Sena (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
senashenta) wrote2024-07-12 08:13 am
senashenta) wrote2024-07-12 08:13 am
A Lotta Little 'Lotls
Okay, so, I've been talking with Poe and they have three axolotls (so far) and they are giving me tips for axolotl husbandry, which is AWESOME because this is a totally new thing I am getting into, here. Apparently they recommend 110 litres/tank per axolotl, which, when translated to gallons, is like a HAIR over 29 gallons. So my tank is big enough for 1.5 axolotls, which means it is actually big enough for ONE axolotl, but that is fine with me because it means I can get it as a baby (MUCH cheaper) and not worry about what gender it is. Apparently if you accidentally get one of each gender in the same tank they are like "underwater rabbits" and I do NOT want that. SO. Just getting one solves that problem as well. Ideally I would love a pink 'lotl, but I am going to look on kijiji and see if I can find one on there that is inexpensive, in which case I really don't care what color/morph it is as long as it's healthy. <3
They do better with live plants, as I suspected, which means I have to get a bunch of live plants to cycle the tank with, and apparently they will systematically destroy them over time and they will have to be replaced, but that's not a huge surprise. They also need lots of hides, which I knew, and I have some bookmarked on Amazon to buy probably next month, along with an underwater filter and an air pump, and all the chemicals needed for starting the tank up (I'm still in the process of tearing it down from the fish, so there's no point in buying this stuff quite yet and also MONEY.)
Axolotls are nocturnal and do not like bright light, and like... my tank has an LED light in the top but that is easily fixed by just NOT TURNING IT ON. They are also cold water critters, and I had planned to buy an aquarium fan to help keep the water temp down, but Poe suggested frozen water bottles, which is a STELLAR idea, like why didn't I think of that before? I can just fill them with the treated aquarium water and freeze them, and then cycle them through the tank as they melt. Poe was like "but it doesn't get that hot in Canada so you shouldn't have to worry about that so much" and I was like "HAH." :|
So that just leaves the food, which will depend on how big my 'lotl is when I get it. Once it's big enough it will eat worms, which I think I will buy from the fishing/outdoors store on the edge of town because I learned my lesson LAST TIME I ordered worms through a pet store. $17 for red wigglers?? FUCK YOU PET STORE I CAN GET THEM FOR $5 AT A FISHING PLACE.
ALSO, LEE WAS LIKE "DO THEY SMELL? DO THEY SMELL LIKE A TURTLE TANK?" LIKE FUCK YOU LEE IT'S
GOING IN MY ROOM, WHERE YOU NEVER GO, AND YES, I'M STILL PISSED OFF THAT YOU WOULDN'T LET ME
BRING MY TURTLE FROM GRANDMA'S AND I ENDED UP HAVING TO GET RID OF HIM. FUCK YOU VERY MUCH.
EDIT: I also need a turkey baster for pooper scooping of the axolotl. :D;
They do better with live plants, as I suspected, which means I have to get a bunch of live plants to cycle the tank with, and apparently they will systematically destroy them over time and they will have to be replaced, but that's not a huge surprise. They also need lots of hides, which I knew, and I have some bookmarked on Amazon to buy probably next month, along with an underwater filter and an air pump, and all the chemicals needed for starting the tank up (I'm still in the process of tearing it down from the fish, so there's no point in buying this stuff quite yet and also MONEY.)
Axolotls are nocturnal and do not like bright light, and like... my tank has an LED light in the top but that is easily fixed by just NOT TURNING IT ON. They are also cold water critters, and I had planned to buy an aquarium fan to help keep the water temp down, but Poe suggested frozen water bottles, which is a STELLAR idea, like why didn't I think of that before? I can just fill them with the treated aquarium water and freeze them, and then cycle them through the tank as they melt. Poe was like "but it doesn't get that hot in Canada so you shouldn't have to worry about that so much" and I was like "HAH." :|
So that just leaves the food, which will depend on how big my 'lotl is when I get it. Once it's big enough it will eat worms, which I think I will buy from the fishing/outdoors store on the edge of town because I learned my lesson LAST TIME I ordered worms through a pet store. $17 for red wigglers?? FUCK YOU PET STORE I CAN GET THEM FOR $5 AT A FISHING PLACE.
ALSO, LEE WAS LIKE "DO THEY SMELL? DO THEY SMELL LIKE A TURTLE TANK?" LIKE FUCK YOU LEE IT'S
GOING IN MY ROOM, WHERE YOU NEVER GO, AND YES, I'M STILL PISSED OFF THAT YOU WOULDN'T LET ME
BRING MY TURTLE FROM GRANDMA'S AND I ENDED UP HAVING TO GET RID OF HIM. FUCK YOU VERY MUCH.
EDIT: I also need a turkey baster for pooper scooping of the axolotl. :D;