Trying to decide on a tank prior to getting some Axies

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eric

Guest
Hi, I'm Eric and I've wanted an Axie since I was a kid. I've decided to get one, but I don't want get ripped off. I'm thinking of getting a 55 gallon aquarium from Walmart - they have a complete setup with a lighted cover, a hang-on charcoal filter, thermometer, heater and some other stuff (PH kit, food, nets, rocks) for about $160.00 Everywhere else I've looked (Petsmart, Petco) sells the tanks for nearly that without the covers and filters and the like. I need advice... is this worth it for the lights, cover and filter - or am I just going to have to run right back out and get a new filter that's not going to fit with the cover and lights already supplied? What does an Axie setup usually run for a 55 gallon tank?
 
Hi Eric, welcome to the Forum
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Here is a wonderful site some of us here like to visit: www.bigalsonline.com

Axies poo a lot, make a lot of mess. I am going to get a Canister Filter soon. According to many on this site they work great! I have one of those over hang filters on my tank, they don't work very well. Do you have a pet's mart near you? They have Rena Canister filters there, that is a good brand, they also have them on the above site. As for Aquariums, It might be cheaper to put it together your self, such as getting a filter media that doesn't come with the tank it's self, A tank, and the lights, but then again it might be expensive. I actually got a 20 gallon tank from Pet's mart, it was a kit which had the filter, the light overhead and what not, but the filter just doesn't do anything for my tank. I find that Pet's mart most of the time is the cheaper place to buy, sometimes even compared to Walmart in the Pet's department, but Tank kits usually don't come with very good filters from my experience with three different tanks that had over hang filters. I hope this helps
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Hi Eric, welcome to the forum.

You may want to start by reading this on basic housing needs: http://www.axolotl.org/housing.htm

Address the axolotls basic needs then list items that will make axolotl ownership more enjoyable for you.

I do always vote for a larger tank. Larger tanks are easier to keep good water quality in and when you find you "must have" more axolotls you have room
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WOW, you guys reply fast! Thank you. I double checked the filter on the tank at walmart - its an AquaTech Power 30-60. I don't belive anyone with Axies like it from what I've read so far - it alot to digest. I went to Petsmart (petco people are totally ignorant) and found the canister filter and one of those paddlewheel filters that keep the bacteria in the wheel. So, now I am trying to figure out which would be best for me. Petsmart also has a 55 gallon tank for $120 with a hood and lights. Their Canister Filter costs $95.00 and their Penguin Paddle Filter is $45.00. If I get the aquarium and the Penguin then I'd have the good parts of the Walmart starter kit for pretty much the same cost. I've read some (its a heck of a lot to read) of the info on your Axie site and I remember someone liking the paddle wheels because they are helpful to the bacteria. Would the canister filter also help the bacteria as well? What is makes the canister filter worth another $50.00? On another note - I've read enough about Axies to know they excrete quite a bit - if they are anything like my toads I have some idea of what I'm in for. But I've also read that they excrete ammonia. How bad is this? Do they smell? Will they make my room smell like a public toilet? Let me know if you have the chance...
 
By the way thanks for the links Cynthia & Rheann. I've read the housing needs and found Big Al's prior to posting here. I'm a research nut and usually study for weeks before I make any move on anything - which is why I'm going to figure out what I need, how much it will cost, pros and cons of each item and a timetable before I ever start buying anything. So I will probably be asking more questions from time to time. By the way, I love your site. It's really well laid out, functional the visually attractive.... where did you get this message board? Did one of the moderators build it or was it something purchased and set up? I'd love one like this for a band's website I'm designing.
 
Eric, if you're only getting one axolotl, a 55 gallon tank is serious overkill! lol. A 20long should only cost you about $25, and is more than big enough for one axolotl. You could even keep 2 in a 20 long. I don't recommend the 'kits' because you don't need half the stuff in it (such as the fish food, heater, gravel, lights). You could get a good filter (I like overhang filters, they're great for biological filtration, and if you use sand as a substrate, you don't have to worry about gravel vacuuming) for fairly cheap, and don't have to pay all that money.
 
