Getting my tanks in order! (I wanna hear your thoughts on my stocking and ideas)

[OliveFish05]

He or she will grow quite quickly, mine went from 4 inches to 12 inches in around 6 months...eventually stopped growing at a year old

Deeper water is ideal as they are prolific swimmers and it wears them out (which is a real benefit at night when you keep hearing splashes from their aquarium. One thing I learnt is never underestimate your Axie....

Hmmmm ok, thank you! I could try and find the right size of screen lid for my 55. I figure the tank will be a little more than half filled, maybe 16 inches of water?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Hmmmm ok, thank you! I could try and find the right size of screen lid for my 55. I figure the tank will be a little more than half filled, maybe 16 inches of water?

You definitely need a lid of some sort and one that he or she cannot headbutt out the way. Once he or she is around 6 months old, fill the aquarium more and then fill it to the top once he or she is about a year old as they slow down their growth spurts by around that age.

 

[Avel1896]

Lid up your tank, it's the only way to be sure.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

When researching Axies, the concensus was that as they age, they slow down...yeah...right....

I used to hold semi intelligent conversations with my lad.....he blew bubbles and smiled in a goofy way when spoken to.

"You are meant to be sat still all the time now that you're an oldie...not having the 40 lap zoomies every couple of hours...and PLEASE will you leave that lid alone...go to bed!"

When I first had him, his aquarium was right beside the bed and the cheeky so'n'so would flick sand at the glass at night....this increased as he got older, then it was the headbutt rattle of the lid being dislodged. Had to move him and his aquarium into the lounge otherwise he would keep me awake all night with his playful shenanigans......"I'm nocturnal, why are you asleep mum, I want to play!"

 

[OliveFish05]

You definitely need a lid of some sort and one that he or she cannot headbutt out the way. Once he or she is around 6 months old, fill the aquarium more and then fill it to the top once he or she is about a year old as they slow down their growth spurts by around that age.

I actually wanted the tank to not be full, so that I could have some floating plants and actually be able to see them. Ideally the water level would be 5-8 ish inches below the rim of the tank. I'm going to have mosaic ludwigia and a water lily. This is the main reason I chose a 55 gallon tank for a single axolotl, so that he would have plenty of space to swim and play, but I could still have that almost pond like look with the water lily and mosaic ludwigia.

When researching Axies, the concensus was that as they age, they slow down...yeah...right....

I used to hold semi intelligent conversations with my lad.....he blew bubbles and smiled in a goofy way when spoken to.

"You are meant to be sat still all the time now that you're an oldie...not having the 40 lap zoomies every couple of hours...and PLEASE will you leave that lid alone...go to bed!"

When I first had him, his aquarium was right beside the bed and the cheeky so'n'so would flick sand at the glass at night....this increased as he got older, then it was the headbutt rattle of the lid being dislodged. Had to move him and his aquarium into the lounge otherwise he would keep me awake all night with his playful shenanigans......"I'm nocturnal, why are you asleep mum, I want to play!"

Awwwwwwwww. Thats the most darling thing!

 

[OliveFish05]

Do not...PLEASE...do not place any fish in the same aquarium as an Axie...resist that urge from the get-go.

Even feeder fish, planning on them being eaten?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Even feeder fish, planning on them being eaten?

It's really not recommended to have any fish with an Axie....fish can nip the gill feathers since the Axie constantly flicks them and to a fish that looks like juicy live worms to eat and a fish can introduce potential issues such as disease and ammonia spikes due to stressing out both the Axie and the fish whilst chasing about. It's just not worth the risk and you would be heartbroken if anything happened to your Axie

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I actually wanted the tank to not be full, so that I could have some floating plants and actually be able to see them. Ideally the water level would be 5-8 ish inches below the rim of the tank. I'm going to have mosaic ludwigia and a water lily. This is the main reason I chose a 55 gallon tank for a single axolotl, so that he would have plenty of space to swim and play, but I could still have that almost pond like look with the water lily and mosaic ludwigia.

Awwwwwwwww. Thats the most darling thing!

Floating plants are fine, he or she will likely eat them cos they will happily eat anything that they can fit into their mouth, hence not having gravel or stones that are smaller than the head cos they sift feed (they have teeth made of cartiledge, they will "bite" you but its more like being gummed)

 

[OliveFish05]

Floating plants are fine, he or she will likely eat them cos they will happily eat anything that they can fit into their mouth, hence not having gravel or stones that are smaller than the head cos they sift feed (they have teeth made of cartiledge, they will "bite" you but its more like being gummed)

Ok! My plants are rather large, as the floating plants have been well established in the koi pond for several months! He is on fine sand, so no choking on rocks or gravel for him!

It's really not recommended to have any fish with an Axie....fish can nip the gill feathers since the Axie constantly flicks them and to a fish that looks like juicy live worms to eat and a fish can introduce potential issues such as disease and ammonia spikes due to stressing out both the Axie and the fish whilst chasing about. It's just not worth the risk and you would be heartbroken if anything happened to your Axie

Ok, thank you!

 

[OliveFish05]

So my new and improved stocking plan, how does it sound?


55 -
Single axolotl
Tank filled with 30 gallons of water
Lots of plants
Sponge Filtration
Sand Substrate


Tank 2 (should I do a 10 gallon or a 20 long? The plants would take up more space in the 10 gallon, making it more densely planted)

2 pygmy cory hastatus and eventually some shrimp
tons of plants
driftwood
indian almond leaves
cholla wood
dragon stone
sand substrate

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

So my new and improved stocking plan, how does it sound?




2 pygmy cories and eventually some shrimp

I'd really urge you to get some more dwarf corydoras hastatus (and they're tail-spot cories if you g by the common name, not pygmies! Different species Use the latin name if ordering or searching for them online, so you get the right species) as soon as you can source some. They're a highly social species, and truly struggle when not in a decently sized group. It's unfair to keep two alone, and just hope that they'll breed later.

 

[OliveFish05]

I'd really urge you to get some more dwarf corydoras hastatus (and they're tail-spot cories if you g by the common name, not pygmies! Different species Use the latin name if ordering or searching for them online, so you get the right species) as soon as you can source some. They're a highly social species, and truly struggle when not in a decently sized group. It's unfair to keep two alone, and just hope that they'll breed later.

I have looked on every online store I can find, and cannot find them anywhere. I asked my LFS maybe 6 months ago if they would be getting more, and they said they didn't know, it would just depend on what their supplier had. They took my name and phone number and said they would give me a call if they got more. Fast forward half a year, I still can't find any. There are 4 actual pygmy cories in there with them right now, I know it isn't ideal but it is the best I can do. And about their name, I've found it easier, in terms of stocking, size, and bioload, to refer to them as pygmy cories here on the forum, since they're one of the pygmy varieties and people have just seemed to have an easier time understand. Sorry if I am confusing When I search for them online or ask specific questions about them I use "Tail spot pygmy cories" "Dwarf Cory" "Cory hastatus" "pygmy cory hastatus" "tail spot cory". It isn't that I am not trying to find more or simply not wanting to spend the money on a larger school, its that there are genuinely none for sale anywhere right now

 

[OliveFish05]

No!
Absolutely not!

Given the wealth of excellent and readily available info on the Pygmy Cory, what warped sensibilities tell you that just two would be a good idea?
Please excuse me whilst I go and find a sturdy wall to bash my head against.

I very clearly stated in another post, which I have quoted down below,

Sooooo it is kinda a long story, but here is the simplest version. When I was a new fishkeeper I got 3 cory hastatus, not knowing they needed a larger group.

I saved up over $50 to buy more if I could find them anywhere, but nobody here sells them anymore!

that they are not available here, and that I had saved money and made an effort to purchase some.

Edit: I understand there is some confusion in regards to the names I used for the pygmy cory hastatus, I apologize.

 

[Avel1896]

55 -
Single axolotl
Tank filled with 30 gallons of water
Lots of plants
Sponge Filtration
Sand Substrate

As far as I know Axolotl wants :
Tank filled with 17 inches high of water not higher + a lid.
Temp. 62 to 71 maximum.
72 hours rested

water is usually suitable :
pH 7.5 to 8
Hard 11-12 °gh and alkaline 6-7 °kh water
Nitrates below 5
Ammonia Nitrites undetectable.
Weekly change 20%.
Many plants and hiding places.

 

[Avel1896]

2 pygmy cories and eventually some shrimp
tons of plants
driftwood
indian almond leaves
cholla wood
dragon stone
sand substrate

20 gallon long allows you to keep 15-20 Corydoras pygmaeus and shrimps.
Dragon stone is beautiful but I'd rather go for smooth pebbles (not shingle from beach).
You could choose dark fine sand to accentuate Cories, shrimps and plants.