Goldfish out Axolotl(s) in ????

[sammie68]

Hi everyone,

After thinking long and hard about a bigger tank for Taco, I had a discussion with the boys about finding our 3 small goldfish and 6 cloud fish a new home. A teacher where I work has a 5ft tank in her classroom with only 2 goldfish in it so I asked her if she would like our 3 to add to her big tank and she was most happy to do so. The little cloud fish will go and live in her tank at her home as she has only small fish in that one. Seems a little mean to ditch the lovely goldfish that have given us so much pleasure but I'm satisfied they will be well looked after. By the way I have heard of people feeding their axolotls goldfish is that true ??...

Anyway the questions I have are; after I clear out all the gravel, will I need to completely empty the tank and start again, or would a 50% or less water change be sufficient before adding Taco ?

When I add Taco can I mix his water from the small tank in with the water from the big tank or do I keep the different tank waters seperate completely ? When I bought goldfish home from the pet store I made sure I never mixed the pet shop water with mine, should I do the same here even if the water I have Taco in already is ok to go..

The bigger tank is 3ft and holds 80 - 90 liters of water, can I have the water as deep as it is now or do axolotls need water that is not so deep ? I ask this because I have seen pictures of big tanks with axolotls in and only half full with water while others are filled almost to the top...

Finally everyone who answered my question ( is this tank big enough for one axolotl) and said that I would eventually want more than one axolotl was so right....and I'm guessing that a 3ft tank would house 2 axolotls comfortably, am I on the right track in thinking that...?

Thanks again for taking the time to read and reply
Sammie.

 

[ZoeT94]

Hello, I would say that doing a 50% water change should be perfectly fine and definately remove the gravel and replace it with some play sand or fine aquarium sand.

And in a 3 foot you could have at least 3 axie's

 

[sammie68]

Hi Zoe,

Thanks that sounds awesome.

 

[xxianxx]

And in a 3 foot you could have at least 3 axie's [/QUOTE]

This area is often debated, i would personaly say that a three foot tank is ok for a maximum of two adults.

 

[danchristopher]

Hey Sammie,

You can pick up play sand from Bunnings for around $9 a bag, just make sure you rinse it over and over again until the water seems somewhat clear. I rinse my sand at least 9-10 times by putting it in a big bucket and throwing the hose in, then pouring it out and repeating. You'll lose some sand though so maybe use more than you think you'll need
And don't layer it thicker than an inch!

Axolotls can live in deep water, I think most people keep their tanks low for easy maintenance purposes but I like the look of a 'full' aquarium and as such have the water almost to the top in my tank.

The general rule most follow is 38L (10 gallons) per axolotl, so your tank being 3ft and holding 80-90L should be fine for two of them

 

[blackdog]

3 foot is heaps for two axies

This sand is awesome , especially for a golden albino - https://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/catalogue_products.php?prodID=4776

Requires far less rinsing than play sand, i used 2 bags for a 3 x 1.5 floor tank with about 1 - 1 1/2 inch cover. Did not cloud up the tank when first putting it in, does not cloud up the tank when vacuuming, settles really well.

Can't speak highly enough of it - albeit expensive compared to play sand

bren

 

[HappySkittles]

Were the fish living in that water healthy? I would just use new clean water because I wouldn't trust the little fishies haha
Even if you didn't mix the water in the bag in your home tank, the fish themselves could have carried something?

As for the depth...I always look at where an animal might naturally live and a lake I'm sure is much deeper than our tanks I think the variation is personal preference but more water means more stable conditions

 

[lea]

told you soooo. 1 is never enough. I think 3ft is perfect for 2 adults because remembering you need to put plants, caves, hideyhole and other prettys in and they still need room to move.
I would move the gravel out and then have a look at the water cause Im guessing once the gravel is moved the water will be way to dirty to use again but if you keep the filter going(in a bucket or something) you will cycle your new tank a lot quicker. I also fill my tank up to the top because the more water you have the better your water parameters will be and the cooler your tank will be.

 

[sammie68]

Thanks again everyone,

Blackdog, I love that sand I'm going to go have a look at that site for a bit then bookmark it !.

Lizzy excellent point about the gravel, I bet there is a bunch of gunk in it, even with my obsessive cleaning and water change. So once I re home the little fishies, have the tank cycled properly and moved Taco in I will post pics to show you all. You guys have been awesome with your advice.

Thanks again
Best regards Sammie.

 

[ZoeT94]

Caribsea sand is risky, it could contain calcium which your axie could injest, whereas play sand or crazy sand is tried and tested...

 

[HappySkittles]

Caribsea sand is risky, it could contain calcium which your axie could injest, whereas play sand or crazy sand is tried and tested...

I don't think ingesting the calcium is the issues so much as the calcium raising the ph into levels that are way too high for axoltlsl

 

[JessKB]

If your goldfish are healthy, and have been established in that tank for a long time, you can use the filter and gravel to instantly cycle the big tank for your axie. You could use the same filter that's on the goldfish tank for the axolotl. Beneficial bacteria also colonizes gravel. If you take a few big handfuls of the stuff, and place it in a nylon that's never seen soap, and tie it off so none of the gravel can get out, you basically have a ton of beneficial bacteria that will help the tank to stay cycled. Then, after a few months you can remove the nylon with the gravel in it. I've used this approach tons of times with different tanks, and it always works. It saves me and my animals from the stress of cycling a tank.

 

[blackdog]

Caribsea sand is risky, it could contain calcium which your axie could injest, whereas play sand or crazy sand is tried and tested...

If you have a look around this (and other) forums, you will see warnings about tahitian moon sand being unsuitable for fresh water because of coral based sands and ph levels etc.

They refer to an older / different version of the tahitian moon sand, not this one.

This one is suitable for fresh water, and did not / has not effected my ph (or other levels) in any way. I chose it after much research and advice, been using it for more than a year.

i wouldn't use anything else.

Bren