My First Axolotls | Two Melanoids & A Wildtype

[KingCam]

Random Update.

All of the axolotls have been moved into a 45 gallon tank without dividers. So far so good.

My tank seems to be doing really good. I had a population explosion of hydras and other water inverts. None of them seem to be bothering the axolotls, and after running the photos past a few people in chat on caudata.org it would seem I have nothing to worry about.

I am going to take this invertebrate invasion to be a sign of the tank being properly cycled and healthy.

Here are a few of the critters rooming with my axolotls. Let me know if you see anything I should be worried about.

Detritus worms? (They were on the opposite side of the sponge filter and seem to have vanished now that I've added a second sponge filter to the other side of the tank)


Black worms or something similar?


Hydras






The tank has filled in nicely with plants. I have to thin the duckweed multiple times per week in order to give the frog bit room to grow.




All of the axolotls are tong feeding readily now. They get night crawlers, young lobster roaches, and the soft sinking pellets the breeder gave me when I bought them.

My two melanoids are growing rapidly. They are getting bigger than my wildtype quickly. The melanoid with two missing hands has regrown both of them already! The most damaged one is still growing & getting bigger, but the other one looks completely healed.










Here is my wild type. He's staying smaller and his gills don't seem to be getting any bigger like the others. In fact, his seem to be a little bit damaged in the back. I am keeping an eye on him. They haven't gotten worse, but they don't seem to be getting better either. I might have to fridge him soon if I don't see any improvement.


For some reason the wildtype runs from the camera. Don't have as many photos of him.

The tank is staying a very consistent 69F (20.5C)

[Namio]

Congrats to the addition of these aquatic salamanders! Axolotls are hearty animals and I enjoy them a lot! I also enjoy the pics that you posted here. There are several axolotl pellet food on the market that you can use to feed alternatively to nightcrawlers. Pellets plus nigthcrawlers can basically serve as their staple diet.