Natural/eco system tank for axolotls

[zaktaylor]

When i first got my axolotls about 6 months ago i kept them in a tank which was all fake plants and plastic hides. i found that as i was only a beginner at keeping these animals (or any aquatic animal as these are the first pets i'm responsible for) it was hard to keep my tank running well. after problems with pH, Nitrate and Ammonia levels they became very stressed and got a bad fungal infections which i treated with salt baths and fridging. After talking with my dad about it he advised that i try setting my tank up naturally which i was hesitant to do in case of problems. i followed his advice and introduced the pond weed know as Hornwort. (can be found in the link below)

CERATOPHYLLUM DEMERSUM (Hornwort), Buy pond plants mailorder for flowers in the pond and bog garden

We sourced this from a local pond where there was a an excess of it growing. we took quite a bit of this weed however i ensured to go through it in case of anything bad like parasitic leeches etc. after checking it we found leeches which are non parasitic and fresh water shrimps (also one or two dragonfly and mayfly nimphs, but we removed them as they are potentially dangerous) as both of these required good water quality we thought i would be a good indicator of water quality whilst also making my tank more natural like an ecosystem so it would be far more stable. after doing this i have had brilliant results my water quality is incredibly stable although some of the weed has broken down. :happy:

the point om this thread was to inquire if anyone else had done this and what type of results they had just out of interest.

Note: if anyone takes this idea it is at your own risk i thoroughy went through the weed and checked the types of microorganism that were living in this weed. this is done at your own risk. it is also to not that i am british and got the weed in britain so may be different for those living in other countrys. :happy:

thanks for reading

 

[Jing kob]

Adding live plants is usually a good idea for water quality, However, I must caution you against adding wild plants to your aquarium. Many of the nasties that kill fish are not visible to the naked eye. A safer way to go about it may be to visit a pet shop or aquarium specalty store. they will likely have cultivated plants that don't run as much risk of dangerous hidden passengers.

 

[Cacique]

A liquid water test quit will work a million times better at telling you the quality of the water. Plants can still look fine but you could have a spike of ammonia or something that you wouldn't know about unless you tested your tank. Once cycled, you can test less frequently, but it's always good to test the water every now and then.

 

[zaktaylor]

i regularly check water quality with the testing kit i have roughly every two weeks. i have the same weed for some considerable time now and have had no problems but thanks for the advice i'll bear it in mind

 

[sde]

the point om this thread was to inquire if anyone else had done this and what type of results they had just out of interest.

Yes, I have done this many times, and continue to do it. It works fantastically for me. I didn't to this for axolotls, though. The plants usually grow well and are obviously free, plus they are used to cold water so they wont die in the cold water in the axie tank.

However, I must caution you against adding wild plants to your aquarium. Many of the nasties that kill fish are not visible to the naked eye.

Agreed. However you can kill most of the bad stuff by putting the plants in a salt water solution for a minute or two, then taking them out and rinsing them. This is what I do, and I have experienced no ill effects.

 

[Cliygh and Mia]

And also what bedding do you have? You do know not to use gravel, right?

 

[zaktaylor]

ahh right good to know thanks ive been running mine like this for roughly for about four months and have had no problem. my wild type axolotl actually enjoyed himself hunting the leeches and shrimps and this was fine as they are non parasitic and for the question about gravel no i use a fine sand which isnt harmful.

 

[Jing kob]

Yes, I have done this many times, and continue to do it. It works fantastically for me. I didn't to this for axolotls, though. The plants usually grow well and are obviously free, plus they are used to cold water so they wont die in the cold water in the axie tank.

Good to know, I've seen a friend loose some of her fish to protozoa from a wild plant. I'll pass on the advice should she still want to collect native specimens.