Tub for baby axolotl

[Nessie7]

How big should a tub be for a small (1.5 inch) axolotl? I have some containers that are about 10 inches long. Is this enough for them? They're maybe 4 or 5 inches wide and maybe 2-3 inches tall. With 2x a day water changes do you think this will do? This would be for my smallest baby who just lost a leg to a sibling...

 

[MarieKarma1311]

That should be just fine. I kept all of my axolotls in tubs of the similar size until they were about 4 inches long ( all separate ). they did very good and were completely healthy. As long as you remember to do 100% water changes they should be just fine. I typically checked the water conditions of the containers about 3 times a day to make sure all waste was removed, and if the water was looking dirty I would change it more often.

Recently I've acquired a brand new axolotl that was only weeks old and much to small to join my other 6+ inch axolotls in the tank. he was housed in similar containers until he reached 3.5 inches in length and I currently have him sitting in a plastic basket that has small slits like a strainer that is tapped to the top of my aquarium so that I can feed him normally and don't have to do water changes so often.. but he is still separate from the others. ( just some ideas ) I still do normal water changes once a week and tank cleanings every day but I have found this to be a much easier solution.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your brand new babies! :happy:

Here are a few example photos of how my tank is set up right now with the basket for my little guy.

 

[Nessie7]

Thanks for your help! I was at a loss as to what to do. I've had quite a few die in the last few days from bullying I think.

I'll definitely keep the water quality up. Testing will be a slight problem but with 2-3 water changes they should be fine. I'm nearly out of ammonia tests and I'm trying to save what I have until they go on sale again or I can get free shipping. When I do I'm going to have to be careful about reading it as my tap has ammonia (prime takes care of that but I still get a reading from it).

In the containers how often should I feed? I feed them 2x a day now and they all eat their fill but in the container I'm afraid I'll be wasting food if they don't eat it right away... Maybe I'll try hand feeding with my dropper until they're nice and fat .

 

[MarieKarma1311]

I fed my guys individual twice a day until their little bellies we're plump and happy. A general rule of thumb is that their bodies should be as wide as their head. Babies need all the nutrition they can get since they are growing so don't worry about over feeding. I always dropped the food in and let them find it themselves so that when they got bigger I didn't have to worry about an axie that was trained in hand feeding. After leaving food in the container with them for about 30-40 minutes I would remove and leftovers. I continued to feed my axolotl twice a day until they were about 4 inches long, then I switched to once a day simply to save on food.

After feeding you should change the water as the food may change the water conditions, or you can always feed them in a separate container. Another thing you should be cautious about is how much oxygen they are receiving. Make sure that there are holes in the lid of your container, and if there aren't try to find a cover that won't seal air tight. I wouldn't use a towel as some people suggest. . I tried that once and the cloth fell into the water and soaked it all up ( luckily I found my little guy in time and he is just fine now )

As for the bullying, its something that the young axolotls will continue to do until they are more mature. They can be cannibalistic as you found out with your little one, and the only way to prevent injury And death is typically to separate them all.

I hope some of that helps you!

 

[tipnatee]

That basket peekaboo axolotl photo is dangerously adorable. I had to save it cause it too cute!