axolotl

[rizz]

Im thinking of getting my bf one for his bday.
we have a 3ft fish tank, just want to know what sort of filter we should use? and how we could keep the water at the right temperature? as the tank is on top of our leo viv.
thanks for the help

[tomwilson]

if your in the uk you want the water to be at room temp no heater needed there may be a danger from over heating it from your viv if it gives off to much heat. axolotls originate from mexico but the water is from glacial melt water hence the cold. as far as the filter goes i'd just ask for the size best for you tank size axolotls are quite clean but i would get something do diffuse the water pumped out of the filter because they don't like strong currents. hope this helps

[rizz]

thank you tom
will have to go to a fish shop and ask them, there is one just across the road from us.
our leo's source of heat is thru a heat lamp which is screwed into the top oh the viv so i dont know if the heat will affect the water temp.
are there any treatments which should be put into the water? do we just use ordinary tap water?

[samurai]

best to make sure your viv is strong enough to hold the weight of the water, and any decor you put in, water is very heavy! sorry if that sounds patronising i had a shelf collapse with a tank on once and its not fun

[tomwilson]

Originally Posted by rizz

thank you tom
will have to go to a fish shop and ask them, there is one just across the road from us.
our leo's source of heat is thru a heat lamp which is screwed into the top oh the viv so i dont know if the heat will affect the water temp.
are there any treatments which should be put into the water? do we just use ordinary tap water?

• does the top of the viv feel hot to the touch when the light is on. you could try putting the tank ontop with some water in and just measure the temp it shouldn't be much over 18oc. tap water should be treated with a declorinator which you can get from any fish shop and you just need to follow the instructions on the bottle its usually 1 drop per litre or something similar. i would also sugest getting something like safe start or filter start its a treatment you use to get all the natural cycles started in the tank by setting up the bacteria in the filter. you want to set up the tank for about 3 days and then buy a cheap fish like minows or some thing to test the water if the minows are ok in 4 days to a week then i'd get the axolotl you could also see if your pet store will do a free water test for you to see if the water is healthy. oh and when you clean your filter you should clean it in the water taken from the tank when you make a water change so you dont kill off the good bacteria that has built up. good luck with every thing

[axoemz]

Hi
I have a Fluval 105 external filter, they are a bit more expensive then internal ones but they are very good and you can adjust the pressure, as someone stated before, they dont like a lot of water movement.
Hope this helps, Emma

[rizz]

Originally Posted by tomwilson

• does the top of the viv feel hot to the touch when the light is on. you could try putting the tank ontop with some water in and just measure the temp it shouldn't be much over 18oc. tap water should be treated with a declorinator which you can get from any fish shop and you just need to follow the instructions on the bottle its usually 1 drop per litre or something similar. i would also sugest getting something like safe start or filter start its a treatment you use to get all the natural cycles started in the tank by setting up the bacteria in the filter. you want to set up the tank for about 3 days and then buy a cheap fish like minows or some thing to test the water if the minows are ok in 4 days to a week then i'd get the axolotl you could also see if your pet store will do a free water test for you to see if the water is healthy. oh and when you clean your filter you should clean it in the water taken from the tank when you make a water change so you dont kill off the good bacteria that has built up. good luck with every thing

will get my bf to have a look
we spoke to the bloke at the fish shop near us and he told us about the chlorine treatment we need to do. i know about cleaning the filter with the same water, as i have watch my sister do it with her fish lol
will do with the other lil fish before we get the axy!

Originally Posted by axoemz

Hi
I have a Fluval 105 external filter, they are a bit more expensive then internal ones but they are very good and you can adjust the pressure, as someone stated before, they dont like a lot of water movement.
Hope this helps, Emma

want to get the best kind of filter as i dont want to have to keep replacing it every few months.

Originally Posted by samurai

best to make sure your viv is strong enough to hold the weight of the water, and any decor you put in, water is very heavy! sorry if that sounds patronising i had a shelf collapse with a tank on once and its not fun

yeah thats something esle i need to make sure of, if it isnt strong enough then it might have to stand on the floor as its a stand alone tank and dont know if there is gona be a stand strong enough for it

[GemzD26]

Hi,

Best advice i can give you for keeping the water temperture stable is to keep the tank in the coldest room you have in your house.

I have all my tanks in my spare room with the window open most of the day my tank tempertures stick at 16-18 Deg which is perfect for axolotls anything over 20 deg can kick off health problems with them.