaging so assumed it is safe? what is cycling..having issues with cloudyness in the tank, substrate was rinsed out multiple times under both hot and cold water as was the hides and plants, the tank is a aquastar 54LED it came with a filter.

i have another tank for one of the boys to go in as one is missing limbs witch may be due to them fighting.

im very new to all this as never owned a aquarium before but i did as a lady who has axolotls said and just declorinated the water and put some waterlife (bacterlife) in the tank

then today added 9 glass shrimp to the tank as advised by the aquatics lady i spoke to in the shop !

am i doing this all wrong
i hope not i dont want these guys to suffer more than they already have .


(uploaded pictures of dexter and axle and then the mess the other tank was in when we rescued them

 

[Donna001]

They are so cute. :happy:

Cycling a tank is done to grow the bacteria in your filter and tank that deal with the ammonia, etc. produced by axolotl waste. If you have a look at the links below the first one is an overview of cycling and the second link if from a fish forum that I use and gives a detailed step-by-step guide to cycling your tank. The usual thing to do is use a pure source of ammonia to mimic the waste produced prior to cycle the tank prior to adding any live fish or amphibians.
Caudata Culture Articles - Cycling
FISHLESS CYCLING - HOW TO DO IT | Think Fish Tropical Aquarium Forum
Don't panic, you'd be amazed at how many people have been through the same thing as you, with very positive results. :happy: