Hello all. I wanted to share my little rescue rescue axolotl with you guys. The picture is AWFUL because of the lighting, but this is Nubby! I might change her name. Her eyes are a lovely amber color
Meet Nubby! She gets her name from her stumpy little bald Gill stalks. I bought Nubby from a science teacher in NC who’s school changed their rules regarding aquariums. According to the previous owner, she purchased her 4 years ago and was TOLD she was 6 months old. She also said that she was already quite large and never grew anymore. So nobody knows how old this axolotl really is. The woman told me that she came with her gills like this and that she tried everything she could to get them to grow back. At the same time though, her descriptions of her maintenance and WC schedule and care in general sound like she was not very informed on water quality and tank cycling. She told me that she would only run her filter for a day at a time, then turn it off for a few days because she didn’t like the high flow. She brought some jugs of tank water and said “so you can cycle her tank”. I said “ohh thank you” and dumped them out when she left. They were disgusting and discolored.
So anyways. I set up Nubby’s tank with a bare bottom, some terra cotta pots, anubias, Java fern, Amazon sword, and bamboo. She’s been eating super red earth worms and I’m introducing her to pellets today. I’ve been maintaining the water quality, and what do you know!!? Her gills are fluffy already. Little by little, I can see them coming back. I swapped her internal filter for a sponge filter, and rather than adding the sand and rocks that the woman gave me to raise the GH and such (I don’t even know what she gave me) I am not putting anything in there to change. I think the consistent water parameters and good water quality are making all the difference!
Meet Nubby! She gets her name from her stumpy little bald Gill stalks. I bought Nubby from a science teacher in NC who’s school changed their rules regarding aquariums. According to the previous owner, she purchased her 4 years ago and was TOLD she was 6 months old. She also said that she was already quite large and never grew anymore. So nobody knows how old this axolotl really is. The woman told me that she came with her gills like this and that she tried everything she could to get them to grow back. At the same time though, her descriptions of her maintenance and WC schedule and care in general sound like she was not very informed on water quality and tank cycling. She told me that she would only run her filter for a day at a time, then turn it off for a few days because she didn’t like the high flow. She brought some jugs of tank water and said “so you can cycle her tank”. I said “ohh thank you” and dumped them out when she left. They were disgusting and discolored.
So anyways. I set up Nubby’s tank with a bare bottom, some terra cotta pots, anubias, Java fern, Amazon sword, and bamboo. She’s been eating super red earth worms and I’m introducing her to pellets today. I’ve been maintaining the water quality, and what do you know!!? Her gills are fluffy already. Little by little, I can see them coming back. I swapped her internal filter for a sponge filter, and rather than adding the sand and rocks that the woman gave me to raise the GH and such (I don’t even know what she gave me) I am not putting anything in there to change. I think the consistent water parameters and good water quality are making all the difference!
