Seeking advice on my axolotl aquarium

[@x0lotl guy]

Hello, Thanks in advance to anyone who has some input on my situation.
My tank:
75g aquarium with only fake plants in it. Filled to about 2/3rds so approximately 50g of water in it
x2 female axolotls- both 9" long
x2 10-30g tetra internal power filter (they are high up so the falling water airates the tank)
x1 air stone

My situation:
I did a 75% water change several days ago because my ph got very, very low. 6.2ish i think. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate were all next to zero. I use the Master API test kit. I got as much of the fish waste I could out and cleaned and replaced the two filters and added 2 tablespoons of aquarium salts and 2 teaspoons of Pimafix by API. As well as treating the water I replaced it with Aquasafe plus by tetra. I had my axolotls in a separate holding tank with water from the 75g I put in before I began to clean. I tested the water ph before moving them back and it was at about 6.6 - 6.8. The water was completely clear before the change.

I tested the levels again just now and the A, N and N levels were all 0. Ph was the same- 6.6 - 6.8. I added 10 drops of ph enhancer by Imagitarium to try to get it closer to 7. I found an EC meter I had and tested the tank and it's at 510!.. (is this normal?- I feel like it isn't) My tap water is at 31 on the EC.


I'm not sure what I should do. One of my Axolotls hasn't eaten any nightcrawlers for 3 days now since the water change but the other one has had 1/2 of one every day since. (I usually give them each 1/2 NC per day) I tried to put a plate of pellet food out for the one who hasn't been eating and I think she got a little but not very much. : / I took out the plate to aviod leaving the food to decay
I'm not sure what to do. The water has been slightly cloudy since the change.

The one with the GFP eyes (i named her Sally- as in salamander ) is the one who hasn't been eating. She's 2 years old- I got her when she was like an inch long from a pet store
The albino with the black eyes (named Friendly) is about 4 years old. I got her from a friend.
Axolotls are super cool and I want to make sure they are happy and healthy.. They both have super cool personalities

Any advice would be very appreciated
Thanks

 

[@x0lotl guy]

Hi all!
I'm new here and I came seeking advice for my aquarium but I think its pretty cool regardless so I want to see what other people think. Its a 75g tank filled about 2/3 full. So 50g of water in it. I have two 9" female axolotls in it. One albino (named friendly) and one GFP albino (named Sally- as in salamander ).
I only have fake plants in there at the moment. I tried adding real plants before but the never do well because they can't get enough light. My axies don't like it when I put the light on. They always hide.. maybe because they can't close their eyes.. The blue light makes it hard to get a clear picture but it looks super cool in real life

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Do you have sand or gravel on the bottom of the tank?
Sand is a better option because some axolotls are stupid and swallow the gravel where it can become lodged in their digestive tract and eventually kills them.

Why don't you have the tank full?
How tall/ high is the tank?

 

[@x0lotl guy]

Sally finally had a nightcrawler just now

 

[@x0lotl guy]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Do you have sand or gravel on the bottom of the tank?
Sand is a better option because some axolotls are stupid and swallow the gravel where it can become lodged in their digestive tract and eventually kills them.

Why don't you have the tank full?
How tall/ high is the tank?

Hey Colin thanks

Its black sand at the bottom. I had black half marble things in there when they were small but I changed it out for sand for that reason. little dum dums might choke.. I have done a fair amount of research on caring for them.

I left it 2/3 full for a couple reasons. The filters I'm using aren't really meant for a 75g tank. (x2 10-30g carbon sponge filter) I figure 2 filters designed for up to 30g just about works for 50ish gal of water. The falling water helps aerate it a little. Theres an air stone where the skull is as well. Also the top of the column thing where the skull is, is near the surface. I wanted to make it easy for them to chill at the top of the tank if they wanted. I also have some fake plants with suction cups near the edge of the water that my GFP albino always relaxes on.

Its 20" high and the water level is at 14"

 

[Colin_T]

What's an EC meter?

Don't add salt to their tank unless they are sick. Then make sure the disease can be treated with salt.

Adding chemicals to raise or lower the pH can harm the axos, especially if you raise or lower it a lot. If you have problems with the pH dropping, add some smooth shells or smooth limestone rocks to the tank or filter and they will help buffer the pH. You normally add a little bit and monitor the pH over a couple of weeks and add more if the pH is still too low.

