r/axolotls

Just some pictures of my tank and axl him/herself not sure what kind of axolotl they are other than golden

I was lied to by the owner of this axolotl. I was under the assumption I would have everything I needed and that he just needed rehomed due to the person moving abroad. Not only this but the axolotl is extremely under weight and owner said he currently has a fungal infection.

What I am struggling with right now:
- water is having a difficult time getting below 70 degrees. I have a surface fan and currently keep putting sealed bags of ice in the tank to reduce temperature as well.
- I need a good way to get his weight back up
- previous owner said that 15 min black tea water soaks daily will help the infection go away and that it has happened before and he has cleared up in the past

I have never owned an aquatic animal. I did excessive research beforehand and I thought the fan would be fine but so far isn't cooling it for long enough. I'm panicking, me and my boyfriend are trying our best to get him acclimated. Please be kind as I feel out of my bounds with this. I thought I was prepared and I just feel like I haven't done enough even though I thought I did.

First time seeing axolotls at our local petco. Makes me so mad, they have seven of these babies in coarse sand and 78 degree water. Of course manager "can't do anything about it". Not even just putting a fan over the surface or moving them to a bare bottom tank. Report filed with corporate, we know how that will go 🙄.

Bonjour à tous, j’aurais besoin de votre aide. Mon axolotl (environ 6 ans et demi) a un comportement inhabituel depuis quelques jours. Lorsqu’il nage, ses pattes arrière se replient vers l’avant et il a beaucoup de mal à avancer. Du coup, il reste la plupart du temps caché dans sa grotte. Quand il se déplace, il adopte parfois une position presque verticale contre la vitre. Il mange encore, mais je le trouve beaucoup moins actif.

Est-ce que quelqu’un a déjà rencontré ce problème ? Pensez-vous à une blessure, un problème neurologique, de constipation ou autre ? Tous vos conseils sont les bienvenus. Merci d’avance !

my sweet girl turned six on june 30th! i've had her since she was four months old, swipe to see one of her baby pictures

Does anyone else struggle reading colors on the test kit?? First photo is my regular tap water. Second is taken from the middle of my axolotl tank. I always think I see a tinge of green. Excuse my gross fingernails 😭

despite having an entire tank at her disposal, Lukara looooves just sitting in tight spots pressed against the glass. We usually find her sleeping like this in the morning🫶 very silly girl with her chicken legs

She also got a new hide recently and sat in it for an hour. Then she pooped in it and so far has not looked at it again. What a diva!

My 40 breeder is finally fully cycled, so I was able to pick Rootbeer up yesterday from a local breeder! They’re just a bit over 6 inches. Very excited to see them grow!

My ex-girlfriend’s aunt and uncle had bought him for their kids and when they eventually lost interest they kept him in the basement in a 20 gallon tank, never changed filter media or water, rarely fed him (when they did it consisted of throwing 5 live goldfish in the tank and walking away) and basically left him there to die along with his similarly sized tank mate which he subsequently ate. Today he’s about 3 inches longer and much healthier. (First attached photo is in the water I found him in)

I used Styrofoam to build the gray shelves, and painted it in several layers of original concrete & masonry waterproof drylok. The gravel and shells at the bottom are part of a food safe epoxy, so none of it is loose and he won't be able to accidentally eat any of the rocks. The teal background is regular wall paint, painted on the outside of the tank to try and prevent a ton of light exposure through those sides (and I also just reallyyyyyy like teal). This whole completed setup has been sitting here, finished for over two weeks.

Do I need to fill it up with water to settle the pH of the materials, or is it good if it's been left to fully cure for over two weeks now? This isn't a question about cycling, just about making sure the materials I have used don't need any further prep before I move to cycling.