Worried new owners of an Axolotl

[brian]

Another way to regulate water flow is with spray bars. They spread the flow of the filter output accross the entire tank. I have a fluval 1+ in my tank with a 24" spray bar. Almost no water flow, but it still turns over the entire tank volume about 4 times an hour.

 

[tory]

Natasha--I hadn't heard about the depth-of-water=length-of-axie. My water is deeper but he seems so much happier swimming around and doesn't appear to have trouble going to the surface. Should I lower it?

Brett--Leah had it right. It is blue and attaches to where the water comes out.

Leah--right now we have a fairly large PVC "T" pipe as his cave--I think too large for the size of the tank. The tank is a 10-15 gallon (?) vertical tank. My husband borrowed the tank and bought the PVC pipe. I think he should be in a horizontal tank but will need to save up the money. In the mean time, I intend to purchase a smaller cave and some floaty plants. That way Fire-ball has more room to play and has an area to hide as well. Currently he tends to hangout right around the filter so I don't think the current bothers him.

Anything else I should know/do? I am so glad I found this site!

(Message edited by tory on February 23, 2005)

 

[cynthia]

My water is deeper but he seems so much happier swimming around and doesn't appear to have trouble going to the surface. Should I lower it?


Tory - No, you don't need to lower your water level. I would suggest keeping it high if for no other reason than it is easier to maintain the water quality when there is more water.

My axolotls have always been kept in full tanks with full lids. They swim around and enjoy moving up high in the tank and sleeping in the plants.

 

[tory]

Thank you Cynthia, that is awesome news. I will fill up the tank and get some floating plants. Fire-ball ate a worm today while I was watching. It was cool. In the past he would step on the worm and "guard" it until I left the room. When I came back the worm would be gone. I think he is worming up to me.

 

[bradford]

Hi,
I am the proud owner of a large Axolotl. I have No experience with these lil bugger's. I do however have a Blotched Tiger Salamander in Phoenix AZ. I live in Ogden Utah at this time. As I now know a Salamy (my version of a Salamander) and an Axxie Are two different beasties. George (my Salamy) is hand fed and is quite happy biting fingers and any other thing trying to feed him, My Axxie on the other hand sits and does nothing. I have no experience with the Axxie, but I love him just the same. I got him two days ago and I'm still trying to figure out his tank temp, what I should put in there with him, his food likes and dislikes and whatnot. I bought some frozen brine shrimp and frozen blood worms, I dilute them in a bit of tank water and let them warm a bit then dribble it in to the tank to fall at their own rate. He doesn't seem to notice them at all. I've been reading the Axolotl web site for info, but it's not really helping me. Anyone with idea's and help let me know please. I love critters of all sorts and would hate to loose this lil beast due to owner ignorance. Thanks much,
Brad.

 

[sharn]

if you read the posts under the food section that should help you a fair bit, if you arent handfeeding them youll need to have quite large gravel, slate or sand, i personally use sand, much easier to keep clean, axlotols arent very active during the day anyway so its probably nothing to worry about, they like earth worms, you just have to be careful where you get them from, oh i just remebered, theres a post called 'the best food for axies' theres a big list there, its under the feeding part.they like to hide lots, so have a place where he can get away from the light if he wants. have a look under the gallery part, theres pictures on setups there that might give you some helpful ideas, if you have anymore questions just ask, most people on here are more than happy to help the newbies

 

[maria]

Welcome to the forums

It's normal for them not to eat for a few days after you get them because of the stress of the moving. Also, if your water temperature is too high, that can be stressing as well.

Check out the axie gallery and see how some of the users here have their tanks, that should help give you some ideas of what to put in yours.

As far as food goes, you can't go wrong with earthworms or salmon pellets. Blood worms are good too. As far as brine shrimp goes, it depends on how big your little guy is, he may be too big to notice them.

Feel free to ask questions about anything you've read on the website if you want clarification.

Good luck with your little guy!

 

[cynthia]

Bradford - Welcome to the forum.

I would recommend you also read caudata's sister site:
http://www.axolotl.org

As Maria said earth worms are a great axolotl food and are less messy than frozen blood worms and brine shrimp.

