filter???

[toffeebonbon]

my tank is 30 inches long by 15 inches tall by 12 inches wide.
i currently use an aqua one 101f maxi internal filter which does 400 l/hr. is this adequete for a tank of my size??? i think it may be too powerful as my axie appears slightly stressed but it doesnt seem to be aireating the take very well????
any suggestion?

 

[gr33neyes]

i have a feeling thats actually not powerful enough, its designed for a 40 litre tank...but please correct me if i'm wrong. I don't worry about aerating my tank too much, i use a fluval internal filter which does the job but the axolotls will come to the surface if they need air.If you feel your filter flow is too powerful you can turn it down to its least powerful setting and direct the outflow jet towards the glass side thus breaking up the force of water.
What is making you feel that your axolotl is stressed?

 

[Daniel]

I don't know this filter but I think that it's not designed for a 40 litre- tank - this would mean you had a ten times cycling per hour with quite some current.
If you want the filter to aerate your tank (and it does not have some kind of air pipe on it) then you should make sure that the water surface is moved by the outflow (the gaseous exchange happens at the surface - CO2 goes out, oxygen comes in).

Do you see any movement in the tank from your filter, for instance at the plants? If your Axolotl is stressed then you should try to slow down the current. As gr33neyes said, direct the output towards the side or attach some kind of outlet (don't know the word right now - it's a plastic pipe with some holes in it).

 

[Casaloxl]

spray bar or spray arm...

 

[DantezGirl]

What Size Filter?

what size filter will i need for a tank that is 120cm long 44cm wide and 44cm deep the water depth is 22cm more or less some days but not by much

 

[toffeebonbon]

i have a feeling thats actually not powerful enough, its designed for a 40 litre tank...but please correct me if i'm wrong. I don't worry about aerating my tank too much, i use a fluval internal filter which does the job but the axolotls will come to the surface if they need air.If you feel your filter flow is too powerful you can turn it down to its least powerful setting and direct the outflow jet towards the glass side thus breaking up the force of water.
What is making you feel that your axolotl is stressed?

his little gills are curled up! the water at the top tank swirls round. ive covered the outlet with plants to slow it down. is this ok or will it stop air getting in the water?

 

[gr33neyes]

dantez it depends on the make, i buy the internal power filters, for that size i should imagine a fluval 4 or similar would be appropriate

toffee, the gills tend to be held pointing forwards and the tail will curl at the end slightly , this is a sign of stress

 

[toffeebonbon]

toffee, the gills tend to be held pointing forwards and the tail will curl at the end slightly , this is a sign of stress

i know that those are the signs of stress thats why im concerned about the filter as there is nothing else i could be???!!!

 

[Casaloxl]

another way to slow down an internal filter is to pack the media area really tight with the cotton wool type stuff they sell at pet shop... Thats what i did till i could replace my eheim internal with an aqua one cf700 external cannister. I have two axies in a 120L tank (36"x14"x18")and the flow is slow with a long spray arm. As precautionary measures I have vallis plants directly under the spray bar and also at the intake pipe.

 

[toffeebonbon]

ok so putting plants infront of my filter and facing the outflow towards the tank wall should be ok?? is there anything else that could be stressing out my axie??

 

[gr33neyes]

bad diet, water quality, excess light, location of tank (eg high traffic area, noisy), tank setup (not enough places to hide), these things could stress. My tank is kept in the lounge, although i have children they have been taught not to annoy the axolotls by tapping on the glass, the light is kept off til the evening allowing them some degree of darkness, a feeling of safety, i clean any muck daily and they have a varied diet. I feel I am offering them the best i can. Take a good look at your set-up and see if there are any changes you can make.