Question: New owner of 1 legged adopted axie. Help?

[Sezza29]

Hi there
I recently adopted a 1 legged axie. I know these will grow back over time. I have wanted a axie for a long time and want to do right by him/her. Right now it's winter and cold in my area so 'spongy' is in a 60cm by 30cm tank. Spongy is 2 years old roughly and 16cm long roughly.
The tank is kept at constant 18 degrees. I have not yet checked water chemistry but I did dechlorinate the water and change 10% every 2nd day. He is not in a bright room or access to sunlight - blinds drawn all time.
He has a dew plants, large gravel/ small stones as substrate and a air powered undergravel filter.
Fed on bloodworms and axolotyl Tucker by tweezers. Is very happy to eat - fed every second day.
Any questions or comments on what I can do better would be great.

 

[dragonlady]

Hi,

If you just adopted "spongy," how do you know he's about 2 yrs old? If he is this old, his/her sex should be evident and how did he/she come about only having 1 leg? Poor thing!

Water chemistry is very important so please get those parameters as soon as possible. You will need to know pH, nitrite/nitrate, and ammonia using the drop style tests, not the strip type. The temp sounds good.

What is axolotl Tucker? He needs some nightcrawlers - they'd be best nutritionally for him.

Why are you doing water changes so frequently, do you have a filter? What type?

About the stones...How big are these gravel/stones? If not larger than his head, they are a hazard if swallowed. You may also find they are difficult to keep clean as the stones trap gunk under and between each other. I and many others use sand. Some don't use anything, others use slate tile or something similar.

How about a pic? We'd all love to see Spongy!

 

[Sezza29]

hi there
i recieved spongy aweek ago. when i fist saw her (now know she is a girl), she was in a ice cream container as her legs had been bitten off by bigger axies she had been kept with. she had been used for breeding once before and the previous owner knew she was at least 1 and a half but closer to 2 years of age.
i will definatly be getting the water parameters in the next few days once pay day arrives rather expensive kits quite surprsingly.
i am glad the temp sounds good - im doing something right, yehaa!
i am not home and cant remember wqhats in axolotyl tucker - will post later. i am also going to get a earthworm culture too for some variety.

i was told to do water changes little and often for the first week ... is this wrong?
there is a ultraclear under gravel filter system which uses an air pump and air stone to create water displacement flowing water from under the grate under stones up through carbon and filter wool media. i am going to replace stones with larger pebbles that will be bigger than her head - but i do love the idea of the sand and it looks great! but would have to invest in a different filter - can you use a normal hand held siphon to clean when there is sand.. i am guessing not?

another curious point is that spongy used to be a wild coloured axie, but before i got her apparently she faded to have a brown head and stripe along their back fin and a white colour, not mottled really everywhere else. i will post pics soon

 

[Dow]

From my experience with fish, a regular hand-held siphon in a tank full of pool filter sand down great! In fact, if you do it right, you will barely pick up any of the sand at all. However, I have three tanks full of pool filter sand and cichlids. My tiger salamander larvae is in a tank with two cockatoo cichlids... I'm worried it'll eat'm so I'm getting my ten gallon set up for them. lol

I love pool filter sand and I do weekly water changes in all three of my tanks with nothing but a handheld siphon. I pick up some sand every now and then but it goes back pretty easily.

 

[tyaxloltl]

I started out my axies with a 20 gallon long, fish tank, no "hood/glass" , I made a top out of solid wood square dalls, hardware cloth, and zip ties (total cost of making a top so my axies wouldn't jump out of their tank $7.03), I bought play sand and a pillow case to "wash it" (total cost of the subtrate $6.87, but the sand size was to small every time I had to move it around or the axies kicked it up, it would float all around the tank, I was afraid it would damage my filter, so I removed it, and am still trying to remove the stuff)

I am in the process of upgrading to a 40 gallon breeder tank
(built a stand using 2 prebuilt moving coasters I bought at Harbor Freight for $7.99, 3/4 inch - 2' X 4' interior/exterior sanded project plywood sheet $19.99 @ Home Depot, foamed back laminate flooring {serves a double purpose, finishes the wood without having to mess with the messy paint/stain and it provides extra cushioning and prevents the tank from sliding off sold by the sq/ft at Home Depot in a variety of colors, I bought a remnant piece for 50% off my piece was $11, but I have enough left over to liner a flower stand}, adhesive, nails/screws { I already had these items }, total cost of the "stand" about $40, but I wasn't trying to save money, I built it because I have my tank under a large buffet table, that I use for Laptop and crafting, this shields them from the lights and windows, I couldn't find anything low profile that could hold 458 lbs, I didn't like it on the floor because my dog kept scratching at the tank every time the axies moved)
I am going to use a undergravel filter but I didn't want to have gravel, rocks or sand, so after doing some research I found out that I can use slate tiles over the underground filter plates, all of my plants are planted in small clay pots, I also cut a couple of clay pots in half to create some caves, and mud soaked grape vines for 2 months to create "driftwood " pieces, and panty hoses cut in 2 inch segments, filled with 100% natural organic peat moss tied at the ends {these are a natural amonia blocks}, I am going to leave the small internal filter in since it is small