Question: Newbie questions about Axie's

A

Ace

New member
Joined
Jul 15, 2014
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Ohio
Country
United States
I'm new to axolotl's and I have a few questions.

I have already read a bunch about them and have comprised a list of things I need.

My first question is: Is a 10 gallon tank large enough for one full-grown axie? I have an old tank that I plan on cleaning up real good to use for this purpose. I need to know if it will be big enough for when the axolotl reaches full size or if I will need to invest in a larger tank.

My second question is: How difficult is it to deal with sand as a substrate? Cleaning-wise and plant-wise.

My third question is: How exactly should I start on getting the cycle in a tank going? I know the basics but I'm not really sure how to start.

Any response to my questions will be appreciated. Thanks guys.
 
Generally 10 gallons is fine however you need more floor space than height. A 1-1.5ft tank is perfect for 1 full grown axolotl.

Sand is fine to clean I use a siphon with a tube on the end do the sand gets kicked up in there letting all the small gunk go down the siphon. You need no more than an inch of sand and you will need to stir it around/kick it up during cleaning to avoid toxic gases building up. Plant wise - they will anchor in and survive but i didn't have much success on growing them. Axolotls tend to dig a lot and can uproot them. You might have more success with very very fine sand. You can try potting them instead or attaching them to driftwood and other decor.

To start a cycle you need an ammonia source. The easiest way to cycle is to do a fish less cycle - which you add straight ammonia to the tank everyday to allow the cycle to start. Doing a fish-in cycle, their poop and existence will provide an ammonia source. However ammonia and nitrites are very toxic and levels need to stay low enough to ensure there is no harm done. This is done by DAILY water changes. Keep in mind cycling may take several weeks. During the cycle you will see a spike in ammonia. As the ammonia drops nitrites will peak. As nitrites drop you'll see nitrates peak. A fully cycled tank will read 0 ammonia and nitrites, and a reading of but less than 40ppm nitrates. Your nitrates may spike but weekly water changes will bring them back down.
 
HayleyK said:
Generally 10 gallons is fine however you need more floor space than height. A 1-1.5ft tank is perfect for 1 full grown axolotl.

Sand is fine to clean I use a siphon with a tube on the end do the sand gets kicked up in there letting all the small gunk go down the siphon. You need no more than an inch of sand and you will need to stir it around/kick it up during cleaning to avoid toxic gases building up. Plant wise - they will anchor in and survive but i didn't have much success on growing them. Axolotls tend to dig a lot and can uproot them. You might have more success with very very fine sand. You can try potting them instead or attaching them to driftwood and other decor.

To start a cycle you need an ammonia source. The easiest way to cycle is to do a fish less cycle - which you add straight ammonia to the tank everyday to allow the cycle to start. Doing a fish-in cycle, their poop and existence will provide an ammonia source. However ammonia and nitrites are very toxic and levels need to stay low enough to ensure there is no harm done. This is done by DAILY water changes. Keep in mind cycling may take several weeks. During the cycle you will see a spike in ammonia. As the ammonia drops nitrites will peak. As nitrites drop you'll see nitrates peak. A fully cycled tank will read 0 ammonia and nitrites, and a reading of but less than 40ppm nitrates. Your nitrates may spike but weekly water changes will bring them back down.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks a lot! That really helped clear some things up. I have another question though. Where is the best place to buy Axolotl's online? The pet stores around me don't sell them and I just want to make sure I'm getting one from a reliable source. Thanks again!
 
There are many reputable breeders in the US who will be happy to ship. Check out the for sale section ("FS: us" when you scroll further down in the forum index).

Some people buy them off this site or sale sites. For example in Australia we have a place called gumtree.com.au which there are some good breeders on. Kind of an equivalent of craigslist (I think...). But to ensure you get a healthy axolotl the sites probably your best bet.
 
A 10 gallon tank is often considered enough for an axie. But I'd never keep one in such a small space. Think that an axie can grow to be over 30 cm (1 ft) so if you put it in a tank that size he'll barely have any room to move especially if you put some hides and plants in there. Also it's easier to maintain good water quality in a larger tank. I'd recommend at least a 80cm x 35cm (roughly 2.5 x 1 ft) for one or two axolotls. The water depth should be at least 30 cm (1 ft).

Sand as a substrate is good. I have the kind of sand they use in sandblasting stuff so it's very fine. I just clean the poop with a turkey baster when I see any and when I do a water change I lightly siphon the surface. I usually stir the sand a bit whenever I use the turkey baster so I never have to go through all of the sand at once. And as far as plants go my anubias are doing fine and growing in the sand. Sometimes my big guy uproots some of them but it's easy to just stick them back in there.

To start a cycle all you really need is ammonia, the bacteria will find their way in there. If you want to get a head start in the cycling process you can take some soil (no fertilizers or pesticides), mix it with water, filter it so you only have the water and put that in your tank. That way you get some of the bacteria in there right away that can then start to multiply.
 
I'll check out the site then and try to set something up. I've looked at a few websites but their "Full refund if it does within 24 hours" policy kind of scares me.

How much does a tank that size usually run? And if I purchase say a 6" Axolotl how long would I be able to get by with a 10 gallon tank? I know mine is over a foot in length but I'd need to make sure to tell you exactly how long it is.
 
I have no clue what tanks cost over there. But you can also check out some used tanks if new ones are too pricey. You can often get used ones at a fraction of the price.

Axies usually grow very fast. I got my leucistic and wild type in march when they were 4 inches long and now four months later my big guy leucistic is over 10 inches and my wild type a bit under 10 inches. And both still growing.
 
Alright I'll look into it a little later on. Looking at getting a fairly small Axolotl at first and then upgrading to a thirty gallon tank later and getting another Axie.
 
Keep in mind that if you get another axie later, you can't put them together unless they're about the same size. The difference should be max 2 inches.
 
I have a mix of sand and larger river rocks in my tank and it works pretty well. The rocks help to hold plants down when the 'lotls are rooting around in the sand, and the sand cushions the rocks that their weight isn't all in one spot on the glass bottom. I've had great success with Java fern as a plant.

I'd really recommend looking for used tanks. A 10 gal is okay for one, but the more room they have the more stuff they will do and its fun to watch them doodle around. They are loveable, ridiculous creatures.

When I was looking for an axolotl, I actually set up a Google alert for "Axolotl for sale" and "Ottawa" so I would get an email if anyone was selling an axie near me. Some of the used sites also let you set up email alerts so I just had one for the word "axolotl" on Kijiji, the most popular used site around here. It took a couple months, but then I got an adult pair complete with tank, filter and some plants at a very reasonable price.
 
Petco periodically has $1 per gallon sales on new tanks, in store, up to 55 gallon I think.
 
geez dude you must work for petco but yeah I think petsmart is pretty good with tank prices too, I think I paid like $20-30 for my 20 gallon long
 
LOL, no, but then there aren't that many choices out there for nationwide chain stores that carry larger tanks (I only know of three).
 
Xtophr said:
Petco periodically has $1 per gallon sales on new tanks, in store, up to 55 gallon I think.
Click to expand...

I just got a 40 gallon tank from there for the $1 per gallon sale. They also had a deal for a rebate on filters as well.:happy:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Back
    Top