Tank Set Up Questions

[warpedmind41]

Hi!

I'm looking towards purchasing an Axolotl in a few weeks and have a few questions concerning the set up(s).

I have a 29 gallon and a 10 gallon that I would like to put towards axolotls. I would like to keep more than one. So is it okay to keep one in a 10 gallon and two in a 29 gallon? As far as filters go, I've heard that strong ones are not recommended because of the current, would keeping a fairly week 29 gallon filter on my 29 gallon be okay?

For substrate, I've heard about people using very cleaned reptile sand, and I thought it looks gorgeous, so is that an okay thing to do, or should I stick to large, smooth rocks(smaller than the mouth so it can't be swallowed). Would play sand work, too? I mean, I don't think it would look as great, but being a bit tight for money right now it might have to be used, although I hope not. Is that okay, as long as it is washed? I use play sand in my 55 and my 29 gallons right now and it works fine.

Also, what sort of plants should be used? Anyone have any names of commonly found aquarium plants I could buy at say, Petco or Petsmart? Are artificial plants okay, too? I'm a bit weary on using real ones because I have never used them before and tried to grow some from seeds I bought once, and they never grew.

And lights, for the plants, how long is it okay for the lights to be on in the tanks? I will make sure to have plenty of dark hiding spots, and I plan on having the lights off as much as possible, they will also be in a room that rarely has the lights on.

And any tips for keeping a cool tank? The room I'm going to have them in is the coldest in the house, but I don't know if it will be cold enough to keep the tank cold enough to keep them from getting stressed.

Oh yeah, and does anyone have some pictures of their 10 or 29's that I could see? I plan on setting the tanks up tomorrow so I can begin to cycle them to be ready for use in a few weeks. I would just like some ideas and I have already been to the site(a caudata site, I believe) and I saw the tanks there and I didn't really like the set ups I saw, but I have seen other people here with really nice ones, but most of them were larger tanks, I would like to see what people are doing with smaller ones.

Thank you!

 

[Darkmaverick]

Have a look through these links.

Caudata Culture Axolotl Articles

Axolotl Sanctuary

 

[warpedmind41]

Have a look through these links.

Caudata Culture Axolotl Articles

Axolotl Sanctuary

A bit. But I saw some of the tank pictures there and wasn't too awfully fond of them. I'm hoping to see what some people on here have done, though. I'd like to get the set up process started tomorrow after my last class of the day. And I've seen some great pictures on here so far of people's set ups, but a lot of pictures are of their pets and not so much of the set up itself, and that's what I'm looking at. Thanks for re-linking, though!

 

[blueberlin]

Hi warpedmind41,

You can also check out the galleries. There is the Axolotl Gallery in this subform (click) as well as the members gallery (click). The link Ray gave you to the CC articles includes an article on setting up an aquarium - some inspiring photos there, too.

Now you do realize, of course, that we will all be expecting pictures of what youdecide to do, right?

-Eva

 

[dipsydoodle]

I think the two links were very useful - I'm also "thinking" about setting up an axolotl tank

 

[warpedmind41]

Hi warpedmind41,

You can also check out the galleries. There is the Axolotl Gallery in this subform (click) as well as the members gallery (click). The link Ray gave you to the CC articles includes an article on setting up an aquarium - some inspiring photos there, too.

Now you do realize, of course, that we will all be expecting pictures of what youdecide to do, right?

-Eva

Yep, I've been to those and I went through about 35 pages on the subforum looking for tank photos, but most of those photos were of the axies, not really of the tank. And I liked a lot of the tank photos I saw.

And I've been to those links that he put in. But the set up one, I didn't find very useful, it seemed a bit skippy and threw me off, but that maybe was because I was writing a paper at the same time I was reading and I was exhausted. And the pictures I saw there, I didn't really like.

 

[BBJ]

Hi

Regarding the reptile sand.

I have tried this out for my axolotl tank, and while it looks very pretty and is (i believe) excellent substrate for the axolotl since when submerged it kinda resembles the mucky bottom of a lake.
With all that said, it is a whole lot of trouble, it is so finely grained that it whirls up at the least of movement, and it settles on plants/decoration in the tank, which does not look very nice.
Furthermore it gets packed so tightly that no air can get through, so you might easily end up with some anaerobic bacteria forming in it.

