Water Parameters/Lighting

[JessG]

Hey guys, I am new here! Sorry for the long post! My Axolotl passed away recently (I hatched her 10 years ago) and I have decided to get 2 more. However, I have since moved and my water situation isn't great. Our salt content is extremely high - to the point where I can't even drink the tap water because it tastes like ocean - (we have well water) while everything else is low/very low in the water. Where I previously lived with my Axie, we never had any water issues. Curious on what you guys would do in this situation. I have read some people just add a store bought mixture to create hardness in soft water. Would buying distilled water and adding this be sufficient? Would it be better to take the water I have now and dilute the salt with distilled water? In which case, would I not have to still add other minerals in to make it not as soft if it has been diluted out? Looking for any ideas to help my little ones thrive. I won't be getting them for another couple months so I have time to fiddle around with things and cycle. I can post the paramenters of the water I currently have once I find them.
As a side question, I want to go with a space themed tank once they are big enough to move to the 40 gallon (so again, I have time to get this figured out) but all the decorations I like are blacklight glowing decor/plants. I do not want to harm them whatsoever, so if the answer is no I will just boycott the cool decor. I do not have any lights for them (LED, fluorescent, actinic or blacklight). To get them to glow I would need a blacklight or blue LED (I read that actinic lights are a no-no for axies). However, since they do not require/like light anyways, would the blue LED light or blacklight shone ONLY on the plants (not all the time either, maybe a couple hours in the evenings) be extremely harmful? They will have a couple caves that they can hide in around the tank as well. I know the LEDs do not have the UV that blacklights do, but are the LEDs not harder on their eyes? Again, any help or ideas would be great!
Also, are 3D printed decorations OK as long as the plastic used to make them is not painted and is food safe plastic? Is that true?

If there are any specific products (lights or water additives) you suggest please let me know where you got them! I am from Canada so finding things here is a little tricky...

Thanks a bunch everyone!!

 

[JessG]

 

[wolfen]

although axolotls will happily live in water with a low salt content ie.. 1g - 3.6g per litre water, too much would be stressful, there doesn't seem to be calcium, magnesium, sodium or iron on the list (this could be because the list is mainly for metals which are harmful at high levels), based on lead levels the water would have to be diluted at least 1:5 so it might be better using full ro or distilled and adding the minerals back in.
as to a space theme, although space itself is dark there are stars etc.. which can be simulated using leds and fibre optics, it would depend on how good you are with your hands as to what you make, if you use a variable power supply you should be able to turn the led brightness up or down (this depends on whether the leds are used as separate or as a pre-brought circuit).
as to 3D printing, provided to item is made from a good plastic it should be fine, I don't think it would be wise using resin printing unless it has been sealed to prevent any chemical leaching.

 

[JessG]

although axolotls will happily live in water with a low salt content ie.. 1g - 3.6g per litre water, too much would be stressful, there doesn't seem to be calcium, magnesium, sodium or iron on the list (this could be because the list is mainly for metals which are harmful at high levels), based on lead levels the water would have to be diluted at least 1:5 so it might be better using full ro or distilled and adding the minerals back in.
as to a space theme, although space itself is dark there are stars etc.. which can be simulated using leds and fibre optics, it would depend on how good you are with your hands as to what you make, if you use a variable power supply you should be able to turn the led brightness up or down (this depends on whether the leds are used as separate or as a pre-brought circuit).
as to 3D printing, provided to item is made from a good plastic it should be fine, I don't think it would be wise using resin printing unless it has been sealed to prevent any chemical leaching.

Awesome thank you so much for you input! Do you have any ideas on what type of mixture or where to get a mixture to add in these minerals for distilled water? I'm assuming a regular pet store wouldn't have these, I'd probably have better luck going to an actual aquarium store or ordering online somewhere? As for the decorations, I am fairly good at making things, so I'm sure I could piece something together if I found the right materials. If I kept blue LED lights on low just for a couple hours in just one area of the tank and they are able to escape from it do you think that should be OK? Again, really appreciate the help!!
Thanks!