 

[bradford]

Thank you Maria and Cynthia,
I appreciate all the helpful information. My Axxie is about twelve inches long or so. It's kind of hard to measure something that doesn't want you to measure him

. Once again thank you for all the help. I'm sure I'll have more questions to ask later. As soon as I can get a couple pictures of him I'll try to get them up so you all can see what he looks like.

Brad

 

[bradford]

Thank you Sharon as well.
I don't like leaving out anyone that is kind enough to give helpful info, thanks once again.

Brad

 

[jennifer]

Bradford, just out of curiosity, where did you get an axolotl that size? What color is it? Any photos?

 

[bradford]

Jennifer,
Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I got him at a pet store (Tropical Encounters) here in Ogden Utah from a guy named Chris. Chris has an Axolotl of his own as well as a couple Fire Salamanders, or Fire Newts. I can't remember which he said they were, but he did tell me they were poisonous. Any how, I wandered in to the place and asked if they had or could get a Salamander larvae. Chris said he could get Axolotls, the Real one's. The kind that would not metamorphisis if they got out of water. I explained to him that I had a Blotched Tiger Salamander back in Phoenix and was wanting another, or something like it. He quoted me a price of $25.oo for the one he'd have sent to the store. I paid the money and he had him brought in with in a week. His back is a tannish-brown color with black dots on it. His side are a motley run of colors from black, white to grey, with a lighter color of tan for a belly. His feet, toes (fingers?)are white-ish in color. He has a greyish black marbled stripe running along the side of his head that extends just past his eyes. At this time I don't have pics or even a name for him. I wish I could get some pictures. I may have to use my Dad's camera and get the shots developed and scan them on to this computer then load tham and see if I can put them up here for all to see. So far I've gotten him frozen blood worms, frozen brine shrimp, night crawlers, ghost shrimp, and meal worms, but he doesn't seem to be interested in any of them. I did however find a black cricket outside, and brought it inside, stunned it, dropped it in the tank, and then went to the gym to workout. When I came back an hour and a half later the cricket was gone and he wasn't in the filter, so I assume he got eaten by my beastie. The funny thing about him is he looks nothing like a salamander larvae, he doesn't have any costal grooves on the sides of his abdomen and his fore and hind legs are alot farther spaced from each other than a Salamander's. The pictures of the Axolotl's on the website does not do him justice, they simply look like Salamander larvae. His face is rather squarish and alot more blunt than a salamander's. George, my Salamander's face is rounder, whereas this fellow's face looks like that a a whale shark's. It tapers in from his gill rakes to the front of his face, just past his eyes it flatens out and his facial structure isn't rounded like a Salamanders. His length is almost the length of a ten gallon tank.

Hopefully I'll have some pictures soon and then I can scan and set them up on the site for all to see. I may name him Grumpy, as he's just that, GRUMPY!!!!!!!!!

 

[joan]

Bradford, I'd be guessing without a pic, but from your description, it sounds like you do not have an axolotl, but instead have a mudpuppy. You should go to www.caudata.org/cc and look at pictures of axolotls and at pictures of Necturus and see which one your animal mostly resembles.

 

[bradford]

Joan,
Thank you very much. Grumpy is a Mudpuppy! A Necturus Maculosus I believe. The link you posted helped me identify him quite well. Once again, Thank you very much.

 

[bradford]

Ok, I now know that I own a Mudpuppy, as far as I can tell from the pictures I looked at at the above posted link. Grumpy is a Necturus Maculosus, I think. I've given him frozen bloodworms, frozen brineshrimp, headless mealworms, nightcrawlers and even ghost shrimp. So far I can't ell if he eaten any thing I've given him other than that black cricket. I can't seem to find anything that talks about Mudpuppies in specific. Heck feeding my Salamnder, George was less stressful than Grumpy. If anyone can point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it greatly. While the above mentioned link was good for Identifying his species, it give no information what so ever as to the care of mudpuppies. The guy I got him from was vague at best as to the care of mudpuppy and mudpuppy kind.
I appreciate all the help and knowledge passed on from any and all of you kind folks.

Brad