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Is a Water Dragon (Axolotl) a good college pet?
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Philip Vena
Is a Water Dragon
(Axolotl) a good college pet? If you
live in a dorm you may want to take a look at a Water Dragon (Axolotl) for a pet. Axolotls (Ambystoma Mexicanum) are an endangered
species from Mexico. They make a unique and unusual pet because
they are closely related to land dwelling Tiger Salamander. A Water Dragon never loses their gills and lives their entire
lives in water. A Water Dragon requires about the same amount of attention as a goldfish, however, they are a lot more
interesting and a lot more intelligent than a goldfish is. Watching them eat is also pretty cool too. Caring for a Water
Dragon is a great experience, one you just might enjoy.
Why is shipping so expensive? When you pay a $70 Flat Fee for shipping at Buy-Axolotls.com
you are buying Next Day Air shipping and you can ship up to quantity six (6) Water Dragons for the same price. Quantity six
(6) allows you to share shipping cost with friends. Next Day Air shipping is the best way to ship a live Water Dragon (Axolotl)
because it has the lowest risk for your Water Dragon (Axolotl) will NOT be Dead on Arrival or Dying when it arrives. When
you use 3 to 7 days delivery service; the Water Dragon (Axolotl) is without any food and light and being bounced around like
a basketball for 3 to 7 days. When you ship a via UPS your Water Dragon (Axolotl) will be in transit for 5 to 7 days and the
likelihood that you will have a Dead on Arrival or Dying on arrival is very high. When ship United States Postal Service;
Priority Mail you will receive your Water Dragon (Axolotl) in three or more days, again the likelihood of you receive a Dead
on Arrival or Dying on arrival is also very high. If you want to buy a healthy Water Dragon (Axolotl) then you need to avoid
these low cost carriers because of their long transit time. I do not believe that these carriers should be allowed
to accept any live animals for a 3 to 7 days delivery. It is extremely cruel way to die and should be against the
law. How would you like to be in a box for up to seven days with no food or light and being bounced around like a basketball;
if it was you; do you think you would survive?
What size fish tank should I buy? 10 gallon fish tank is good size for Water Dragon
(Axolotl).
How many Water Dragons (Axolotls) can I have in a
10 gallon fish tank? If you
have an Adult Water Dragon (Axolotl) you can have two Axolotls in a 10 gallon tank. Water Dragons are social animals so you
need to have at least Qty 2 in a 10 gallon fish tank. If it is not possible to have Qty 2 Water Dragon then put a feeder
fish in with your Water Dragon.
It is okay
to mix adult females and males Water Dragons (Axolotls) together. Adult males Water Dragon should not be aggressive to
other males or other females. Females have no problems with other females or males.
What kind of filter is best for a Water Dragon (axolotl)
tank? A sponge filter
is cheep and easy way to keep the water clean. But you still will need to do water changes; 1 per week.
What about a Tank light? Water Dragons (Axolotls) do not need a tank light.
We recommended that you do not use a tank light because it could be a possible source of heat. Also Water Dragons do
not like bright lights. Make sure that your tank will not have any direct sun light through out the day. Also do not
use any black light or UV light for long periods of time because it could damage your eyesight of your Water Dragons.
What about a tank hood? Water Dragons (Axolotls) do not need tank hood because
their legs are incapable of climbing out of the tank. However it is a good idea to use a tank hood because it will be a barrier
for things that could get in your tank.
Do
I need a heater? No you
do not need a heater; room temperature should be fine as long as it does not go above 72°. The temperature range for a
Water Dragon (axolotl) is below 72° and higher than 57°. Water Dragons like cold or temperatures rather than hot temperatures.
Cold temperatures will just slow down the Water Dragon’s metabolism while high temperatures will cause stress to your
Water Dragon.
Does a Water
Dragon (Axolotl) need a hiding place? Water Dragons (Axolotls) do need a hiding
place. I use a PVC 6 inch size pipe that has been cut in half the long way so that it is about 6-8 inches long. I like using
PVC pipe because there is no paint on it.
