Axolotls-say hello :)

[harry7890]

can i ask how you sort out all your water for them :happy:

 

[daniellog]

I just use regular tap water with some "Aquasafe" dechlorinator. However any dechlorinator will do really, if you live near a Wilkinsons that's where I have seen it the cheapest.

 

[harry7890]

I just use regular tap water with some "Aquasafe" dechlorinator. However any dechlorinator will do really, if you live near a Wilkinsons that's where I have seen it the cheapest.

cheers mate i will get some dechlorinator this week , are the instructions on the bottle :?

 

[jclee]

There will be instructions on the bottle. While you're at the store, look for test kits for ammonia, nitrite (NO2), and nitrate (NO3). Basically, you want good bacterias to build up so they can break down the ammonia that builds up from poop/pee. Since you've set up your tank recently, there won't be much good bacteria, and so your tank might get too much ammonia. Test for ammonia, and do regular water changes (about 25% of the tank water once a day) until there is no ammonia in the tank. Once you get to 0 ammonia, you should only need to change water once a week.
(Make sure that the new water is around the same temp as the tank water.)

Let us know how it goes, and what other questions you have along the way.

 

[harry7890]

There will be instructions on the bottle. While you're at the store, look for test kits for ammonia, nitrite (NO2), and nitrate (NO3). Basically, you want good bacterias to build up so they can break down the ammonia that builds up from poop/pee. Since you've set up your tank recently, there won't be much good bacteria, and so your tank might get too much ammonia. Test for ammonia, and do regular water changes (about 25% of the tank water once a day) until there is no ammonia in the tank. Once you get to 0 ammonia, you should only need to change water once a week.
(Make sure that the new water is around the same temp as the tank water.)

Let us know how it goes, and what other questions you have along the way.

it is funny you should say that , i was just looking at them down at my local maidenhead , but they were a bit expensive so i am going to look at them in my lfs

 

[daniellog]

Cheapest place to get test kits is ebay, pet shops charge a stupid amount for them.

 

[cleverfiend]

Please, I am begging you, do not use gravel as a substrate. Axolotls end up ingesting the gravel as they are sucking in their food, and the ingested gravel leads to very serious health issues.

You will save you (and your axies) a great deal of stress by using sand or a bare bottom as a substrate.

My axie was on gravel when I took him in. I removed the gravel and put him straight on sand.

About a week and a half later I found a couple of pieces of gravel in the tank. The only way they could have got there was from the axolotl - nothing else was transferred from the tank.

He's not shown any ill effects but it does show how important it is not to use gravel (and play sand is so much cheaper and nicer to look at).

 

[Manifest]

Just on the topic of ingesting substrate, I recently moved my axie from coarse dark sand to fine white sand and over the next week, a lot of the coarse sand appeared on the surface of the white stuff. so yes, they do eat it in alarming amounts. I imagine the smaller the better when it comes to substrate.

 

[optimist]

Nice axys Definitely buy a bottle of dechlorinator to treat your water (tap or rain butt). I used to have slate slabs on the bottom of my axies' tank, but have now taken them out as bits of food and poo used to migrate under them and made it hard to clean. My tank is bare-bottom now. Also, I highly recommend a turkey baster for spot cleaning the tank. Enjoy your new pets.

 

[leigreen]

Hi Harry,

we got our axie from the same shop. As it happens we saw your 2 the week before you bought them, we have a picture of them!! They were obviously very easily distinguished, I thought they looked like they were in drag!!

Dan, in my experience the paws for thought on York road always has a decent supply of axies, these 2 were the 1st full adults I have seen there, the majority are juveniles.

Enjoy

 

[harry7890]

Hi Harry,

we got our axie from the same shop. As it happens we saw your 2 the week before you bought them, we have a picture of them!! They were obviously very easily distinguished, I thought they looked like they were in drag!!

Dan, in my experience the paws for thought on York road always has a decent supply of axies, these 2 were the 1st full adults I have seen there, the majority are juveniles.

Enjoy

yea , i was going to get the little white ones however they were both males so i diddnt bother and got the 2 large ones , do you have this pick handy , love to see it (and mine)

 

[Samtaylor49]

Yeah sure, here are two of your guys and one of Ned!

 

[harry7890]

Yeah sure, here are two of your guys and one of Ned!

Ha Ha cool , your guys gills are better than mine , however they seem to be getting bigger.

 

[jctkc]

It looks like they are trying to morph, might be tiger salamander

 

[harry7890]

It looks like they are trying to morph, might be tiger salamander

Axolotls don't turn into tiger salamanders , they turn into Mexican salamanders , and they are ugly little things.
and its gills seem to be getting bigger, so i doubt that that is happening

 

[Myrdinn]

Nice!

I hope to get a couple soon, hopefully this month.

I'd prefer a lighter colour though.