Question: Newbie- Need advice on what I will need for two Axolytls

[SammieFlan]

hi everyone!

I should be getting two juveniles by the end of the week. I've read alot that I should keep them seperate until they are older. Im on the fence about getting a filter for them. I'm home everyday mostly all day so I am willing to do frequent water changes. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Any suggestions on great ways to start out and prepare for them? Thanks!

 

[Shizeric]

What size tank do you have? substrate? what kind of diet are you considering?

 

[SammieFlan]

I'm actually going out to look at tanks and substrate tommorrow. I'm not sure if to get two seperate ten gallon tanks or get a twenty gallon one and just split the tank up. As for diet I'm planning to start out with blood worms and axolotl pellets since I see different opinions on what's safe for them to eat. I also plan to look at sand as the substrate. Any specific kind that you know is beneficial? I also want to get the right kits to monitor the water. Suggestions are very welcomed.

 

[Ken Worthington]

Hi,
Best of luck with the new residents, but I'm wondering why you might be 'on the fence' about filters?
Hopefully you'll have a nice place already prepared for the little fellas!
Be sure to check out various threads on this forum (thanks!) for info on 'cycling' tanks and the preparation of the water (Nitrogen cycle, etc).
The API pH/nitrate/nitrite/ammonia testing kit that I bought on Saturday cost a fair bit, but will last hundreds of tests, and is important to get these guys settled in a nice new home...
I'm very new here myself, (so if I'm trying to teach my granny to suck eggs ), but you'll find this forum very active and its users helpful to the extreme....
Also, the choice of substrate should be considered......some axie lovers go for sand (suitable sand!!) and some go for large pebbles, or a bare aquarium floor (ease of maintainence, etc)......the point being that axies can't help but swallow bits of gravel if given a chance as is does them NO good whatsoever....
Keeping them happy will also involve trying to keep their temp below what might be your ambient room temp in summer
If they're juveniles, then if you have access to a freshy watered patch of garden with a sheet of black plastic over it, this should provide lots of nice fresh worms of various sizes.....be sure your garden is pesticide/herbicide free....also, variety in diet is always important, also the live food that you feed them can be fed a particular diet to boost vitamin/mineral/protein, etc content (the food chain is wonderful hehe)
If you go for frequent (treated) water changes (ie.chloramine free), remember that a big change in the water temperature might upset them....
I can't stress enough the importance of reading the previous posts and searching for stuff on this forum
Hope this all helps, and please post some pics of them!

All the best :happy:

 

[dragonlady]

hi everyone!

I should be getting two juveniles by the end of the week. I've read alot that I should keep them seperate until they are older. Im on the fence about getting a filter for them. I'm home everyday mostly all day so I am willing to do frequent water changes. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Any suggestions on great ways to start out and prepare for them? Thanks!

Do you know how large your juveniles are? Tank size will determine if they need separation or not, really. If you have the room, a 30 gallon long would be ideal for 2 and this would be large enough for them even after they reach adulthood.

You will want places to hide and visual barriers so they can get away from each other. PVC pipes are cheap and effective hides. Lots of plants will provide the barriers, but you will want the front of the tank to remain fairly clear because they like to walk around a lot.

The only time I have had issues with juveniles is at feeding time. Teach them to eat at opposite ends and keep them well fed. As Ken suggested, plenty of worms are essential. Frozen bloodworms are usually well accepted by juveniles too and setting up a glass jar at each end of your tank will help with that mess.

Also, as Ken mentioned, having those test kits and maintaining temperature are key. Axolotls have no tolerance for ammonia and a tank temp of 24 or above can prove deadly, ideally, you want it in the 16-18 range.

With two, you will definitely want a filter. This will ensure a stable environment for them and seriously decrease the work load for you. I would recommend something external like a mini canister. These are fairly inexpensive, easy to maintain, and the water flow is acceptable as axolotls like slow moving water. I use zoo med 501s and I love them. These are fairly inexpensive, especially online.

Sand is a very popular substrate out here as it can be inexpensive and the axolotls seem to love walking around on it. I have one who likes to dig a hole and then lay in it like a turtle about to lay eggs! Children's play sand is the cheapest form, available at most home improvement stores or even some Wal-Marts. It will need to be sifted for gravel and then rinsed, rinsed, rinsed! This can be done in a bucket with a garden hose pushed down in the middle of the sand or in a pillow case until the water runs completely clear. A more expensive sand is aquarium sand, especially, Tahitian Moon Sand, beautiful, but a bit pricey. If you use aquarium sand, don't use reptile or marine sand.

Any more questions, just ask...and oh yeah, welcome to the fascinating, yet addictive world of axolotls! Take care.