What
preparation do I need to do before I get my Water Dragon (Axolotl)? I recommend that you set up your tank at least one week before ordering
any Water Dragon (Axolotl). This will allow you to see if you can of maintaining the proper environment for your Water Dragon
(Axolotl). First fill your tank with fresh tap water, after 24 hours the chlorine will be out of the water because it turns
to a gas. You need to add at least quantity 10 Rosy Minnows in your tank. You can buy them at that Petsmart for
about $.13 each. This will test your tank to see if it's free from chemical contamination. If your Rosy Minnows
die, then you have a chemical contamination problem. You need to find the source of this contamination and correct it. Then
test again with more Rosy Minnows. Most of the time the chemical contamination is coming from a “used” 5 gallon
bucket, these buckets are used with cleaning solutions and are chemically contaminated. What I recommend is that you buy a
new 5 gallon bucket. It’s also important that the water temperature is below 72° for a least one week. If
you are having problems staying below 72° I recommend that you try putting your tank on the floor. Some of the heat sources
that you need to avoid are direct sunlight, heat registers and fish tank lights, all produce heat and will raise the temperature
in your tank. If you cannot maintain a temperature of below 72° I do not recommend that you buy a Water Dragon
(Axolotl).
Do Water Dragons (Axolotls) eat
gravel? Yes Water Dragons will eat gravel. I do not recommend that you
use gravel in your tank. You can paint the “outside” bottom of the tank any color you want. Please note do not paint
the inside of the tank. You can also use sand on the bottom of the tank but it makes harder to do a water changes because
you will siphon up the sand too.
How do I clean driftwood before
I put in my tank? What I
recommend that you do is to put the driftwood in a New Bucket that has never had any chemicals in it like soap, etc. Then
do 100% water change every day for a week, this will wash any chemicals that may be on the driftwood. Leave the chlorine in
the water. By leaving the chlorine in your water it will kill any harmful bacteria that may also be on the driftwood.
What about Water Dragons (Axolotl)
Tank Mates? An important
consideration for tank mates is that the Water
Dragons (Axolotls)
like cold water 57 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Water
Dragonscannot be kept
with other fish because fish like to nip at the Water
Dragon gills.
Also a Water
Dragon will eat
any thing they can fit in their month including other smaller Water Dragons.
However, you do seeWater
Dragons with
small feeder fish, but these feeder fish are being used as a live food source for the Water Dragon.
I understand that axolotls in the cannibalistic stage cannot be housed together. Does
this apply to all types of Water Dragons (Axolotls)? Yes
it does apply to all types of Water
Dragons (Axolotls).
If a Water Dragons is under one year of age they are
cannibalistic no matter what type they are. If your Water Dragons is
less than one year old you will need to either use a tank divider or separate tank to house these Water Dragons.
Are Water Dragons Eco-Friendly? Yes, Water Dragons are Eco-Friendly and have a very small carbon
footprint because they do not require the use of electricity. You do not need a tank light or filtration system (if you do
weekly water changes); because of this Water Dragons are one of the most Eco-Friendly pet.
Are Water Dragons Child Friendly? Yes, Water Dragons are completely child friendly; they do not
bite, have no claws and are not poisonous. Also Water Dragons do not breathe fire. Because of this Water Dragons do
not require any safety precautions
Can
I hold my Axolotl? I don't
recommend that you hold your axolotl. First of all your axolotl has a protective slime coat and by holding him you would remove
some of that protection. Also axolotl's protect themselves by doing a tail flip that turns the axolotl 90° in less
than a second, If your axolotl should accidentally fall out of your hand he would probably die. The reason for this is that
the skeleton of the axolotl is very delicate because he spends his entire life in water. So any fall would probably kill your
axolotl.
What is the best food to feed
a Water Dragon? 1) Live – Rosy Minnows, Californian Black Worms,
Red Wiggler Worms, then 2) Frozen Blood Worms, then 3) Water Dragon (Axolotl)
Pellets. Use Water
Dragons Pellets
when you run out of live food or frozen.
You can buy Rosy Minnows at Petsmart for about 13 cents each.
Before you feed Rosy Minnows you need to drain all the water from the bag because it may be contaminated with bacteria. You should put the minnows
is a separate tank for 1 day and do a 30% water change. When
feeding Rosy Minnows you need to lower the tank water level to be about 1 inch above your Water Dragon’s head.
