Question: New Axolotl owner, read plenty (now: diary of Fred's new owner)

As I read back through this post it makes me laugh at how I had so much issue getting him to swim.

Little did I know he was effectively half stones.

Perhaps as time goes on that can be my area of expertise here, the "Gravel Impaction Consultant". lol
 
Last night and this morning that I think Fred was showing the signs of normal relaxed and playful Axie behaviour.

There was lots of jumping, swimming, running and generally being playful and inquisitive.

It was so strange to see him so lively, I've become accustomed to the look of fear in his eyes and odd awkward spells.

To celebrate I spent quite a bit of time playing, he had his blue light on and I even left him with the bubbles on, all night on low.

While they appear stupid at first, it seams they can be taught to do things.

Fred has learnt now that if he stands on his bubble disc when i'm in the room I'll turn it on for him. He's now using it like a switch and as i walk into the room he runs from where ever is to stand on it.

My GF also noticed that my voice in particular makes him move, regardlesss of where i am in the house. She was with him in the living room while i was in the office and she said he was dead still. My phone rang and as soon as i started speaking he moved about, i stopped and he returned to statuesque form. I guess it's because my voice is so deep it penetrates the water!
 
got the biggest surprise for Fred today, amazing deal.

Just you guys wait, biggest day in Fred's life guaranteed, will post pics tomorrow.
 
Oooo leaving us hanging like that!! ;)
I will be tuned in tomorrow!


Mel
 
ok, well it's been a month and my Axie fascination has been reaching new levels, Fred is looking healthy and energetic and I couldn't help but start looking for a larger tank.

With my birthday coming up and an allowance from the missus of £75 I was unsure that would be the reason to get a new tank, but thank god for eBay, for only £63 I ended up getting:

34781_417252412556_509467556_4502518_2029436_n.jpg


  • A Juwel 160 litre Rekord tank (3ft by 1.5ft x 1.2ft)
  • A shelved Cabinet
  • Top end filter system
  • Heater
  • Lighting system
  • Aeration system
  • 3 large rocks and some wood
  • Pumps and siphons
  • Chemicals
  • Food
  • Books
  • Nets

and in the tank there is:


  • An Electric Blue Lobster (Crayfish)
  • A Red Siemesse Fighting Fish
  • 2x Green Spotted Puffer Fish
  • A Baby Shark
  • A Serpea Tetra

The tank is wicked and is going to make a great home for Fred, 160 litres and 3 foot long it's a vast improvement on his old tank.

34680_417252532556_509467556_4502520_4975083_n.jpg


It's had fish in it for a long time, and unfortunately the previous owners havent executed great cleaning skills, it's filthy, the gravel substrate is full of poop and lots of algea build up, but all critters seem healthy.

Now as the parameters are good I've got the tricky task of trying to clean the tank, with everything still in removing the filth and the gravel and replacing with sand without disturbing the cycle. What I plan to do is on a daily basis attack one surface or area of surface using the internal water and removing the build up and getting it looking cleaner.

By the time i finish I'm sure there will still be acceptable levels, especially with the large prehistoric rock and wood in the tank. Each day I'm also going to remove, wash and store the gravel until it's all gone and is bare bottomed, then I shall gradually daily build up the sand on the surface until I'm happy everything is how Fred would like it.

Then I'll send Fred on a fridging holiday, heat his tank up (60l) put the 5 fish in there (lots of room, they're only tiny) and then cool the large tank down. Do parameter tests until I'm confident everything is perfect for him and then give him the new larger tank. Does all that seam a sensible method?

So that's it, Fred's major upgrade, hopefully he'll be really happy with all that space. I may even get rid of the fish as I'm not that keen, but the GF seems to like them already. Can you believe i got all that, which is selling down the road in excess of £400 for only £63! bargain, and still change for the GF to buy me some whisky :)

Here's some pics of the critters:

The Crayfish (Mr Lobbo):

34781_417252402556_509467556_4502516_325683_n.jpg


The Fighting Fish (Michelle Reux)

34675_417251942556_509467556_4502472_2846421_n.jpg


The 2 x puffers (Mr and Mrs Puffer or Martin and Judy) & The Serpea Tetra (George)

34781_417252387556_509467556_4502513_1605880_n.jpg


The Baby Shark (Sharky)

34682_417252202556_509467556_4502492_491116_n.jpg
 
What a bargain!
Fred is gonna love his new bachelor pad. (will he be getting a girlfriend??)

All sounds like a good plan to me!
Keep up the good work!!

Mel
 
melfly said:
What a bargain!
Fred is gonna love his new bachelor pad. (will he be getting a girlfriend??)

All sounds like a good plan to me!
Keep up the good work!!

Mel
Click to expand...

hmmm, maybe...

Fred's already had a hard life, considering he's not A1 perfect condition (although perfect to me), i really like the idea of finding him a perfect breeder reared A1 mate, a real stunning female with long flowing gills the lot.

I think if he could already, he'd want to high five me, but if i get him a cracking supermodel spouse, I'm sure he would freak.

I like the idea of taking such a humble critter left to fester in a conservatory, full of stones and totally turning his life around, like he's won the lotto :) Gotta be worth some karma points.

He's making friendly with the two cool puffers in the tank next door, as they swim up and down he's doing everything he can to get their attention. bless.