But Joan.......who can have just one?
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I don't think 55 is over kill. I currently have tanks small and large and I would gladly give up the smaller tanks for larger. The smaller tanks take just as much if not more time to keep up. And I like watching my axolotls swim, the larger tanks give them room to stretch out and go.

Eric - I have both kinds of filters; hanging filters on fish tanks and canister filters on fish and axolotl tanks.

The size of your aquarium will help decide on your filter. Smaller tanks do well with the overhanging filter (baffled or spray bar for axolotls). But if your tank is larger in my personal experience the canister filters rock.

I have fluval 204's on tanks from 29 to 40 gallons and they are so nice. They offer sponge, ceramic O's and carbon media.

I have several penguin 170's and a 330 running on tanks from 10 to 40 gallons. On the smaller tanks they are enough, but on the larger tanks they are doubled up with canister filters.

The biowheel does hold beneficial bacteria, but so does the sponge and ceramic O's inside the canister filters.

Cons of all filters is cost of media.

I would shop online for the parts you need and compare the price with local buying. Even with the cost of shipping I am saving money by placing one big order every other month at Big Al's and other online stores.
 
Overkill should be my middle name. I know I could go way smaller, but I've always given my pet the biggest and best stuff I could get. All of my lizards were in 55 gallon tanks (usually bought at garage sales with cracks). I really don't mind sinking $200-$400 into this, I just don't want to waste the money on stuff that will be useless. I may have more than one Axie, I don't know yet. I think I will cycle the tank for at least a month, then add one or two. I will see how much they excrete and generally get to know them. If I want more I might get some, or if the tank is too big, I might get a piece of plex and divide the tank and add something else on the other side... perhaps some fish or more amphibians! I'm reading through all of the forums now and trying to decide what to do. I know my very first step is going to be finding a good base for the tank.... I'm thinking of building my own or maybe finding a good wooden end table in a garage sale...
 
Cynthia, is the picture of the white axie your axie? Why do some of them seem to have much longer gill stalks than others? Is is random or does it have to do with maturity. The white one at the top of the header on the main site is absolutely fantastic. What other online stores would you recommend for shopping? I notice Big Al's comes up a lot.
 
Eric - I forgot to comment on the poo. Axolotl poo does contain a lot of ammonia which means you keep your turkey baster handy and remove poo daily as it is too large to be picked up by a filter.

My axolotl tank does not stink.
 
Eric - Yes the axolotl in my profile picture is mine; a golden albino, her name is Blingbling.

I too love the gills on the white one at the axolotl.org site they are the best.

Gill size has a lot to do with water quality, genetics, illness and injury.

One of the first signs of illness or poor water quality is shrinking gills.

Some axolotls just don't have big gills and some get theirs bitten off later in life and don't always grow them back as they were before.

Besides big Al's I sometimes buy things from http://www.thatpetplace.com
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/
and http://www.petguys.com
 
And www.aquariumguys.com These guys have super-awesome customer service. Their shipping's a little expensive, but offset by buying lots of stuff. lol. Last time I shopped there, I spent almost $200.
 
Since i will be getting the canister filter soon, I have some questions about them. What are the Ceramic things inside for, all of those little plastic/ceramic bead things? What purpose do they surve? I have seen at the pet stores I believe where they sell them as replacements just like filter cartrages for filters. Just curious about the ceramic bits
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Rheann - Fluval BioMax is suitable for both fresh and marine aquariums. When used in a center or top media basket, Fluval BioMax is the ideal host material for large populations of beneficial bacteria. The ring size and shape provide an excellent strainer for medium and large particulate wastes when used in the middle media basket. The biological activity is still noticeable when used in lower levels, but the rings will clog much more rapidly than when they are used higher in the filter. Bacterial activity and growth will gradually clog the internal pores that make it such a fantastic biological substrate. BioMax should be replaced every six months, but only half should be replenished at one time to allow proper seeding from older media to new.

