Interested in axolotls

[ZombieAxolotl]

To start off, no offense, but some people that don't or have never owned Axie's might not want to go on whole diatribe's about them giving wrong information to new or potential owners.

Caudata.org Newt and Salamander Forum is a great resource

Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander also a great resource.

so my questions are

A) how many will be ok in a 10 gallon?

One! Many people keep more then one in a 10gallon, but it really is just too small for two.

B) is it better to have sand substrate or river rock substrate? (have read that gravel is bad because they can accidentally ingest it and choke or have their intestines blocked so I am not considering it at all)

Sand is easier for cleaning. I do not use it personally. They will ingest it, and pass it. but I find it just disturbing lol. I keep all my axolotls on bare tank floor with a few river rocks for them to climb around on. Some of them have caves because they are shyer.

C) live plants? plastic? silk? - - have heard they can really damage live plants and uproot them....

I love a live plant in with any water baby. It's really good for water quality. These guys do like to root around. So I usually just go with a nice clump of Java moss.. it will grow fine not attached to anything and it supplies a hiding place too. I've used marimo moss balls as welll.

D) are internal or external "waterfall" filters best?

One the few axolotl tanks I have filters on I use a sponge filter. they make almost no current, which is ideal. Axie's will usually get very stressed with waterfall filters or internal filters that have powerheads. I choose to do weekly, partial water changes on my non-filtered tanks. It's really a personal preference and how much water changing you want to do.

E) how do you sex them?

axolotl.org has some pictures up but when they are sexually mature size the base of the tail (cloaca) will be swollen on a male.

F) I do not want to breed, will it be bad if I keep 2 of the same sex together? (are males territorial etc?)

You can keep two together with enough room, (not in a 10 gallon). If you do end up with a larger tank and two of them. and they end up breeding, They do lay eggs that can be removed. or really you can leave them and they will eat them. Lots of people remove the eggs and hatch them, or if they don't have the time they sell them. I've seen them go for about $0.50 to a $1 per egg on here. Usually people just sell them for shipping costs. Or donate them to the local school as a science project for the kids.

and please feel free to give me any other info/tips you can!

You can feed Bloodworms (frozen or live) my local petstore feeds their live with no parasite problems.
Earth worms are a big love of them (cut up for smaller babies)
Blackworms, Tubifex, whitworms, worms lol
Most people feed their axies a pelleted salmon food it's extruded in several sizes. (I personally don't because most of an extremely high fat content)

Personally my colony eats a variety of food.
Live feeder fish are usually always in my tanks, It keeps them busy and interested and is also something to give them exercise.
Earthworms, Frozen Bloodworms,
Hikari sinking carnivore pellets (I just started experimenting with these and it's going extremely well)
If you use these I will say if you over feed it will tint the water red so don't freak out

They do not really like floating food. and I think this also causes bloat with them. They suck up their food so when it's floating a lot of air goes in too. So no turtle foods.

They do not like a lot of change if you keep their habitat the same all the time. I've heard horror stories of people giving away an axie and it dying because of new water or new enviornment. I actually combat this by rearranging the tanks when I do my water changes. Since I started doing this i've never had any stress issues with moves or tank changes.

Any questions, just ask.
4 Melanoid, 2 Albino, 2 Golden Albino, 4 Wild, 2 GFP, and 6 A. Andersoni

[Pippin]

I hate to drag up an old thread, but I would love owning one albino, but is that mean to deny them interactions with another of their own species? Do they gain from a social interaction? Or are they just as happy kept singly? That is my main question on them now, since your post was so informative, and I have already browsed the caudata forum many times.