Is a 75 gallon tank a good size for 5-6 axolotls?

[Angelyn]

I'm going to be moving out of state to Colorado within the next two months and will be replacing my 65 gallon tank with a 75 gallon tank. Would this be an okay size for 5-6 axolotls? Also for the setup I was planning on using old terracotta pots, live, and plastic plants as well as play sand for the substrate. Would this be okay? I have a 75gph filter that I was going to set to the slowest flow possible as well.

For the eggs Im having a bit of a hard time finding them:/ I was looking specifically for melanoid/leucistic. I was planning on keeping them in a fish bowl at room temp then changing the water before and after every feeding. I was planning on just starting a mini shrimp farm in a water bottle but I'm not really sure how that would work. The last time I had brine shrimp i just put them in a container, fed them every now and then and they were set lol. Thanks in advance!

 

[Kochebi]

Hi there! Here's my opinion on your questions. I can't say they're the best but I hope they help.
When stocking axolotl tanks I like to provide 15-20 gallons per axolotl... but I also like to keep my tanks understocked. I think the 75. Would easily work for 4-5 axolotls, and probably 5-6. Just keep an eye on the parameters if you have six. You can always bump up the filtration power to help keep the bioload in check. Base area is most important with axolotls so just make sure the rank gives all of your lotls plenty of floor space. As far as the decor goes, live plants are good. I'm not sure if you've owned axolotls before but in all of my experience they may tear up plants or bite at them. At least mine did. Just something to keep in mind! Fake plants are good too, but try to get silk over plastic. Axolotls are so soft and squishy that they get scrapes and cuts easily so silk plants will minimize this risk. I personally don't use terra cotta pots (I have plastic aquarium/terrarium decor with silicone coating I put on any sharp edges) but I've seen them used many times. It's best to buy new ones for your tank and make sure they havent been exposed to any harmful chemicals. And for your substrate play sand should work. I suggest having it no deeper than one inch at any point and, again, making sure it hasn't been treated with any chemicals.

And for your egg question, just keep browsing the forums/looking for breeders. I can't quite help you with where to find them, unfortunately. It's probably better to keep them in a large plastic container instead. I kept my eggs in one until they were large enough to not get sucked up by my 10 gallon tanks filtration system. That way they have plenty of space to spread out and move around which is, again, one of the most important things with axolotls. If they're too cramped they are going to bite/eat each other!

Also here's a little guide for a water bottle shrimp hatchery. I used either this one or one like it and it worked for me. https://www.thesprucepets.com/diy-hatching-brine-shrimp-2924618

Oh and when your axolotls get bigger (Maybe around an inch) you should look in to getting blackworms. My babies loved them and theyre fairly easy to keep!

Hope this helps!

 

[Angelyn]

Thanks for the advice it helped! In that case I may just use the live plants to aid in cycling the tank then take them out once the axolotls would be ready. I'd be a first time owner, I was actually first introduced to them when one of my teachers brought his axolotls in (we named one chubbs because he kept eating all of the food and was getting kind of chunky lol)
A plastic tub sounds like a better solution then in that case though.
Quick question though, how fast is their average growth rate and when should I expect to be able to transfer them to the big tank?

 

[Kochebi]

Chubbs is adorable haha. My female, Kenway, is over a foot long at this point and... rotund... so I end up just calling her Chunk a lot. Looking back at the images I have of mine they reached an inch long in the span of about a month, and I think that’s about the time I moved them to the 10 gallon. Also, with the eggs, be prepared to lose a decent amount. My eggs were unexpected ( I didn’t realize kenway was female when she was living with Ogo) and I did my best to raise the clutch, but ended up with six in the end. Like you mentioned, make sure you do a water change after every feeding. The brine shrimp don’t live very long in fresh water and will make for dirty water quite quickly. People have also used daphnia, since those can live in the water with the axies, but I personally found it harder to find a good source for those.

If you have any other questions you can’t find in the forums feel free to message me and I wish you luck!