Question: This 10gal minimum for 1 axie thing!

[ted22]

I just dont get it, alot of you are from the US and a US gal is less than than our UK gallon so your 10 gal tanks are smaller than our 10gals which only works out at 10us gal = 37.8liters (uk gal = 45.5ltr), im just curious as to how the hell a 37.8 litres would be suitable for an axie? (i have my guppy fry in a 35ltr and that thing is tiny not even suitable for more than 3or4 full grown guppies let alone an axolotl, id class it as a nano tank!) my 60litre (15 US gal) was way too small for one 8in axie so I just dont understand where these figures have come from. I just dont know how an axie could life a full and happy life in 37.8ltrs of water its a tiny amount! If anyone knows where these guidlines have originally come from id love to find out on what basis 37ltrs is fine for one axie.

I personally feel that these guidlines on tank size need to be revised, in my opinion its nowhere near big enough (10gals maybe for a baby or a juvie but no way a full grown axie!), My personal guidelines would be 60ltrs minimum or 15-20gal for one axie then 10gal per axie ontop of that!

This isnt meant to be negative to anyone I just cant see how 10gals (especially U.S gals) can possibly be suitable for our beloved axolotls.

Feels good to get that off my chest!

Cheers guys

Ed

 

[Azhael]

I must agree, i´ve always found the "10gallon an axolotl" rule completely unviable. I can´t imagine an adult axolotl in anything smaller than 60l and still that would be for someone experienced that knows how to keep everything under control in a smallish volume.

 

[XeryusTC]

I just dont get it, alot of you are from the US and a US gal is less than than our UK gallon so your 10 gal tanks are smaller than our 10gals which only works out at 10us gal = 37.8liters (uk gal = 45.5ltr)

Just to be an off-topic *rse, you should use metric units, at least they are always the same and easily convertable to each other

I think that as with normal fish you could better advice someone to have a minimum surface area of the tank's bottom per axolotl as they mostly hang around at the bottom of the tank. anyway. Having 60 litres could also mean that you have a tank of 25x25x100 cm tank (LxWxH) but it seems that that would hardly be suitable for an adult axie as it wouldn't fit in any of the floor dimensions!

 

[dazkeirle]

I agree as well.

Seen a fair few people quoting the 10 gallon rule.

Personally It's just too small in my opinion.

May be ok as a temporary arrangement for 1 axie if there's illness or aggression but not for keeping em.

It's like keeping fish in a jam jar.

 

[Kaysie]

The Kentucky Axolotl Colony keeps all their adult breeder axolotls in fish bowls, not even 10 gallon tanks.

 

[ted22]

The Kentucky Axolotl Colony keeps all their adult breeder axolotls in fish bowls, not even 10 gallon tanks.

Now that just doesnt seem right to me! If someone came on this forum and said they keep an axolotl in a sub 10gal fish bowl there would uproar about it! Lab conditions or controlled breeding is one thing, an axoltol as a pet is something else. In my opinion 37.8liters is waaay too small! 37.8 liters in the uk is only 8gals, its a nano tank (not much good for anything apart from a few of the smallest of fish or shrimp!)! If I thought i could keep axies in such a small volume of water id have bloody millions of the things in loads of tiny tubs and tanks but the fact is it just isnt feasible, axolotls need more space and more water volume. To be honest its no suprise that so many people have sick or stressed axies if they are being kept in these 10gals that is reccommended, tis tooo small!

Daz summed it up i think, its like keeping fish in a jam jar!

And XeryusTC im all up for using metric but everyone seems to use gallons to descibe tank size on here, using metric would avoid alot of confusion tho, good call!

Its good to know theres a few people that agree with me out there.

I think these guidelines need changing!

 

[albert]

Although pretty new to this - I have to agree that 10 gals or 40 ish litres is too small for an adult axy.

I have one axy in a 2ftx1ft tank - with about 1ft water depth - that (if my calcs are right) is 50ish litres - but now he is grown up I am upgrading as it just looks too small for him (insufficient room to mooch about like axolotls do)! My other axy is a bit younger and is in a 2ftx0.75ft tank - with about 9ins of water (so about 30-35ish litres) - and that is starting to look very small for him now he's approaching adulthood.

