Question: 34 hours of driving with an axolotl

[Wyvell]

Hello everyone!
I am moving from Illinois to Oregon in August and I was hoping to get some ideas about how to transport my axolotl. I was thinking of getting a cooler, filling it with ice and setting my axolotl in a container atop the ice for the drive. We are making this at least a 2 day trip, so water changes would be needed and I was also thinking of getting one of the emergency air pumps that run on D batteries and putting a 10 gallon sponge filer in with her if the container would be big enough. We are also transporting a 55 gallon tank with some really big (8 or more inch) African Cichlids (but they are really hardy and don't need to stay cold).
Any feedback on my idea is appreciated, I just hope the move doesn't stress her out too much. I also plan to fast her so she doesn't make a mess in her container.
Thanks for your time guys!

 

[Wyvell]

Alright, just to share some info with you guys that might be interested, I made the move and the axolotl stayed at a chilly 54 degrees F (12C) for the whole ride! below will be the procedure I followed to keep her nice and cold the whole way.

Materials:
- 48 Qt cooler
- 18 Qt plastic tub with lid. (I used one with thin walls to allow temp exchange)
- 15 water bottles (Frozen)
- Airline tubing
- Air stone
- Vehicle Inverter
- Air pump
- 100% Silicone
- Bag of ice
- Drill and bit

Instructions:

1. Drill holes in the lid of your small container, this will allow for air exchange in the container holding your axolotl.

2. Pass airline tubing through one of the holes you just cut and through the drainage hole in your cooler. Allow plenty of room past the drainage hole to reach the pump in your car.

3. Silicone around the tubing where it comes out of the cooler. this will prevent leaking in your car and help keep in the cold.

4. Put your smaller container inside your cooler, pack around it with frozen water bottles.

5. Fill the small container 2/3 of the way up with water. The water should be 2 parts tank water to 1 part clean water.

6. Add your airstone to the container side of the airline tubing.

Now you should be ready to add your axolotl to the container and secure the lid. This can be done before or after putting the cooler into your vehicle. Keep your cooler closed as much as you can. Add the bag of ice to fill in around bottles and the container to be sure it does not move. Attach your tubing to the air pump and the pump to the inverter. Be sure to unplug your inverter when your car is not going to be running for more than an hour as it could drain your battery.

This method kept my axolotl cold and safe for 36 hours of travel over the course of 3 days.

Thanks guys!