Penelope .R
Fish Fanatic
I'm thinking about stocking my 20 gallon tank with an Axolotl. It is fully scaped and has been for a year. It houses 3 AFD's currently and I'm setting up a different tank for them now.
So I'm wanting to do something different, and I've been interested in getting an Axolotl for some time. I'm fairly familiar with their care but I have a few specific questions if someone could share some insight
First, the tank itself is scapped with a background of good stuff foam, silicone, river stones and spider wood. My specific question pertains to the spider wood, since Axolotls have such delicate skin I was concerned that the spindley wood could damage it. Maybe this is a dumb concern since there are certainly sharper woods in the wild and they did fine out there until humans came around, but I thought I'd make sure before I went out and started customizing the tank for the Axolotl. I'll include a picture of the tank.
My second question is on PH. My PH here naturally runs a bit low, around 6.5. I've read it's ideal for Axolotls to have a PH around 7.5. How serious is PH? I generally try not to alter mine since most of my fish have adapted pretty well, but I just wanted to double check before I got an Axolotl.
Next is the substrate. The substrate in the tank currently is a mix of fluval stratum, gravel, sand, and pebbles and rocks of different sizes. The goal was to emulate a river bed, but would this be safe for an Axolotl or do they eat gravel? I can switch it over to sand pretty easily, I just wanted to ask.
Are there any plants I should avoid? I'd like to stick to real plants whenever possible. Currently this tank houses a sword plant, three crypts, and water sprite, as well as duckweed, miniature water lettuce, and water spangles. I figure I'll need to remove the floating plants (although I don't think I can ever get rid of the duckweed lol) but is there anything else I should avoid? I've read Axolotls like to dig so I'll probably need to stick with plants that don't need to be planted in substrate but if anyone has any advice it's really appreciated.
And lastly, is there anything else I should know before I get one of these little guys? I know the basic care and I'm currently freshening up on all of the parameters but is there anything more obscure I should think about?
So I'm wanting to do something different, and I've been interested in getting an Axolotl for some time. I'm fairly familiar with their care but I have a few specific questions if someone could share some insight
First, the tank itself is scapped with a background of good stuff foam, silicone, river stones and spider wood. My specific question pertains to the spider wood, since Axolotls have such delicate skin I was concerned that the spindley wood could damage it. Maybe this is a dumb concern since there are certainly sharper woods in the wild and they did fine out there until humans came around, but I thought I'd make sure before I went out and started customizing the tank for the Axolotl. I'll include a picture of the tank.
My second question is on PH. My PH here naturally runs a bit low, around 6.5. I've read it's ideal for Axolotls to have a PH around 7.5. How serious is PH? I generally try not to alter mine since most of my fish have adapted pretty well, but I just wanted to double check before I got an Axolotl.
Next is the substrate. The substrate in the tank currently is a mix of fluval stratum, gravel, sand, and pebbles and rocks of different sizes. The goal was to emulate a river bed, but would this be safe for an Axolotl or do they eat gravel? I can switch it over to sand pretty easily, I just wanted to ask.
Are there any plants I should avoid? I'd like to stick to real plants whenever possible. Currently this tank houses a sword plant, three crypts, and water sprite, as well as duckweed, miniature water lettuce, and water spangles. I figure I'll need to remove the floating plants (although I don't think I can ever get rid of the duckweed lol) but is there anything else I should avoid? I've read Axolotls like to dig so I'll probably need to stick with plants that don't need to be planted in substrate but if anyone has any advice it's really appreciated.
And lastly, is there anything else I should know before I get one of these little guys? I know the basic care and I'm currently freshening up on all of the parameters but is there anything more obscure I should think about?