Biomax rings are unique, inert ceramic rings that promote powerful bacterial growth both internally and externally. Each ring is very porous, with holes that are perfectly sized to host beneficial bacteria. The massive internal and external surface areas allow huge colonies of beneficial bacteria to grow, making Fluval Biomax an ideal media for biological removal of both ammonia and nitrite concentrations in the aquarium.
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=HG11455&ast=&key=

The Aquarium Pharmaceuticals RENA Filstar XP 1 Canister Filter I just received does not have any ceramic media that I can recall.
 
how do i make my tank stop stinking..oh and i have big rocks. so i cant see the poo...so what do i do...
 
Okay, last question about filters. While canister filters are expensive at about $80-$90 and the Penguins are about $25.... how do they stack up financially as far as replacement filter cartridges? I know these need to be replaced every so often.... is the canister filter cheaper in this reguard and the penguin? Or do you have to replace both about the same. I really don't understand how a canister filter works at all, except that it is self-priming (whatever that means)
 
Eric - I think the canister filters are cheaper to maintain in the long run.

Instead of buying the "pre packaged" bags of carbon I bought reusable media bags and I refill them myself.

If you watch Big Al's they put the carbon on sale usually once every 3 months (stock up then). I buy the largest size of black diamond; Marineland Black Diamond Carbon- 3.65 L Which right now is on sale for $14.29 ($3 off)

That container of carbon will fill one Fluval 204 (which I keep 2 compartments of carbon in) approximately 6 times. I change my canister filter carbon media once every 6 weeks (on the tanks with lots of fish) to 2 months (axolotl tank). The rest of the media in the Fluval filter rinses out and only needs replaced when warn out or plugged.

The penguin filters are spendy: Marineland Penguin 170/330/200B/350B Cartridge- 3 Pack Price: $5.39
These need changed monthly. The 330 needs 2 of these filter cartridges at once. True you can rinse them out sometimes and reuse them but the carbon in them is sparse and basically after 4-6 weeks or so your carbon is spent and doing very little.

It is the carbon that removes odors from the water.

Canister filters are more powerful, hold more media and are more efficient.

Canister filters have to be primed to work because they are enclosed. For example with the Fluval filters (because I am most familiar with them) when you change the media in them you put them back together with no water inside the base. You connect the hoses back up (comes with a nice ball valve set up)and water will start flowing into the filter base because it is lower than the tank. Once the water stops flowing on its own the Fluval has a little handle you can pump up and down to force out air that may be trapped inside the base, or if the water did not start to flow into the base when you opened the ball valve this will start it as well. It only takes a few pumps. Then you plug it in and you are good to go.

penguin over the back filters also have to be filled with water before plugging them in
 
Bookie - sounds to me like you better move the big rocks around until you find all the poo and clean it out. Large rocks make it very hard to keep a tank clean I think.

A filter with fresh carbon will help remove the odor.
 
Bookie, if you're still cycling, the stink is normal. You gotta bear it. Sorry.

Cynthia, I buy a box of 6 penguin Rite Size C's at aquariumguys.com for $10. You just gotta buy extra stuff to cover the cost of shipping. But I wholeheartedly agree that anything with reusable/refillable media is cheaper in the long run. I LOVE my Duetto filter because of that. Just take it out, open it and replace the carbon, scrub the initial intake screen, and you're good to go.

Canisters are cheaper in the long run than overhangs, but overhangs are simple in maintainance, and it's easy to find media for them.
 
I'd go with an aquaclear filter before a penguin. You can use ceramic rings in the aquaclear and it doesn't need pre packaged inserts. My favorite filters are amiracle hang on filters and minireef filters. The important thing is biological filtration and low flow. It is usually necessary to do some siphoning or vacuming to clean up waste. When picking out a tank for axolotls you don't need the height of a standard tank. Breeder style tanks work nice. The larger the tank the easier it is to maintain.
 
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