This will allow him to reach the feeder fish. It is important that the feeder fish are smaller than your Water Dragon’s
mouth. Also make sure that you buy healthy Rosy Minnows that are not sick. If a minnow is sick, take it out so that it cannot
be eaten. Rosy Minnows are a great food source for an Adult Water Dragon (Axolotl).
When feeding earthworms you need to chop them up into bite size portions.
Any leftover food needs to be removed after 24 hours to prevent bacteria in your tank.
My Water Dragon sick and won’t eat what should I
do? You need to hand feed Rosy Minnows
to your Water Dragon. You can buy them at Petsmart for about 13 cents each. The best way to feed minnows is to net a minnow
then grab it by the back fin. Put the minnow in front of your Water Dragon mouth and he should eat it. It is a Water Dragon
natural instinct to grab and eat the minnow. If he does not eat the minnow the first time try again in an hour. If he
will not eat minnows then try live Californian Black Worms or live Red Wiggler Worms.
How often do you feed a Water Dragon? I feed Water Dragon (Axolotl) Pellets two times a week Monday and
Friday. It is okay to feed up to three times per week, after 24 hrs remove all uneaten food to prevent bacteria in your
tank. It is better to feed too little
than too much.
What is the best way to feed my Water Dragon while
on vacation? I would
recommend that you buy Rosy Minnows. Petsmart sells these feeder fish for about 13 cents each. You need to lower the tank
water to be about 1 inch above your axolotl's head so that he's able to reach the feeder fish. Also it is important
that the feeder fish are smaller than your Water Dragon’s mouth.
How much waste does an axolotl produce a week and how often must I clean
it? A Water Dragon (Axolotl) produces about 2 to 3 pieces of solid
waste per week. The waste can easily be cleaned up by using a small net.
What is the best way to clean my tank? Use only clean water and a new plastic scouring pad to clean your tank.
Please do not use any soap or any other cleaners because they contain chemicals that may be harmful to your Water Dragon.
What is the best way to take the Water Dragon (Axolotl)
out of the shipping bag? The best
way to remove the Water
Dragon (axolotl) from
the shipping bags is to use a scissors to cut the top of the bag. Then slowly pour the water and the Water Dragon in to the tank.
I have noticed my Water Dragon (axolotl) is floating
around on top of the tank. Is there a problem? This
behavior should not be a problem; most times it is just normal behavior for a Water Dragon (Axolotl). However, if your axolotl is struggling to reach the bottom of
the tank then you may have a medical problem. You need to lower the water level so that your Water Dragoncan reach the bottom without struggling to feed. Also you
need to seek the advice of a veterinarian.
My
room temperature is around 76F with no cooling what do you recommend? I would recommend that you put the tank on the floor. It should be cooler on the floor
away from any heating vents. You need to maintain a temperature of less than 72F degrees.
What about the water? Water Dragons (Axolotls) like Cold Clean Water. You can use tap water for your
water changes but let the water run so that it gets as cold as possible. You need to change water once per week and up to
100%. It is better to change too much water
than too little. If
your tap water is safe for you to drink then it will be safe for a Water Dragon that is 3 months or older, so you can leave the chlorine in your water. However,
if your tap water is not safe to drink then it would not be safe for your Water Dragon. Water
Dragons have
lungs and are air breathers and unlike fish that has gills and would breathe the chlorine in the water. The chlorine will
turn into a gas and be out of the tank within 24 hrs. By leaving the chlorine in your water it will kill any harmful bacteria
that may be on the Water
Dragons or in
the tank. By taking time to do water changes each week this will greatly extend the life of your Water Dragons. You should keep the water flow at a minimum because the
water current can cause Water
Dragons to be
stressed from fighting the current. You will see that the Water Dragons spend most of the time in the same spot, moving their gills occasionally to disperse
carbon dioxide and circulate new oxygen. The water in the Water Dragon aquarium
should have a pH of between 6.5 and 8. A Water
Dragon prefers
relatively hard water. If the tap water available is soft, it can be supplemented with added salts solutions.
