QUESTIONS ANSWERS
I am moving, what should I do?
Obtain large cans to be able to recover at least 60% of the water in the aquarium. Siphon using a hose (see the essentials) separate the axolotls in bags for transport if the moving place is more than half an hour away, it is the least stressful, otherwise buckets with lids. Place them in a cooler to avoid temperature variations. Then the plants in a bucket along with some water from your aquarium. The sand should be removed if the bin is too heavy or may give way with the weight when you carry it. Most importantly, the pump: we saw in the running-in section that it should not be stopped for more than 3 hours otherwise the bacteria living in the filter media, no longer being oxygenated, will die. First solution: you do not move too far and know that within 3 hours you will have had time to reconnect it to your new home (which means taking into account the time for removing the aquarium, depositing the sand and filling it with the cans and new water taken directly from the tap (except major concern which prevents the use of this one) otherwise even the chlorine will be in tiny quantity because diluted with your softened water. Second case of figure you will not be able to reconnect your pump in the aquarium within three hours: in this case, equip yourself with a battery-powered bubbler (air pump) so you will put your filter media or your pump if it is an internal one in a bucket with the bubbler, the bacteria being always oxygenated will not waste away.
How to soften too hard water?
By incorporating reverse osmosis water, or catappa leaves, alder fruit, oak leaves. Remember to check your water using your drip tests so you don't over-soften it.
How to keep my plants, while they take root?
How do I harden my water?
You can remineralize it by using "Preis" which contains minerals but no trace of iodine. Be careful not to play the apprentice chemist, it is only to be used in case of really too soft pipe water. Otherwise it is always better to make a good water change which will rebalance all your parameters.
By using pebbles (too big to be swallowed if it is in the axos aquarium and if possible flat to take up less space, and be more discreet. You wedge your stems and roots underneath and cover with sand while the roots form and spread. Another solution you use a plant basket by removing the lead, glass wool if there is any and you put your plant or your stems in then you fill with your sand. The first solution remains the most sustainable.
Sera explained to me that this product contains iodine so do not use it with your axolotls
How to remove eggs from plants?
I can use frozen water bottles at the rate of two or four depending on the liter (250 liters or 500) in the morning, at noon and in the evening, continuously, to avoid any temperature variation, a solution that works well as long as we make room in the freezer and that the bottle changes are very regular! Another solution: a fan ramp bought in the trade or made in-house (see in the maintenance section). A pedestal fan can also be directed towards the surface of the water in order to gain a few degrees. Mobile air conditioning also works well and you can also enjoy the coolness of the house. A very efficient cooling unit in some cases but people report too little profit for the rather expensive purchase to be amortized. So you have to pay the price and take an excellent cooler.
Either by dragging them plant by plant by hand into a salad bowl and then replanting your plants as you go. Either by siphoning using your essential pipe in a bucket or salad bowl. If you carry out this operation in the last days before hatching there is a risk that it will open the eggs because the last days the pouch is very thin to allow easier hatching of the juveniles.
How do I calculate the kilos of sand to buy, depending on the size of my aquarium?
Very simple: my aquarium measures 150 cm by 50 cm wide, deep and I want to put 4 cm of substrate, soil, 150 X 50 X 4 = 30,000 I divide by 1000 which gives me 30 liters of substrate.