Question: What chemicals are okay to add?

[MochiGuu]

I've read a lot about axolotl skin/mucus being very sensitive to water additives sold for ornamental fish tanks. I got a few issues in my axolotl tank that I'd like to tackle though:

1. Plant growth. I want my plants to thrive, could I add fertilizer for aquatic plants?

2. Dust. I didn't rinse the powdery sand enough so every time I so much as put in a new plant, the water clouds over, and the dust sets on all the plants and decor. I wave it off but instead of setting down on the sand, it just settles down on the surrounding decor. I heard there are products that "eat" all small particles, dirt, and goop. Can I? Or what else would help against the dust, other than not touching anything?

3. My water is greenish for some reason. Can I throw in some anti-algae? No nitrite detected, it just went green for some reason.

Thank you

 

[oceanblue]

Chelated Iron based fertilisers specifically for tank or pond use are safe. Avoid all ordinary fertilisers which contain nitrates or ammonium salts. The axolotl will manufacture enough of these from food.

You might be able to clear the water with an appropriate tank filter but the axolotl will probably be happier if you live with and ignore the dust and green water! It will probably clear by itself eventually. I wouldn't try chemicals. Daphnia are good at clearing particulates and green water but small axolotls are good at clearing daphnia!

 

[snuggly time]

I'd avoid pouring in loads of chemicals. Axie's have very delicate skin, adding chemicals could easily harm them

Algae is easy to maintain if you reduce the light and have a clean tank. Clean up any food and poop in there when you see it and it will leave less food for the algae.

 

[auntiejude]

I f you choose low-light plants you shouldn't need any fertiliser - they will absort the nitrates in the water and be quite happy. But avoid nitrate/ammonia based fertilisers.

Other than stirring up your sand regularly and letting the filter take care of the dust there's not an awful lot you can do. You could try taking the sand out next time you do a water change and giving it a good rinse, but I'm not sure it would clear completely.

Are you sure you water is green and it's not just the colour of the glass? Sounds daft, but some glass has a green tint to it. If you really do have green water the best thing to do is regular water changes and keep the light levels down. It's usually caused by high nitrates and bright lights.

There is a product called 'greenaway' that is supposed to be OK for axies, it clumps the algae together so the filter can clear it. Then you have to clean your filter out. But generally chemicals should be avoided because axies absorb so much through their skin it could be dangerous for them.

 

[andrewhowards]

Although over time, various aquarium chemicals are becoming safer for axolotls, try to find material safety data sheets for these chemicals, they should be listed on the packaging, or on the manufacturer's website. But still, try to minimize the use of chemicals in the aquarium, as axolotls, especially at a young age, have very delicate skin, and chemicals can leave burns on it invisible to our eyes.