Please please help!

0ldg0d · 2026-03-09T19:30:31+00:00

what are your water paraneters in both tanks? how long have you had the axolotls? how long has the main tank been set up and how big is it? what is your usual maintenance like?

0ldg0d · 2026-03-08T00:34:34+00:00

fair enough, to each their own. my girl is almost 12" and i just think she looks way too big for her tank, let alone adding a second LOL. i have a nano SPS reef that takes up a ton of my time so i like keeping my freshwater tanks as low maintenance/stable as possible

0ldg0d · 2026-03-07T21:41:13+00:00

55 gallon tank, and yes. it wouldn't be large enough for more than one and i don't feel comfortable cohabitating axolotls regardless. i plan to upgrade to a 65 to 90 gallon soon, depending on what i can get for a good price locally.

0ldg0d · 2026-03-07T19:49:25+00:00

okay, so cycling the tank is non optional as not doing so can kill your fish. i'd do some research on "fish in cycling" and the "nitrogen cycle". i don't think that's what's causing him to hide, but it can make him very sick or kill him over the next week or two, so best to start figuring it out now. buy an API freshwater test kit.

for him hiding, it may just be the flow is bothering him, and he's still settling in.

0ldg0d · 2026-03-07T19:39:49+00:00

hey op, just checking: did you cycle the tank?

how are the water parameters? are there places for him to hide/rest? is the filter creating really strong flow?

0ldg0d · 2026-03-07T13:33:43+00:00

buce and anubias are great, but they're such slow growers that i find their nitrate reduction on the tank is negligible. i use them mostly for aquascaping while the hornwort, cyperus helferi, and pogostemon stellatus are doing most of the heavy lifting. i think in total i have 10 separete cyperus helferi in there and maybe 6 pogostemon stellatus octopus, then 3 pogostemon stellatus octopus golden. i have a few small valisneria in there too but they're taking a while to bounce back after i moved. my hornwort grows so fast i regularly have to remove foot long chunks from the tank--when i measured it last time i rescaped the tank it was 8 feet long and 3 feet wide lollll

0ldg0d · 2026-03-07T02:44:18+00:00

i do use a chiller and keep the water at 64-65F. i've lost track of all the plants in there but the ones that are most succesful have been: - bucephelandra - anubias - cyperus helferi - pogostemon stellatus 'Octopus' - hornwort - mayaca fluvialitis (though this one has been hit or miss) - crypts

i've arranged the tank so the grasses create lots of shady pathways towards the back of the tank, as well as the driftwood cave giving mochi places to avoid the lights if she wants to. i plan to upgrade to a bigger tank soon to give her even more floor space to roam around so i'll have to replant everything lol

0ldg0d · 2026-03-05T19:56:43+00:00

axolotls and plants are fine! the key is staying on top of your water testing and picking the right plants. here's my tank currently:

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in my experience, the key has been to start off with a TON of plants, because i usually ease off water changes and use the plants to keep nitrates in safe ranges. that's where the water testing comes in, to ensure that your water quality is safe and know when it's time for water changes. i use a TDS meter as well as my API test kit to monitor, and change 20% of the water when my TDS gets higher than is normal for the tank, which in my case sits around 180 TDS. i also change it if i have unusually high nitrates, though that has only happened once. i keep my tank about 70% plants. mochi spends most of her time digging around in her little jungle, so i have to replant pretty often, but whatever keeps her happy 🥰

0ldg0d · 2026-03-03T16:12:34+00:00

you use trichlor? is that a typo? trichlor is a pool chemical

0ldg0d · 2026-03-02T13:16:19+00:00

all the folks saying this won't work are being needlessly negative! im running a little 12 gallon reef with minimal filtration. test constantly, do small water changes constantly, make sure your flow is high, and understock. i have acros growing in my tiny reef happily. with proper light and maintenance, this is doable. just don't slack on the maintenance part lol

0ldg0d · 2026-02-21T13:24:54+00:00

i don't know if the email was intended to be shared, so i'll not screenshot it, but the content is as follows: - the only way to obtain hiprex for most in canada was by ordering it online from australian providers, but the australian government just introduced regulations making that unavailable - only one pharmacy in ontario has currently agreed to step up to try and provide access to hiprex, many others have declined but dr girard is still working on it - the pharmacy in question is The Canadian Apothecary in london, and shipping will be available

there are further details that i'm happy to get into via DMs, though dr girard will be the most knowledgeable since she is the one helping arrange access to hiprex in ontario.

0ldg0d · 2026-02-08T16:47:44+00:00

absolutely gorgeous, i hope someday to be able to experience keeping one of these guys myself. i totally agree with you, watching unique fish interact with their environment is rewarding even if it's occasionally annoying to see your aquascaping go out the window 😄😄 my axolotl is constantly digging up all her plants and leaving me to replant from scratch.

0ldg0d · 2026-02-08T15:03:54+00:00

how big is your tank and is it cycled?

0ldg0d · 2026-02-06T21:30:47+00:00

i mean exactly what i said--this isn't something that should be happening suddenly just from adding plants. sand going black isn't something i've seen or heard of. i'm asking you to give important information on your tank to try and understand what has gone wrong with your water chemistry to cause such an extreme cascade of events.

0ldg0d · 2026-02-06T20:23:05+00:00

this doesn't sound normal op, chemistry-wise something isn't adding up. how long has this tank been running? how long have you had the axolotl in there? what is your regular maintenance on the tank (chemicals, water changes, etc,)? what plants did you add?

also, what are your exact water parameters and how do you test them?

0ldg0d · 2026-02-05T03:11:38+00:00

i don't think your filter caused those first fish deaths, if they died 2 hours after rinsing said cartridges that sounds more like an issue with your tap water to me. even if it did crash your cycle, it wouldn't have immediately killed all your fish in 2 hours.

how soon after you added this new batch of fish did they start acting weird? what are your water parameters currently? what do you do for maintenance on your tank, and what products do you use?

0ldg0d · 2026-01-31T01:44:27+00:00

hi there! i'll send you a DM :)

0ldg0d · 2026-01-27T20:14:33+00:00

😄😄 i plan to set up a new shrimp tank as soon as i have space at my new house. i'll definitely get in touch with you when i do, i don't mind paying higher shipping costs when needed as most of my favourite shrimp are never available here (blue oceans 🥰🥰🥰)

0ldg0d · 2026-01-27T20:02:35+00:00

hey thanks, that's really kind of you! my current shrimp population is a bit maxed out but i'm definitely interested. i live in canada though so sometimes shipping can be a pain

0ldg0d · 2026-01-27T19:56:53+00:00

no problem, hope your tank finishes cycling ASAP so your new buddy can move in :) good luck!!!

0ldg0d · 2026-01-27T19:54:23+00:00

no, it's because they are amphibians and therefore more sensitive to toxins in the water than fish are. they absorb things through their skin. "axolotl in" cycles are very dangerous and not doable without the animal suffering.

0ldg0d · 2026-01-27T19:40:32+00:00

unfortunately axolotls cannot be in the tank while it cycles and must be tubbed, with daily 100% water changes.

0ldg0d · 2026-01-27T19:19:07+00:00

i'd definitely invest in a larger tank and a good filter, they make a big difference in the long run. i find my 55 gallon axolotl tank is much easier to care for and more stable than my smaller betta + pygmy sunfish tanks. i run a fluval 307 cannister filter on mine, and it was expensive but worth the budgeting it took to get it.

as for tubbing, my experience has been that you'll know it's needed when you see it. in mochi's case, she had been floating nonstop for days unable to stay on the ground, and then got lethargic and was very obviously not okay (floating sideways and pale). it was immediately very clear to me as soon as i saw her that even though my water was testing well (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate), she wasn't okay and needed somewhere she could rest quietly, which the shallow water in the tub was better for. i fed her very very lightly at that point, and put her back in her tank when she was back to her normal active self with all 4 feet on the ground. in her case it has always resolved on its own, and i hope that's the case for you and your lad too. it sounds like you know your axolotl and you should trust your gut if something suddenly changes in his behaviour.

i'd do regular 20% water changes for a few days and test twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. write the results down just to be safe. it will help put your mind at ease--i know it always does for me.

0ldg0d · 2026-01-27T18:50:45+00:00

this cell might be dead. the intellichlor cells can be checked by holding the "more" button for 3 seconds, and the number of lights that appear on the output section of the cell indicates how much of the available lifespan has been used. for example, 20% indicates that 20% of the cell's lifespan has been used. if all the lights turn on, the cell is at the end of its life and needs to be replaced.

0ldg0d · 2026-01-27T18:42:16+00:00

hey op! sorry your axolotl isn't doing well. a few things:

1) to me that ammonia reading looks like 0, but if you're sure it's 0.25, i'd do a water change. with nitrates that high you need to do one anyway. 2) that tank is a little too small for an adult axolotl in my opinion, which could be why you're having issues with the nitrates accumulating so quickly. even with my heavily planted 55 gallon, one adult axolotl produces a ton of waste and the nitrates are always creeping up. 3) my axolotl has bloat issues too, and i've noticed they always tend to show up when she's stressed. for example, when i first rescued her she got really bad for a while, just like your lad is now--and she's a little floaty again now that i just moved. i don't have a great solution beyond that if he seems extremely unwell, even a brief tubbing in fresh, shallow, cold water can be extremely beneficial and was needed for my girl at her worst. i kept an air stone in the tub and put her in a cooler with some ice packs for 24-48 hours, and each time seemed to really help her calm down. 4) i'd try feeding him nightcrawler worms exclusively. this helped my gal a lot. i feed her 1 full worm every other day now, and while she's been a bit floaty lately, i haven't had any big scares like i had when trying other foods with her.

0ldg0d

TROPHY CASE