New axolotl owner

S

Sowa

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PE
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Canada
Hi there,

I just recently got my first axolotl. I think it's pretty young like 4-6 months. It is in a 10 gal with sand substrate.

He seems pretty skinny right now. I feed him one earthworm a day or some bloodworms. I'm wondering if he needs more?

Also it's not very hot here yet but it can be. I can't afford a $200-300 chiller right now so what methods can I use to cool him? The guy I got him from said to use a frozen water bottle but I read online that can change temps too quickly and might be bad for him?

Also does anyone breed their own earthworms? I've been thinking of doing that and wondering how much work that is.

Here is some pics of him these are the size of worms I'm feeding him too. They had nightcrawlers too but were much much larger. Felt they were too big?
ax_zpsiefv7dub.jpg

ax2_zpsllmfq3xw.jpg

ax4_zps6azlgqo9.jpg
 
What a cute little guy! :) Welcome to the forum! An Axolotl that age and size can eat twice a day, mine are about 4-5 months old and eat a worm in the morning and then some bloodworms in the evening if they're still hungry! The goal should be to have his belly as wide as his head. :) Really there isn't a rule as to how much you can feed him, feed him as much as he can eat within a two minute period or so and he should be fine.
As for the chiller, my best friend and I made changes to my 50 gallon tank by removing the light from the top, making our own mesh screens to serve as a top and attaching a small desk fan to blow over the water's surface! My tank is consistently between 17 and 18 degrees! :)
 
Hi Sowa and welcome to the forum. :happy:
Sammy is right, they can eat more at that age. Juveniles are growing and need the food. If any worms are too big they can always be cut into suitable sized pieces.
Same with the lid and fan combination. In fact, unbelievable as it is in the UK at this time of year, but I'm going to be doing the same with my tanks today because they reached 22C yesterday evening.
It will also be worth considering a larger tank. I'm fairly certain that the general rule is 20 gallons for the first axolotl and 10g for each one after that in the same tank. I'm sure that one of the more experienced keepers will correct me if this is wrong, but I find that mine quite enjoy a bit of space to go for a walk or a swim. :happy:
Best of luck with your adorable little one and please keep us posted on your progress. :D
 
Does anyone know of any other ways to do a chiller?? I'm not sure I could set up that computer fan thing I'm not very handy
 
Sowa said:
Does anyone know of any other ways to do a chiller?? I'm not sure I could set up that computer fan thing I'm not very handy
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I just bought a fan from Walmart! :) It's a mini desk fan with a clip, it plugs into an outlet and has two speed settings, and clips right onto the edge of my tank. Works perfectly!
 
The fans I've ordered from Amazon also just clip on to the tank.
 
Can you post a link to the ones you're talking about? Thanks :)
 
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