Common sense would suggest to me that you need 3ftx1ft tank for a single adult - I am actually going for a 4ftx1.5ft tank (on order now) to put both of mine together (and perhaps add an extra one in time).

 

[Kaysie]

The entire point of having a bigger than 10 gallon tank is that it provides a big buffer for water quality. I agree that I don't think quality of life in a small tank is as great as it is in a bigger tank with more decorations and hides and filtration and such.

 

[oceanblue]

I'm of the opinion that while a large tank is nice, and if you have conventional filtration you will have continual problems with water chemistry with small tanks, one of my adult axolotls is living happily in "ten gallon" tank, and allowing for the muddy gunge at the bottom it has about 20 Liters of dense elodea and watercress to hide in and swim through.

"If someone came on this forum and said they keep an axolotl in a sub 10gal fish bowl there would uproar about it! Lab conditions or controlled breeding is one thing, an axoltol as a pet is something else. In my opinion 37.8liters is waaay too small!"

I'm prepared to take the flack on this one. I don't think lab conditions or controlled breeding is an excuse for bad conditions. If the containers are full of rather dense waterweed axolotls seem content even if they can barely turn round. By all means massively exceed minimum standards but it is possible to keep axolotls well in fairly small containers.

 

[OpalRaven7]

I am very new to axie, ive only had mine for not quite 2 weeks yet so all of this conversation is very useful. I agree that the 10 gallon per adult axie sounds a bit small but there doesnt seem to be a set answer for young axie's so I thought a 10 gallon would be fine for 2 babies... with all the debate it sounds like I need to up grade. and I may sound like a bit of an ignorant american but I get so confused when people start talking cm's and liter's, I guess I should really brush up on my metrics
:happy: anyway thanks everyone for the enlightenment, every bit of information is helpful.

 

[lisordactyl]

When I was looking at tanks I really thought it made more sense to look at the actual dimension of the tank rather than the volume it held. If people didn't research enough about axies they could be coming home with all sorts of tanks which were odd shaped and high, but lacked the floor space.

I'll put my hands up, and admit that I am guilty of keeping my axie in a smallish tank. I'm not sure how much water it holds, but it's 1 and a half foot. Fortunately, Clifford is still a nipper and I'm definitely not planning on keeping him (or her) in it forever; I'm currently in the process of searching for a cheapish stand for a basic 3ft or 4ft tank! I'm rather positive that a new, bigger tank will lead to me buying another axie, though :lol:

 

[dragonlady]

I have to agree that a 10 gallon (38L) tank for one axolotl is too small in my opinion. I have found through various applications, a 10 gallon proves difficult to cycle and to keep stabilized.

So, here is my opinion...For one adult axolotl, 15 gallons (57L) should be considered the minimum size. However, the 10 gallon rule can be applied in multiple axolotl applications. For example, if you have 2 axolotls, you could keep them in a 20 gallon (76L). However, you also should take into consideration the footprint of this tank. If it is a 20 gallon tall, then maybe not a great idea for 2 axolotls, but fine for one. A 20 gallon long has a larger footprint than the 20 gallon tall so it would be fine for 2 axolotls.

A 20 gallon tank's dimensions are 24 x 12 x 16 (61x30.5x40.6 - cm)
A 20 gallon long tank's dimensions are 30 x 12 x 13 (76x30.5x33 - cm)

This is not to say that bigger isn't always better. Larger bodies of water are easier to maintain and larger footprints are more desirable for axolotls, especially juveniles and subadults who tend to be pretty active...I think all of us (who have adult axolotls) can agree that as adults, axolotls get pretty darn lazy. So, I feel comfortable keeping 5 adults in a 4 ft long (122 cm) 55 (208L). Why? Because I only feed them three times a week on average and I hardly ever see them just wandering about unless I am disturbing them with tank maintenance. Even during feeding time, I have to "hunt" a few down...

Metric length converter

Metric volume converter

 

[Crysta]

My views on the subject are basically the same as shannon's. I think the rule of thumb thing only applies in my mind when it's two or more axolotls, I certainly think a 10gal tank is too small for one axie - and I still think in UK gallons.

 

[Kaysie]

Well said, Shannon.