Question: Setup for new axolotl - help?

[ElaineSelene]

Here is what I have and what I know. Could I get some advice on this? Its my first axolotl / amphibian. So I just want to make sure things are right.

20 gallon long
bare bottom tank
plenty of hiding places
only decorations too big to fit in it's months / larger than it's

Can I use my filter on the tank? its a 30 gallon hang on filter. (no bar. How do I break the current?)
Should I use a bubbler/airstone on a LOW setting?

I know how to chill the water with an ice bottle and I will feed dried worms and pellets...

What should I know? What am I missing?
Thanks!

P.S. I have water already cycled with fish (I took the fish out and gave them away) is that ok to use? I'm cleaning it now. Thanks!

 

[Quentari]

That should be an okay filter, install it and see how hard it pushes into the water. You can break it up with a plastic bottle or maybe one of those hang-on turtle rocks if it's creating a lot of force.

Bubblers are a great idea! most axies seem to love playing in them.

dried worms? or did you mean dry pellets? pellets and earthworms are perfect for staple diets, almost everything else is a "sometimes" food. Like cake for humans. (unless you're like me, in which case cake is an always food!)

 

[ElaineSelene]

That should be an okay filter, install it and see how hard it pushes into the water. You can break it up with a plastic bottle or maybe one of those hang-on turtle rocks if it's creating a lot of force.

Bubblers are a great idea! most axies seem to love playing in them.

dried worms? or did you mean dry pellets? pellets and earthworms are perfect for staple diets, almost everything else is a "sometimes" food. Like cake for humans. (unless you're like me, in which case cake is an always food!)

I have a cycled tank (it had tropical fish in it, now its empty). I just built a cool rock den for it out of stone slabs and smooth tumbled chunks. It should be tall enough to break the current on top of it.

I meant freeze dried blood worms. And dry pellets too. Cake is FOR SURE an all the time food! LOL.

 

[auntiejude]

Dried worms aren't the best. Live is first choice, frozen if you can't get live, but dried food loses much of it's nutritional value. Pellets are gret nutritionally, but can foul the water if you miss any when cleaning up.

Bare bottom is great, you could add a few large stones for decoration if you wanted, or resin ornaments.

Airstones are great - bubble surfing is a great hobby for axies!

Do you have plants? Real ro fake doesn't make much difference, but I found my NO3 much easier to control with real plants.

Do you have a turkey baster and a siphon? Or a vac? Vacs are expensive but worth it, a turkey baster of dirt cheap and great for sucking up poop (until the poops get too big!)

 

[ElaineSelene]

Dried worms aren't the best. Live is first choice, frozen if you can't get live, but dried food loses much of it's nutritional value. Pellets are gret nutritionally, but can foul the water if you miss any when cleaning up.

Bare bottom is great, you could add a few large stones for decoration if you wanted, or resin ornaments.

Airstones are great - bubble surfing is a great hobby for axies!

Do you have plants? Real ro fake doesn't make much difference, but I found my NO3 much easier to control with real plants.

Do you have a turkey baster and a siphon? Or a vac? Vacs are expensive but worth it, a turkey baster of dirt cheap and great for sucking up poop (until the poops get too big!)

Maybe I could do frozen. Problem is I'm pretty unhappy with touching the worms. I know that's really silly of me though. I'll do whats best for my pet if I can.

Do you know where I can get pellets? Only place I've found them is on eBay from Germany I think? Yikes.

Right now I don't have money (I'm trading the woman for the axolotl!) so I built my decorations and used some old decorations. I have plenty of rocks though (I collect them) so I'll raid my collection more and see what I have.

I have a gravel vac. One of those 50 foot long ones for the sink.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[emmyk]

Careful about what rocks you use! There's a list of safe ones around here somewhere...

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4

 

[narny101]

good luck with your new axie!

they really are the coolest things ever




P.S love my new avatar... Luna loves posing ;D