I switched backed to normal aquarium sand.

 

[warpedmind41]

Hi

Regarding the reptile sand.

I have tried this out for my axolotl tank, and while it looks very pretty and is (i believe) excellent substrate for the axolotl since when submerged it kinda resembles the mucky bottom of a lake.
With all that said, it is a whole lot of trouble, it is so finely grained that it whirls up at the least of movement, and it settles on plants/decoration in the tank, which does not look very nice.
Furthermore it gets packed so tightly that no air can get through, so you might easily end up with some anaerobic bacteria forming in it.

I switched backed to normal aquarium sand.

Thank you for the information. I read a little about it on a different site and ended up going back to my cheapy play sand, so now I'm very happy I didn't go with the reptile sand.

 

[warpedmind41]

I'm actually finishing the decoration process this weekend. So far I have the tank with the sand set up. I have the water treated and in the tank with a running filter. I'm going to get a thermometer for the tank today and some decorations. So far I have a hollowed out log, it's about a foot long and 5 inches in diameter with a few small holes in the sides to peak into. I'm gonna get two pots and bust them up a bit and put them in there for some more hiding places. I'm gonna get some fake plants to put in as well, then it should be fully set up. I'm gonna throw a few guppies in, too, then remove them when I get the axolotls and put them into a ten gallon.

 

[blueberlin]

Sounds great! Pictures?

-Eva

 

[warpedmind41]

Sounds great! Pictures?

-Eva

Well, I just got the pots, I'm gonna wash them real fast them put them in in a bit, after lunch. Then I'll take pictures. However, I am still lacking the fake plants.

I also, finally, got a thermometer for the tank and it's at 70 degrees, is it okay to keep an axolotl at that temperature or is that too stressful? The room the tank is in is the coldest in the house at all times. But if it needs to be colder I can get some fans to put on it to make it colder when it needs to be.

 

[Aimee]

If your tank reaches a peak of 70 degrees during the day and then drops a few degrees at night then your axolotl should be fine. If you find that it gets warmer than this, you might want to try blowing a fan over the top of the water or using frozen water bottles.

If you need to use frozen water bottles, make sure you fill them with dechlorinated water incase of leakage.

Can't wait for pictures! :happy:

 

[warpedmind41]

Well, we like to keep our house very cold. Our thermostat is at 68 right now. xD But that room is usually very cold. I'll monitor the temperature for the next few days and see if it ever goes over 70, and I'll see what it does at night, then I'll come here and see what people think, but I'm hoping it's fine as it is right now. But this is my first time ever making an axolotl tank, so I'm not sure of everything.

Anyways, though. I got the pots and I tried to break them like I'm seen people here do. And it didn't work out for me. :/ So I tried to arrange them in a way where there is some shade in them. However, lights in that room are rarely on, and I don't plan on having live plants, so the tank light will very rarely be on, so I don't think a lot of dark places are really necessary. But here is what I have so far, any constructive criticism would be great. And don't worry, the fake plants will be coming in a week or two and hopefully the axolotls will be moving in in two or three.

It's a 29 gallon tank, I plan on having the water reach all the way to the top.

Also, I was never able to get an answer somewhere else, but would it be okay to keep two axolotls in this 29 gallon tank?

 

[blueberlin]

Hi warpedmind41!

Thanks for supplying a photo, now we can really get down to the nitt-gritty.

1. I would not put the water quite up to the top as axolotls have been known to flip out of the tank. They do not bounce well. If you leave a gap of about 3 inches, that should be fine.

2. How long is your 29-gallon tank? Specific length and width, more than volume, will determine the number of axolotls you can keep.

3. I have read about people cutting pots with some kid of... saw? maybe? Not really sure but certainly someone will peep up with more info on that. Otherwise, you could maybe prop the back side up (very securely, of course) with some sand so that the top of the pot is horizontal.

4. The water temperature should eventually be the same as the room's temp, unless you have a lid and/or lights on the tank. If you have a lid and/or lights, removing them will help cool the tank.

5. There are some white and blue pebbles? on the sand which look like they could be harmful for an axolotl. If the axolotl swallows them, they might not come back out so easily. Perhaps you can pick these out as you see them?

Can't to see more pics and watch along as your tank "grows".

-Eva

 

[warpedmind41]

Hi warpedmind41!

