Did it again..

Hey guys... Got a bit if a story for you all..

When I 1st bought my axolotl I bought some tank ornaments of a lady.. The lady had 5 axolotl and got hold of me again recently and told me hers are laying eggs.. Then got hold of me again asking will I look after them as she is becoming ill..

I of course said yes and when I got there today she was looking upset and had 1 axolotl left... Long story short guys

Meet the new member



He is around 7" long..

However the catch is my 2 axolotl are only 1.5-2" long..



So I only have 1 4ft tank..

I have had to divide the tank into 2 because as soon as I put the new 1 in the tank he got aggressive and started to push the others around



So the tank is now split into 2.. Using a piece of plastic but is there anyway of doing this until my original lotties get a little bigger? Like perhaps some plastic chicken wire or anything?

Any advise would be great

Thanks

Ash


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Your lotls could have easily become lunch!

I would just get a separate tank. You're going to need to use it later on, anyways, if you plan on breeding for example. If that's out of the question and you want something to separate the tank yet provide flow, I know fish guys tend to use plastic egg crate. You could also create some holes of your own, making sure they are an appropriate size and are not sharp or rough.

It may be easier to pull your little ones out and raise them in separate containers until they are bigger

Is that a solid piece of plastic? If so, that's really going to screw up your water. You can get a tank divider for pretty cheap online. Either that, or maybe get a 10gal to grow the little ones.

Also is that the normal state of your tank?

jasper408 said:

Your lotls could have easily become lunch!

I would just get a separate tank. You're going to need to use it later on, anyways, if you plan on breeding for example. If that's out of the question and you want something to separate the tank yet provide flow, I know fish guys tend to use plastic egg crate. You could also create some holes of your own, making sure they are an appropriate size and are not sharp or rough.

Click to expand...

I didn't think of an egg crate.. I was thinking of small netting like on a net of table tennis? Or the pockets of a snooker table and separate the 2 sides

Martin21114 said:

It may be easier to pull your little ones out and raise them in separate containers until they are bigger

Click to expand...

I can't have another tank still live with my mum and she will go nuts lol already have 3 running

View attachment 26743

And there's a small tank with eggs..

EmbryH said:

Is that a solid piece of plastic? If so, that's really going to screw up your water. You can get a tank divider for pretty cheap online. Either that, or maybe get a 10gal to grow the little ones.

Also is that the normal state of your tank?

Click to expand...

Abhh right ok thanks ill check eBay out.. As iv said above I can't get another tank at the moment I'm going to have too split the tank if I'm going to keep him
Also what do you mean by the state of my tank?



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pavett1990 said:

I didn't think of an egg crate.. I was thinking of small netting like on a net of table tennis? Or the pockets of a snooker table and separate the 2 sides



I can't have another tank still live with my mum and she will go nuts lol already have 3 running

View attachment 26743

And there's a small tank with eggs..






Abhh right ok thanks ill check eBay out.. As iv said above I can't get another tank at the moment I'm going to have too split the tank if I'm going to keep him
Also what do you mean by the state of my tank?



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Click to expand...

Probably means that the isn't enough water in your tank,you should fill it almost to the top,that way the levels of amonia/nitrate/nitrite are easier to control.
Also then your axolotls get a lot more space to swim.
Also they don't need the tank light-they don't like bright light at all.


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Iv always been told to have it the length from their nose to their tail?


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My first observation is the type of 'sand' in your tank, it looks like crushed coral & it looks rough & with larger chunks (definitely not ideal!).

The water level is something I'd also be concerned about as well as the total lack of plants - axies like a canopy overhead as well as hides. The more water you have in the tank, the easier it is to control & maintain.

A solid barrier is as already mentioned definitely not ideal as it doesn't allow water to flow freely around the tank.

Coincidentally today I had to split my tank with a divider & put my 2 into a shared divided tank - I drilled holes into a food grade lid & have it's height above my maximum water level - I also like the look of loads of plants & mine has ended up looking like this




<3 >o_o< <3

Iv always been told to have it the length from their nose to their tail?


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To be honest I'm just doing what the pet store told me.. As I can see they don't know much lol.. I have plastic in at the moment but I'm am on my way to buy an original divider it has the holes and has the suckers to hold it.. I also am going to look at some new sand


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Pet stores don't know anything. Their #1 goal is to sell you stuff. That's how they stay in business. Rarely do they actually care about animals.

Again, you REALLY need to get that sand out of there. It's completely the wrong size, and it will make your water far too alkaline for your axolotls. This can kill them.

It's gone




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That's a start, but you replaced it with gravel. Particle size is important here; if you have particles that are big enough to get lodged in the gut, this can lead to impaction.

It's gone and it's all small pieces that can be passed I was getting very worried with the gravel I had in it


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Those really aren't small pieces. Think about the intestinal tract as a bendy-straw. The smaller your axolotl, the smaller their tract. They'll swallow that gravel (I don't care how or what you feed them, they'll swallow gravel), and the gravel has to pass through all the twists and turns in the gut. The bigger the pieces in relation to the gut, the better the chance of them getting stuck somewhere along the way.

Small particles are play sand.

I congratulate you on removing the coral so quickly - but even a really quick read of a couple of topics on here will all scream out....
DO NOT USE ANY GRAVEL!

Please take the time to learn the very basics about substrates & water quality - without the basics, little mistakes (like gravel) can do a lot of damage to your axies

Forget anything the pet shop told you & read all you can here



<3 >o_o< <3

Nikki71 said:

My first observation is the type of 'sand' in your tank, it looks like crushed coral & it looks rough & with larger chunks (definitely not ideal!).

The water level is something I'd also be concerned about as well as the total lack of plants - axies like a canopy overhead as well as hides. The more water you have in the tank, the easier it is to control & maintain.

Click to expand...

Pavett, this is what I meant by the state of your tank. As explained above, it's really best to have more water in your tank. Though axies are horizontal-dwelling animals, more water still gives them more space and it makes it easier to keep healthy. Think about it like this: Having a water level that low is almost like having them in a smaller tank. Ammonia and other harmful chemicals can build up faster in less water. You have a wonderfully large tank, so take advantage of it!

Your hiding holes are nice, and the plants are a good start, but also as said, it would be best to remove the gravel and either have a substrate-free tank or replace it with sand (fine, smooth sand that is specific for FRESH water). Never assume that a gravel is small enough for your axie to pass; that's gambling the health of your beautiful axolotls, and I'm sure that's something no one wants to do.

I'm sure this is frustrating, being told different things by us and the pet shop, and making changes only to find out that it's still not right, but trust me. Taking the time to make sure your axies have the best, most wonderful tank possible is incredibly worth it.

Go the extra mile for your axies and post pictures when your tank is finished and beautiful

We've all made mistakes :|

My poor baby started off starving eating jelly snail eggs & living on gravel 0.0
From there I bought a really bad type of fine black sand ($$) then the next day bought a fine white sand (perfect!)
crazy!

Finally I've read loads & learned what's good & bad - now I'm as obsessed with reading & learning about them as well as watching them more than the TV



<3 >o_o< <3