Travel with axolotls?

[emptytank]

I've been doing a lot of research for the past several days and I've been agonizing as to whether I would be better off waiting until I return from where I will be this summer to start my new life with an axie.

I'll be flying out to Utah, hopefully working in a university lab for the summer, either on the 29th or 30th of April. I will be driving back mid to late August. I am a student, but the apartment I will be living in this next school year will hopefully be my home until I graduate.

I want to know if it is possible for axies to travel for an extended period of time. The return drive, from Utah to Michigan, would hopefully take two and a half days or less.

I don't want to put my (hopefully soon) companion in any kind of danger or stress, so if travel via car isn't possible or safe, I'd like to know.

If it is possible, please let me know! I'm also in the middle of deciding if it would be easier to go with my original plan of getting a rat from a breeder this summer (before I stumbled upon some pictures of someone's lovely albino). I know I would be able to have a rat with me in my car with no difficulty.

If anyone has an answer I would greatly appreciate your help!

 

[gr33neyes]

If you think you can carry out water changes and general care of your axolotl whilst travelling then there shouldnt be a problem but personally I would get the rat and wait till i could set my axolotl up properly in its permanent home. It certainly would be more stress free for the axie.

 

[emptytank]

I'm just of the mind to get an axolotl this summer when I know I'll have the time to devote to set up and acclimation, as opposed to trying to balance a hectic courseload with trying to take care of an axie that may or may not be plural and embroiled in the egg stage.

Thank you so much for the advice though! Perhaps I will find myself fortunate enough to have both rat and axie in tow when I return to resume classes!

 

[Levo]

If you already have this place that you are going to be staying in why not set up a tank for the axolotl, get it all ready and on returning home put an axolotl in the established tank. I would have thought the movement of the car wouldn't do much for the axolotl's well being.

 

[rich]

Just somthing extra as knowbod else has mentioned it, me mine fear would be that while in the car travaling you wouldnt be able to keep the temprature at 19 degrees Celsius or less, which would be my main concern

 

[Jennewt]

How would you get the axolotl to Utah if you are flying? That seems nearly impossible. And a long drive like that is possible, but it seems like an axolotl would be a major inconvenience. If you wanted to stop somewhere to sightsee, you couldn't leave it in the car for even a few minutes, it would get too hot.

I think you should wait until you return. I like Levo's suggestion of having the tank running in the meantime. It's not too hard to find someone to care for a couple of guppies (which would get the tank nicely cycled).

 

[emptytank]

I'm flying to Utah for the summer, I'll be there for four months, I'll be driving back to return in time for the start of the semester. Having someone care for guppies for four months, and getting things together when I'm trying to pack things up seems like an idea that will ultimately end in failure. Never mind the lack of funding I have at the moment.

Again-I appreciate everyone's advice and suggestion!

If anyone has any suggestion as to how I should go about convincing my roommates for next year (in a new apartment we'll be moving in to when I arrive in August) the merits of owning a rat as opposed to lesser rodentia, that would be greatly appreciated as well!

Thanks once again!

 

[xXxLucyxXx]

Good luck with your moving! Hope you find some way round it...

Just let your house mates know that rats are way more friendly than hamsters, they are not as nocturnal as hamsters so they like to play with you in the day, they generally like being fussed whereas other rodents often don't, they hardly ever bite people and they're soo cute! I want one but I'd have to take it back home with me over the summer and my mom refuses to have one in the house!

xxx

 

[vanillaXtiffy]

Simple: Having a rat is like having a puppy that lives in a cage and doesn't bark. Or a parrot that doesn't squawk. They are intelligent, friendly, affectionate, and quiet.

 

[xigon]

If you are taking the car then transporting him/her isn't going to kill the axi. ALTHOUGH, if you are going to be taking alot of bump, their is a way to make sure that your axi won't get hurt or dizzy. You must put him/her in a air compressed(no air) space and probably attach him/her somewhere. The best way is to take a transperent durable bag, take out all the air and tie the top. When in the car, make sure that theres nothing pointy near axi an put him somewhere where it doesn't shake.

While the voyage, you must always be able to have a quick look to the axi. Make sure that the bag temperature is stable and is kept at usual temperature. At each 30 minutes, take a 10 minute break to calm the axi. If he/she is abnormally reacting, stop the car and check the state of the bag.

If you uphold these critereas, the axi should have delighted voyage.

 

[Kaysie]

Axi Biologist, I think you're failing to grasp that it's literally a 3 day car trip from Michigan to Utah. Taking 10 minutes every half hour would make it more like a 5 day car trip. And if it was "acting abnormally", there's not much you can do about it in the middle of Nebraska. And he's flying.

Putting it in a bag without air is likely to kill it. Axolotls, while having gills, do possess rudimentary lungs. When the oxygen in the water runs low, they breath air from the surface.

My advice: go with the rats. They're cute. I have too many snakes to keep rodents, but have always liked rats.

 

[crested crazy]

I was just thinking If she had to for some odd reason and could not get around it, couldn't you fill up a small cooler with water and ice and transport the axies in that? It would be cold enough and there would be no spill and plenty of air? Just wondering

 

[Livette]

i've had to travel with my axy occasionally, and i've found if i put him in a baby tank (a little plastic one you can get from pet stores) inside a chiller bag from coles, with a bottle of ice, the tank stays cool for hours. from my experience, different axys seem to travel differently - my female hated it, but the male is fine, no probs at all. but i've never driven more than 90 minutes with one, so i don't really know how it would cope longer than that.

re. the airless bag, wouldn't that create problems with oxygen, i.e. wouldn't it use up the oxygen in the water pretty quickly?

 

[Speeding Sloth]

When I travel and HAVE to take Blurp with me I put him in a Rubbermaid with tank water and spring water the lid has 2 holes in it one is for an air tube/stone (battery operated) and the second one is so air can escape and your lid doesn't pop off then u put that container inside a foam or plastic cooler and I put frozen water bottle(s) or ice pack(s) on top to keep him cool then i place the cooler lid on it which also has a hole so air can escape as well. He has made it all over in this set up. I also have him fast for 1 to 2 days to try to flush out his system so he's not chilling in toilet water all day. I hope this helps you its simple and not super expensive.