Mac, what do you mean mate?
 
Last night after coming back from the gym I found two puffer fish beating up Mr Lobbo the Blue Crayfish.

I got him out and put him separate but he shortly died.

1 days in my world and an ecosystem that's happily survived forever crashes. I must have ruined his environment, an very upset.

However this does make a difficult decision an easier one. Keeping fish is no longer an option, i don't really like them anyway and if i wanted to keep fish I'd have very few of a very interesting species.

These fish now will serve the purpose of keeping the tank cycling while i clean bits of it. After that, they're outta here, to a good home or two the fish shop.
 
Sorry to hear about Mr. Lobo. I like crayfish... but most are aggressive and territorial (some species of blues are not) and wouldn't be a suitable tank mate for an Axolotl. Not that that makes much of a difference. :(
 
Screw fish, they're just selfish mindless creatures.

They serve a purpose now, to keep that tank cycling... that's it.

If I didn't think they'd hurt him, I'd feed them to Fred.
 
problem solved,

A mate who loves tropical fish is gonna take them off my hands once I've finished using them for cycling purposes leaving me with a small tank eventually for raising fry perhaps :)

He's even taking all of the gravel off of my hands once removed, saves me dumping it into landfill.

Turns out right in the end.
 
Awww i love the green spotted puffers :D i was going to get them before i decided to get the axololts but the puffers needed a brakish/marine set up :( so i got axolotls instead :D which im now thinking are even better than the puffers.... :D... Im like you i keep looking for a cheap tank for when my axies grow but just my luck i dont think its going to happen :(.. Great tank though, cant wait to see fred in it :D
 
I loved the idea of green puffers until i realised they don't puff and that they're actually aggressive and evil.

The worst bit is my GF loved the idea of puffer forever, but after what she saw last night she was in tears, she doesn't even like fish any more, and never wanted them in the first place (shes very sympathetic to my all in impulse buy mentality).

Still they are serving a purpose and I'll look after then until they go to a better home with people who want them. I just can't be fussed with learning all about them when they're pretty boring to me.

Having a spare tank leaves good breeding and of course containment possibilities.

I'm tempted to get Fred a mate when the time is right, and possibly a friend too? There's a whole lot of space for just one axie. Having another tank would be very handy when dealing with illness and injury should they arise over the years.

I suppose now I have a larger tank I should take a leaf out of Tom's book and get a proper chiller too.

You know me, you'll see the pics and be able to follow the entire changeover process as Fred prepares for his new tank. Happy days.
 
I still love them but they do need alot of specific needs which i can provide, remember to tell who ever you rehome them to to research about them needing a brackish set up and stuff as they are quite hard to look after... But they are really cool fish and have alot of character like little water dogs :p but thats just me i love all fish... And you better keeps us informed on the changeover process or i wont let you rest lol :D... Hmmm a friend would be nice for fred i would be to scared though incase they didnt get along but maybe you would find an axolotl who loves to swim around for you, how is freds swimming lately anyways, as i bet he is a lot lighter :D
 
You are going to do what most axolotl owners do......one just isn't enough:D
 
Julia you're right, i just think would maybe appreciate some company.

I'm trying to decide on what sort of sand to use in the big. I like normal yellow sand but I've come across CaribSea Tahitian Moon Black Sand and CaribSea White Marine Sand

Aquarium Sands & Gravels

These do sound cool and there's a pic of the black in the gallery forum looking great.

Anyone got an experience of using these sand with Axolotls? Any particular hazards I should watch out for or will they be fine?
 
well got my earthworms today and it was less than an hour after getting home before Fred was chowing down.

2 small earthworms cut into bits and he hoovered them up in seconds.

I think he liked them as he appears to be galloping across the front of the tank after :)

He is mental though, since I've taken the grass away and given him the big square area of sand he keeps going to the back of the tank with his face right against the glass walking left and right sweeping his tail.

I think he's chasing his reflection about which is ok, but he must do it so much when I'm at work that he sweeps all the sand away from the edge. Makes a full on hill leaving almost no sand in back corner.

I flatten it back each day and the ritual continues lol.

Either that or the're a loan bloodworm in the corner and he wont rest till he gets it.


Doesn't really matter though, new tank is getting there, half gravel removed and all algea gone. Water is filthy though so may start a bit of replacement, being cautious of keeping the cycle active.

He wont see has reflection against the black backing there as have the cool Bark 3D background to go in. Also going for black tahitian moon sand, some slate tiles and blue lighting.

Gonna look really funky.


That does leave the 60l empty though, which seems a waste. I don't want fish, don't see the appeal unless they're very cool so whats the coolest small critter i could keep in that size aquarium, or perhaps vivarium depending how you look at it.

Is there such thing as mini or pigmy octopus or jellyfish, or maybe some kind of cool glow in the dark seahorse?

lol
 
Ok I'll bare that in mind, convenience vs aesthetics. hmmm gonna be a toughy.

As for breeding minnows and shrimps, the thing is, I've discovered I really dislike keeping traditional tropical fish. I don't find them pleasing to look at, and they just don't interest me swimming about.

I'd rather use the tank for something else cool and interesting to pass the time of day, although a massive wormery may be good eco friendly option, lol, but my ice cream tub will do for now.
 
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