Thanks for supplying a photo, now we can really get down to the nitt-gritty.

1. I would not put the water quite up to the top as axolotls have been known to flip out of the tank. They do not bounce well. If you leave a gap of about 3 inches, that should be fine.

2. How long is your 29-gallon tank? Specific length and width, more than volume, will determine the number of axolotls you can keep.

3. I have read about people cutting pots with some kid of... saw? maybe? Not really sure but certainly someone will peep up with more info on that. Otherwise, you could maybe prop the back side up (very securely, of course) with some sand so that the top of the pot is horizontal.

4. The water temperature should eventually be the same as the room's temp, unless you have a lid and/or lights on the tank. If you have a lid and/or lights, removing them will help cool the tank.

5. There are some white and blue pebbles? on the sand which look like they could be harmful for an axolotl. If the axolotl swallows them, they might not come back out so easily. Perhaps you can pick these out as you see them?

Can't to see more pics and watch along as your tank "grows".

-Eva

1) Yeah, I know, I just have it like that for now since I am still adding stuff into it, I don't want to stick my arms and other things in there and overflow it if it's at the top. Don't worry.

2) 2'6" in length, 1 foot in width, and 1'5" in depth.

3) I tried propping it up, but my sand isn't deep enough to do that, it ended up toppling over. I think it should be fine now, at least until I can find out how to cut it. I'm currenly sawless, and cutting it with a steak knife didn't do much, either. In that photo everything does look very lighted, but that is only because I had the room lights and the tank lights on, otherwise, it won't look like that at all. So with all of the lights off, those pots really do just help give them more hidey holes and what not, there is no direct sunlight going into it, and like I said, those room lights are very rarely on and I never put those hood lights on either.

4) I have lights, but they are very rarely on, as for the hood, I would take it off, but I don't want anything jumping out, and the water from the filter has a tendency to splash slightly, and without the hood it will splash little water droplets onto the wall and what not, and after a few days it just gets kinda nasty to have that water splashing out. But the tank so far has remained at 70, day and night. Is that okay?

5) I've been working on take those out, there are a few though that got into the sand a long time ago, when I was working with fish in that tank.

 

[dipsydoodle]

As for your tank size I was recommended a 2 foot tank for one axolotl and an extra foot per extra axolotl.

Remember he may be small when you get him but he can grow to 12" when an adult.

 

[blueberlin]

I agree with dipsydoodle; I'd say your tank is the minimum size for a maximum of one axolotl.

That your filter output splashes causes me some concern as it would imply a high water flow, which will stress an axolotl. What kind of filter fo you have? Maybe we can figure out how to decrease that flow - thereby also solving the splashing issue and letting you remove the lid, which will help keep the tank cooler, too. Although I think that 70°F is ok in summer - 65°F would be better.

-Eva

 

[warpedmind41]

I agree with dipsydoodle; I'd say your tank is the minimum size for a maximum of one axolotl.

That your filter output splashes causes me some concern as it would imply a high water flow, which will stress an axolotl. What kind of filter fo you have? Maybe we can figure out how to decrease that flow - thereby also solving the splashing issue and letting you remove the lid, which will help keep the tank cooler, too. Although I think that 70°F is ok in summer - 65°F would be better.

-Eva

Alright, one it is, then.

As for the splashing, It's not really splashing-splashing. Like when you have a tub of water, then turn the water on again, or when a waterfall is hitting the water below. I'm not sure how to describe it, though. But it's not like, a hard current or anything. The filter I have is some crummy filter that came with a 29 gallon tank set at walmart. It may be Tetra, but I've seen the Tetra's for 29 gallons, and they don't look alike. But it's a really crummy filter, not very strong at all. I just can't think of a word to describe what it does. Maybe...sprays? I dunno.

As for temperature, heh. I've been monitoring it and it has stayed at a constant 70. Keep in mind, though, where I live..Winter is completely non-existent. South-east Texas, we know warm, hot, hotter, and damn hot.

 

[warpedmind41]

I fixed the little splashing issue and I added some fake plants to it. I put one of the plants directly under the filter and it doesn't even sway. I accidentally filled the tank up too much, but it has caused the filter to do it's just and make zero noise and zero current.

I'm going to keep adding plants and hiding places, and will most likely end up redoing the tank eventually.

I plan on getting my axcolotl in a few days.