dumbblonde
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- Sep 30, 2018
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- Location
- Arizona
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- United States
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- Faith
I recently got my very first axolotl on Saturday with bare minimum knowledge on them which is my mistake, I should've done more research. I am just trying to do my best for them and I need some help/advice. I have it in a ten gallon open top aquarium (I know I need to get a cover for it, I bought one but then switched to a different filter that lowers the overall flow of water that hangs off the side instead of inside the tank).
Initially, the aquarium had a gravel substrate because I thought the gravel was big enough, but then I noticed the baby was trying to eat at the rocks. I also included a hide for them to go into and a live plant, I don't remember what it is called but I looked on here first to see if it was safe to use.
Now my aquarium has no substrate at all, a different filter, and I switched out the live plant for a moss ball since it doesn't need to be rooted, same hide as well and a bowl too (for blood worms). After I removed all the gravel, the water became cloudy.
I am trying to get the water tested as soon as possible, but I work as soon as I get out of school most days (high school student)
I also purchased some black natural sand to replace as substrate but I don't know when to do it because I don't want to stress out my axie more than I need to 
I'm also having trouble even determining if my axie is stressed or not. They act very curious when I approach the tank, even following my finger up and down the glass, still eating, and occasionally I see them swimming around the tank a little bit. However, their gills are curled forwards/upwards, and their tail is curled, but its more so the whole tail and not the tip (i cant tell if its curled because it likes to hangout in the 'tighter' spaces of the tank).
I will try to take pictures and post them to this thread when I get home, but if anyone can help me out I would really appreciate it. I'm just trying to do the best I can for my axie.
Initially, the aquarium had a gravel substrate because I thought the gravel was big enough, but then I noticed the baby was trying to eat at the rocks. I also included a hide for them to go into and a live plant, I don't remember what it is called but I looked on here first to see if it was safe to use.
Now my aquarium has no substrate at all, a different filter, and I switched out the live plant for a moss ball since it doesn't need to be rooted, same hide as well and a bowl too (for blood worms). After I removed all the gravel, the water became cloudy.
I am trying to get the water tested as soon as possible, but I work as soon as I get out of school most days (high school student)
I'm also having trouble even determining if my axie is stressed or not. They act very curious when I approach the tank, even following my finger up and down the glass, still eating, and occasionally I see them swimming around the tank a little bit. However, their gills are curled forwards/upwards, and their tail is curled, but its more so the whole tail and not the tip (i cant tell if its curled because it likes to hangout in the 'tighter' spaces of the tank).
I will try to take pictures and post them to this thread when I get home, but if anyone can help me out I would really appreciate it. I'm just trying to do the best I can for my axie.