New axie

[SeaSloth]

I got a free axie that is about two years old they say but it seems so tiny compared to others I have seen on here. I don't know if they actually fed it meat or only pellets but yesterday I got it to eat three night crawlers but since it was so skinny and it scares me i tried to feed it one more today and it took it and then just spit it back out. what could i feet it?

The tank setup isnt so great right now. I am getting him a 20 long tank tomorrow with sand a fake plants and places to hide and a filter that doesn't create a fall or disturb the water to much.
This is Elbst - Album on Imgur
here a link to three photos. i couldn't figure how to upload them here.
Does he look normal? (pretty sure its a boy)

 

[LSuzuki]

He needs feeding up. Sometimes adults don't eat every day, but offer him food every day until he gains more weight. You want his abdomen to be as wide has his head, more-or-less.

You can also feed such as Hikari carnivore pellets or the salmon pellets Michael Shrom has for sale in the "For Sale" forum. I recommend pellets too, since then if you run out of worms, you have another food on hand he is used to. You can store them in the freezer to keep longer.

IMPORTANT: Do you understand "the cycle"? As in, cycling your tank? Do you have a test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH? Do you have a dechlorinator for your water? Forgive me for treating you like a beginner if you are an experienced aquarist, but it is very common for new axolotl owners to be inexperienced. If you aren't experienced, we will be glad to post links to good info on how to keep your axolotl in a good environment. :happy:

Welcome to the hobby!

 

[SeaSloth]

Cycling the tank i do not fully understand. i have done some research but i am still confused about it.
I am getting the liquid test kit tomorrow because i hear the test strips aren't to reliable but i've been using the ones from my work to test it right now(work in petstore). The only problem is i am acidic and at 6.0 but I am changing his tank tomorrow and will make sure to get some coral to raise it if it is still at 6.0.
For the water conditioner I use api water conditioner and quick start for him. i sadly didn't have anytime for the tank to settle for a couple of days because he was in a tank with gravel and wasnt eating along with a setting not really ment for him.
And its no problem I am a beginner but have done so much research that i think tomorrow he will have a pretty chill tank.

 

[LSuzuki]

Here are some words I put together a while ago on the cycle ... maybe they are the right words in the right order to clear up some of the confusion. :happy:

Water chemistry is interesting.

Ammonia (produced by axolotls and decaying organic matter) is toxic, but the toxicity is dependent on water pH. High pH = ammonia more toxic. (Aren't you glad you have low pH? :happy

Bacteria that eat ammonia will colonize the surfaces of your aquarium and decorations, etc. It takes a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, these bacteria eat the ammonia and then produce nitrite. Nitrite is also toxic.

Bacteria that eat nitrite will also colonize the aquarium, and it also takes a couple more weeks. They produce nitrate, which is less toxic. Too much nitrate will stress your axolotl, and is associated with fungus outbreaks.

The nitrate is removed by water changes. It is also removed by plants, but that doesn't eliminate the need for water changes.

This growth of good bacteria is called "the cycle", and if they die for whatever reason, they say "the cycle crashed."

An important fact about the beneficial bacteria - they reproduce slowly, not "every 20 minutes" like the kind that spoil food. That is why you can't really rush the cycle.

Filters provide much more surface area for good bacteria to grow on and a steady flow of water to the bacteria. (Some people can keep aquariums without any filter, but it is risky.)

Also, those "quick start" products ... Once in a while, you will find someone who swears by them, but more often, people say they don't work. So, check your water daily and do water changes as necessary to keep the ammonia and nitrite low. It will slow the cycle, but keep your axolotl healthy. (If you didn't already have your axolotl, I would recommend a fish-less cycle.)

 

[Zobug]

I found this picture online and I believe it's the quickest and easiest version of explaining the biological cycle IMO.