 

[JessG]

Awesome thank you so much for you input! Do you have any ideas on what type of mixture or where to get a mixture to add in these minerals for distilled water? I'm assuming a regular pet store wouldn't have these, I'd probably have better luck going to an actual aquarium store or ordering online somewhere? As for the decorations, I am fairly good at making things, so I'm sure I could piece something together if I found the right materials. If I kept blue LED lights on low just for a couple hours in just one area of the tank and they are able to escape from it do you think that should be OK? Again, really appreciate the help!!
Thanks!

I managed to find the other part of the water analysis. Hoping this might add more insight!

 

[wolfen]

your sodium and chloride levels are fine for axolotls it's the other metals (lead, copper) which are more of an issue.
for the salts/minerals which are added back in to ro/distilled holtfreters at 50% + 0.1g/l magnesium sulphate tends to be the solution used with axolotls and most aquatic amphibians (although salt is sometimes omitted for some species) info here .. Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity
there are quite a few strip lights that are blue which are used for night lights which don't tend to affect the aquarium inhabitants, so using blue leds is possible and quite common, the problem with blue lighting is only if they are on the uv spectrum which most aren't, to test use something that would glow under uv light only, if you are unfortunate to have leds that are giving of uv they should be fine provided they aren't placed in areas where they can do harm ie.. over filters/filter media and that the whole area/aquarium isn't covered, it is doubtful though for blue leds to be uv as well as the production process is different (also more expensive) and hard to replicate accidentally, even violet leds aren't true uv diodes.

 

[JessG]

your sodium and chloride levels are fine for axolotls it's the other metals (lead, copper) which are more of an issue.
for the salts/minerals which are added back in to ro/distilled holtfreters at 50% + 0.1g/l magnesium sulphate tends to be the solution used with axolotls and most aquatic amphibians (although salt is sometimes omitted for some species) info here .. Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity
there are quite a few strip lights that are blue which are used for night lights which don't tend to affect the aquarium inhabitants, so using blue leds is possible and quite common, the problem with blue lighting is only if they are on the uv spectrum which most aren't, to test use something that would glow under uv light only, if you are unfortunate to have leds that are giving of uv they should be fine provided they aren't placed in areas where they can do harm ie.. over filters/filter media and that the whole area/aquarium isn't covered, it is doubtful though for blue leds to be uv as well as the production process is different (also more expensive) and hard to replicate accidentally, even violet leds aren't true uv diodes.

Thank you so much for all your help!

 

[minorhero]

Does your new place have a saltwater based water softener by any chance? If so... thar you are.

Anyway the amount of salt in the water is less then 1 gram per liter. So the salt is not going to be a problem. This water report appears to be historic. Did you not get a new one when you bought the property? You might consider getting a new report done and/or buying some basic testing equipment to check yourself such as the freshwater master test kit, gh/kh test kit and a tds meter. Good luck.

 

[JessG]

Does your new place have a saltwater based water softener by any chance? If so... thar you are.

Anyway the amount of salt in the water is less then 1 gram per liter. So the salt is not going to be a problem. This water report appears to be historic. Did you not get a new one when you bought the property? You might consider getting a new report done and/or buying some basic testing equipment to check yourself such as the freshwater master test kit, gh/kh test kit and a tds meter. Good luck.

No water softener, that’s just the natural water which I feel is kind of odd for a well. But I am buying a water testing kit to recheck it, it says on the paperwork somewhere it was done in 2019. Would it actually change that much in 4 years? Thanks!

 

[minorhero]

No water softener, that’s just the natural water which I feel is kind of odd for a well. But I am buying a water testing kit to recheck it, it says on the paperwork somewhere it was done in 2019. Would it actually change that much in 4 years? Thanks!

Yes it can change. If you are noticing bad flavor it's something worth looking into. Biggest concern seeing that report is the lead, not for the axolotl, but for you. Especially if you have small children as it can affect their brain development.

If you need to soften your water your best bet is an rodi system.