How do I do a water change? The first thing you need to do is remove the Water Dragon from
the tank. You can do this by using a big net so that your Water Dragon cannot jump out. Put the water dragon in a container
that has never been contaminated by soap and any other chemicals that may harm your Water Dragon. Make sure that this container
has enough water to cover the Water Dragon completely. Now that your Water Dragon is out of the tank you can use a New 5 gallon bucket, by buying a New 5 gallon
bucket you will be sure that this bucket has never been contaminated by soap and any other chemicals that may kill your water
dragon. Use a 3 foot hose to siphon water out of the tank and into a 5 gallon bucket. If you have a 10 gallon tank then they
should take you to three trips before all the water is removed from the tank. Then use cold water only let it run to make
sure that it is as cold as possible. Then fill your tank up using the New 5 gallon bucket. If you have no filter on
your tank I recommend that you do a 100% water change once per week. If you have a filter on your tank you need do at least
a 30% water change once per week. Whether or not you have a filter you will need to do water changes every week. By doing
water changes every week this will help stop the build up of ammonia in your tank. The ammonia is coming from your Water Dragon’s
urine and if left at high levels will kill your axolotl.
Is a Water Dragon (axolotl) disease-prone? Water Dragons are very hardy animals, however they are prone to a bacterial and
fungal problem if you do not do change the water weekly or if the water temperature is too high you will be putting
your Water Dragon
at risk for these problems.
I also recommend that you keep the chlorine in the water as a preventative to kill any bacterial and fungal problem that may
be on your Water
Dragon or in
your tank.
I
had two Water Dragon (axolotl) and now they are both dead. Can you tell me what happen? More often than not, when you have two or more Water Dragons die at the
same time in the same tank the cause is usually chemicals based. Either, you did not change the water and there was ammonia
build up in your tank or chemicals like cleaning solutions came in contact with your tank. You need to make sure that you
only use clean water to clean you tank and the 5 gallon bucket you use has never had any chemicals like cleaning solutions
in it. Also make sure that you change your water weekly to avoid the build up of ammonia that comes from your Water Dragon’s
urine.
How do I know if my Water Dragon
(axolotl) is sick and what do I do? It is very hard to detect a sick Water Dragon (axolotl) and usually when you do it's probably
too late to help. So the preventive is the best cure…you need to maintain cold clean water for your Water Dragon.
Should I use ice bottles to keep the temperature down? Please do not use ice bottles, you can kill your Water Dragon (Axolotl). Changing temperature rapidly is an easy
way to kill your Water
Dragonthan if you
maintain a high stable temperature. Ice bottles cause the temperature to go down too fast. After the ice melts the temperature
will begin to climb back up once again. This is a very effective way to kill your Water Dragon because the temperature changes are too rapidly.
I found Websites that have conflicting
information regarding the care and feeding of Water Dragon (Axolotls), what should I do? There are literally hundreds of Self-Appointed Armchair Water Dragon (Axolotl) Experts out there on the Internet and some
these guys even have impressive sounding names like PhD. If you put 100 of these so-called Axolotl experts in one room you
would have 100 different opinions. A vast majority of these internet posting are only from book knowledge or from very limited
personal experience breeding axolotls. So a good question to ask these so-called Axolotl experts: Are you currently breeding
Axolotls? If so how long?
More importantly,
you need to understand what is motivating the writer to make these postings. Are these postings emotional? Or are they
trying to scare you? Or do they try to make you think that you need a PhD to raise an Axolotl's? Could the real purpose
be that they want you to join a club or send a donation? If so, the information they are posting is probably questionable
at best.
At Buy-Axolotls.com
we have over eight years of continuous practical experience in care and feeding of Water Dragons (Axolotls). The information we provide on our website is time-tested,
hands-on practical experience from working with our Water Dragons.
We continue to take a practical common sense approach in the care and feeding of our Water Dragons and hope that you will too.
If you have any questions please email us at Sales@Buy-Axolotls.com or call Phil Vena at 630-242-0151
All Military Personnel
that are currently serving in the U.S. Military we offer you 10% discount off any purchase of a Water Dragon (Axolotl).
Thank you, for all that you do.
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