New Tank

[ianclick]

I have just bought a 200 litre tank and combined all three axies.

The pile of rocks is a network of 5 caves. Only Hendrix and Moomintroll have been keen to explore. Ollie hasn't ventured out of the caves except for a feed but shes a bit shy anyway.

I'm wrapped to have all three axies in one tank, and so far two days without any dramas they all seem to be behaving. A few aesthetic adjustments and improvements to go.

Now I just need a melanoid and a golden to go in the 100 litre tank.

 

[lisalee2]

i like it. you have done a good job with the stones, rocks etc.bet your axis love there home.

 

[featherbutt]

what exactly are these off-color axies called? they aren't white, albino, wildtype or yellow.

just sorta spotty pallid gray with local varigation .

 

[ianclick]

I believe they are called leucistic but may be light coloured wild types.

I am not fully conversant with the genetics but I lean towards leucistic because of the red gills, all of the wild type I have seen have dark gills, even the light coloured ones.

Or you can call them sorta spotty pallid gray with local varigation

 

[naymo]

I think they are leucistics with lots of dark pigmentation
They are so beautiful Ian

 

[kassie]

You have done a great job Ian I'm very sure your axies are very happy in their new home, If I had my axie indoors I'd want a setup just like yours it looks just perfect.

 

[ianclick]

Thanks everyone, its a work in progress, I will post some new pics when I get home hopefully tonight. Having just spent a week over here in Australia I now know why you guys and ladies have such a big mission with tank cooling. Man Its hot over here. We had a show in Darwin on Friday night it was 36 degrees celcius at 11.45 pm when we finished.

Good luck to you all as we were told it will get hotter.

 

[Lisa]

Hi Ian, yes the heat is a pain. In our old house our axie would have last about a week during summer, but then I would never have got one as I'd done decent research before getting Fred. It's still a challenge though; even reasonably cool houses here have an ambient temperature in the low 20's, so you have to try and maintain a tank at lower than ambient, pretty much all summer.
What sort of filter is in your tank? You said 200L: how long is that? Are those plants real? I really like the real ones, but obviously they need lighting to survive and I'm considering resorting to plastic ones to eliminate the heat that the light produces. The real one absorb nitrate too I think.

 

[jojo_is_here]

Congrats, that looks fantastic!!!

 

[ianclick]

Hi Lisa, it was sold as a 200L tank but I have since measured it and calculate the volume to be 160L but 3 ft by 18" and 18" high. Fake plants for the reasons you have mentioned, we don't quite get the same temperatures as you but we normally have quite high humidity so also have cooling issues over summer.

I have two waterfall type filters one from each tank so that I would get the bacteria from both when I combined all the axies into their new habitat. I was going to replace them but the water flow isn't significant so the only issue is the effects of running water on some young bladders.

 

[Lisa]

Thanks Ian. Yep, I think the real plants might have to go.

 

[gr33neyes]

cleaning

Hi Ian...
love the look of your new setup. I'm moving my axies into a larger tank soon and your setup has given me some ideas for the layout. I love the idea of the rocky caves for them to hide in and climb. I was just curious about keeping the tank clean though, how do you clean under and in all the caves and pebbly areas without having to take it all apart?

 

[ianclick]

Hi Becky,

I use a turkey baster for spot cleaning and a modified gravel siphonwhich creates a good suction for cleaning in the caves. The pebble area is only about 12" by 8" so i just move thr pebbles and clean with the gravel siphon.

The main issue is keeping the plants on the bottom of the tank, at present I anchor them down with small pebbles. This works well until the axies climb them them I tend to end up with floating plants.

I have tried to create an environment which would be as natural as possible. Great for the axies but I have to say not the best for viewing as at times they are all in the caves or hideaways.