Is this a good tank for axolotl?

[Jake777]

It's originally a river tank but I have the water up high.
It's 28gallon and I plan on adding live plants and a sand plant mix substrate.
I'm a little worried its not enough swimming room. But I do like that the back wall and log create a nice ledge/cave to keep my axys out of the plant light.

Here is a quick video of the tank and water level I'm thinking
Axylotl tank? - YouTube

Feedback would be greatly appreciated. I want to get the tank right before I get Axys.

 

[vagus]

Re: Is this a good tank for axylotl?

That may be ok for one, but I wouldn't put any more than that in.

There was a thread in the Vivaria section on plant substrates that you may want to read, as there were definitely some caveats on using it well.

 

[Jake777]

Re: Is this a good tank for axylotl?

I'm thinking 3 I heard they don't do as well alone. I would remove the insert and give them the full 28 if they outgrew it.I did read the substrate section prob do black sand over fluval plant substrate. Are axies pretty good at getting around the tank? There are a few tight spots and the backdrop isn't smooth. Should I be concerned?

 

[vagus]

Re: Is this a good tank for axylotl?

Well, first off, axolotls do not need companionship. They tolerate each others presence but are, realistically, solitary animals.

I haven't used the substrate with amphibians, so again, I can't really speak to it.

Axolotls need ground area more than anything. A relatively sparse 10 gallon long with a hide is adequate for an adult. Consider the footprint of the tank when looking at capacity.

As to getting around, the concern it to avoid sharp edges, as, if they are ping-ponging across the tank, they could injure themselves if they hit one.

 

[Jake777]

Good to know maybe I will stick with 1. The insert is rough but def doesn't have sharp edges. Is h.o. flourecent lighting to bright for them? I'm thinking of hanging a 4 ft strip high over the tank so I can surround it with plants.plus I want plants growing out of the top of the tank

 

[Boo Penguin]

As a rule axolotl tanks should be long rather than tall

 

[vagus]

I'm thinking of hanging a 4 ft strip high over the tank so I can surround it with plants.plus I want plants growing out of the top of the tank

Provided you have a good hide for the axolotl that should be fine. If it still seems too bright, you can put a sheet of mylar over part of the lid to filter out some of it.

 

[iChris]

you'll be able to keep 1 axie fine in that tank, they don't need any companions.

I grow peace lilies and dwarf papyrus in the trickle filter of my axie tank and it looks stunning to say the least. it also works wonders for water quality.

This thread details my growing of papyrus in my filter box (with a few pics): http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...scussion/80799-pond-plants-axolotl-tanks.html

you may also be interested in this thread: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...ups-filters-substrate/75767-plant-filter.html

it describes in detail the pros of using live plants in your tank and has some pictures too.

 

[Jake777]

Great peace Lillie's are at the top of my list. The insert has 3 planters in it (submerged) plus I'm putting a shelf for plants over the sump area of the tank. What's a good axie safe substrate? And also are products like flourish safe for plant nutrition and cut?

 

[iChris]

washed play sand is the preferred substrate for axies, it's closest to what would be present in their natural environment.

as for ferts, I'm not too sure, but axies are salamanders and not fish so I would assume some products suitable for aquaria are not safe for axies.

pothos are also said to be suitable.

 

[Jake777]

This is giving me all kinda of ideas the back of my tank inside the insert has a huge sump area. If I retrofit a deeper box on my filter....I could grow lots of plants for biological filtration. What are the best plants for filtration?

Regarding the sand. Would black aquarium sand work? I want a golden axylotl and I like the contrast in color with the black. The great thing about the insert in this tank is that it's like a ledge and will offer lots of shade from my 4ft h.o. Light strips (2)

 

[vagus]

Black sand looks nice, especially with lighter axolotls. The one problem I ran into with black sand is that it hides waste, so cleaning takes a little longer as you play Spot-The-Poo

 

[Jake777]

How about playsand with a Uticularia graminsfolia carpet growing? Will the plants get in the way or is plan sand the way to go?

 

[vagus]

Playsand is a good general choice. Wash it well. And when you are done, wash it again

I honestly have had poor luck with anything other than Java Moss (T. barbieri / V. dubyana) and duckweed, as I have no green thumb. But I have seen it used well, but it does prefer water softer than you use for axolotls.

No matter what plants you use, the axolotls will tear it up a bit, so don't get too attached to your aquascaping, as they will likely redecorate

 

[Jake777]

Will a product like flourish harm axies?