Axolotls need more variety than just worms. They will eat most types of meat but marine based meats are best. You can feed them prawn/ shrimp, fish, mussel meat, squid, etc. You can also offer then brineshrimp, bloodworms, Daphnia, Mysis shrimp and most other frozen fish foods.

 

[@x0lotl guy]

What's an EC meter?

Don't add salt to their tank unless they are sick. Then make sure the disease can be treated with salt.

Adding chemicals to raise or lower the pH can harm the axos, especially if you raise or lower it a lot. If you have problems with the pH dropping, add some smooth shells or smooth limestone rocks to the tank or filter and they will help buffer the pH. You normally add a little bit and monitor the pH over a couple of weeks and add more if the pH is still too low.

Axolotls need more variety than just worms. They will eat most types of meat but marine based meats are best. You can feed them prawn/ shrimp, fish, mussel meat, squid, etc. You can also offer then brineshrimp, bloodworms, Daphnia, Mysis shrimp and most other frozen fish foods.

They also call them TDS meters. this is the one i have
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073713G5F/?tag=ff0d01-20

I used the salt because one of the axies (my profile pic) looked like it has this whiteish rash behind its gills. Maybe from the low ph? The benefits on the box seemed like it would help. it looks like its receeding now after 4 days. Theres still a little left by the gills.

Yeah I was told that about chemically altering the ph at the fish store where I bought it. I only used a quarter of the suggested dose though. Hmm ok cool. thanks for the tip. I have some smooth seashells I'll throw in there.

Oh ok thats interesting about the varied diet. I do give them a little piece of chicken or salmon when I make it. Only one of them has accepted it though. (Friendly) I read that you mentioned prawn/shrimp on another axie post. I was planning on getting some soon. I have brine shrimp but they just end up going everywhere in the tank and the axies don't eat them. I have to put the nightcrawlers right in front of their face for them to get it. A worm can wiggle right underneath them and they are too dumb to work out where its coming from.. :0 I have bought and tried bloodworms before but they are so small its difficult to hold it right in front of their face so they eat it. Do you think pork or bacon is ok for an occasional treat?
There was a point where I had the GFP trained to eat pellets out of a bowl but when the other got added I stopped doing that cuz I didn't want them to fight and then stir up the pellets everywhere

 

[Colin_T]

I don't like putting mammal or bird meats into aquariums. Poultry is riddled with drug resistant bacteria and needs to be cooked and handled really safely otherwise it poses a risk to anything that eats it. And fish and Axos never evolved to eat mammal meat. They do eat it when it's offered, they just can't digest it well.

I wouldn't feed ham or bacon to fish or Axos. Most have preservatives in that can poison them.

----------------------
If you go to a fishing store and look in their bait freezer, you can buy different types of fish bait including things like whitebait, blue sardines, prawns, squid, etc. These will be easier to feed the bigger Axos because you can cut them into pieces and not have little bits go everywhere.

If you don't have a fishing store with bait freezer nearby, visit a supermarket and go to the seafood section in their freezers.

 

[@x0lotl guy]

I don't like putting mammal or bird meats into aquariums. Poultry is riddled with drug resistant bacteria and needs to be cooked and handled really safely otherwise it poses a risk to anything that eats it. And fish and Axos never evolved to eat mammal meat. They do eat it when it's offered, they just can't digest it well.

I wouldn't feed ham or bacon to fish or Axos. Most have preservatives in that can poison them.

----------------------
If you go to a fishing store and look in their bait freezer, you can buy different types of fish bait including things like whitebait, blue sardines, prawns, squid, etc. These will be easier to feed the bigger Axos because you can cut them into pieces and not have little bits go everywhere.

If you don't have a fishing store with bait freezer nearby, visit a supermarket and go to the seafood section in their freezers.

Hmm ok. Thats good to know thanks!

I have a fishing store somewhat close to me. Its probably easier to buy some reduced price shrimps or squid (farm raised I'm guessing) and cook them and freeze them. Thats ok to do I assume? How about sardines from a can?

Do you think a TDS of 510 is something to be concerned with?

 

[Colin_T]

Can't comment on TDS meters because I don't use them.

Cooking shrimp and freezing is fine or you can leave them raw and freeze them.

Sardines from a can are fine as long as they only have spring water in. If they have oil or anything else added, do not use them.

 

[@x0lotl guy]

ok cool fair enough.

ok cool

Thanks for all of the helpful info!