Question: A Few Axolotl Questions. (Temperature/Waste/Testing Kits)

GuyM

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Hi,
I’m relatively new here, so this is my first post, I’m a relatively new Axolotl owner also, I’ve had my two Axolotls for around 2 months now and they seem to be doing quite well. Just a few concerns have arisen since I got them:

First and most importantly I'm having a very hard time controlling the temperature in my tank, I live in New Zealand so temperatures during summer are between 20 and 30 which is defiantly too high, normally my tank sits at around 20+ and I’d like to get it to around 15-20 .
The tank is currently in a shaded corner often with a stand-up fan blowing on it to try and lower the temperature as otherwise it reaches 23-27, it’s in a smallish room the doesn’t have great air circulation, I have a window which is permanently open but it opens about a meter from a wall, so the room doesn’t have great air flow. Unfortunately I can't move the tank to anywhere else in my house.
What can I do to lower the tank temperature? If it’s possible not to use the fan that would be good because I’m a little worried about excess amounts of dust getting into the tank and causing problems. I’ve tried using ice but that didn’t really seem to make much difference to the temperature at all.


Secondly, My Axolotls seem to have quite unsolid waste, is this a problem, can Axolotls suffer from Diarrhoea? I mainly feed them “Aqua Master Axolotl Pellets”, then a couple of times a week Axolotl specific fish meat blocks that I get from my local pet shop and the occasional earthworm. But I’m aware this could be a problem caused by water conditions.
If this is a problem what might be the cause/solution?


Finally, what do I need in the way of testing kits? I already have a PH testing kit but I’d feel more at ease if I knew that other conditions were right too, Nitrate, Chlorine etc, what would you recommend I should have?
 
Do a search for "Cooling a tank" - there is heaps of info about the forums - also have a look here - Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity

If you can manage it $$ wise, you can't beat a chiller

Re waste, i think it's just a pellet thing - if i'm a little lazy and do pellets for a week or so instead of worms, the waste ends up very soft - i wouldn't sweat it.

Test kit - API fresh water test kit - PH (low and high) nitrates, nitrites & Ammonia. I also measure the GH and kh

Bren
 
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