In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.

Installation of the aquarium: places to avoid.

If possible, avoid installing the aquarium near a window: direct light would encourage algae.

Also avoid sources of significant noise (television, hi-fi system, etc.) or locations near a constant crossing point, which is very stressful for axos. Finally, avoid the proximity of a heater or radiator; on the other hand, the aquarium should be in sight: you should not have to twist to admire it!

Place the aquarium well. It must be placed on a very flat surface (check if you can at the spirit level), on a solid piece of furniture (a filled 100 liter aquarium, with the decor and all its equipment can easily weigh 120 kilograms). Furniture designed for aquariums will guarantee you perfect safety. Most manufacturers provide instructions for setting up and some precautions with the aquarium. You can also design your own furniture for this refer to the tip section of the forum.

Check the quality of the joints before filling it with water and make sure that there is no grain of sand stuck between the base of the tank and the cabinet. Because, once put in water, it will not be necessary at any cost to move the filled tank, under penalty of disaster.

Warning: If you are planning to acquire a large aquarium, make sure that your home insurance covers water damage!

Algae in the aquarium

They have been naturally present on the earth for millions of years ... without algae, life as we know it would become impossible. And yes even this little element that we consider undesirable is good. Even a perfectly clean river has algae (but too much would be a sure sign of imbalance and could harm wildlife); leave a glass of water for a while in your garden and sooner or later algae will invite itself in (the spores can travel through the air).

That being said, it is a whole other problem when it comes to a real explosion of algae , which makes the aquarium not only unsightly but which increases maintenance and kills the most beautiful plants! Ideally, algae should be kept under control and in low quantities. Below you will find a series of tips to avoid letting algae take over and keep an aquarium and plants healthy: Place the aquarium as far as possible from direct or excessive natural light (otherwise, can stick a sheet of black paper / cardboard on the side of the aquarium that receives sunlight); Grow plants in your aquarium, if possible fast growing plants to begin with. Indeed, plants compete with algae and absorb excess nitrates and phosphates. Without plants, the algae alone benefit, which can cause them to proliferate. You will see, even with axolotls, a beautiful planted aquarium, it is not rocket science! Avoid overcrowding or aquariums that are too small: it cannot be said enough, but the majority of axolotl tanks are overcrowded or undersized. Result: the loulous produce a high concentration of nitrates and phosphates, which are used as food for algae. For the same reason, you must try to siphon off the remains of pellets and other food 12 hours maximum later (if there is any left, because by dint of knowing the appetite of your residents. prevent the excessive rise of nitrates and especially phosphates. A change of 10 or 15% per week is used on small tanks (less than 150 liters or on tanks with filtration less than 3 times the liter), Otherwise 30% a times a month is enough (make a cross in the calendar). It is also necessary that your tap water is not itself already loaded with nitrates and / or phosphates (organic foams, resins are on sale limiting nitrates , they are installed in the compartments of your filtration), but to be used only if your pipe water already contains too much) Here is the address where you can check the quality of your water:http: // social- sante.gouv.fr/sante-et-environnement/eaux/article/qualite-de-l-ea u-drinkable   if you need help deciphering the results do not hesitate to contact me ( mail ), if this is the case (often in areas of intensive agriculture, use good quality lighting and adjust the duration of lighting: 8 to 12 hours maximum per day is largely sufficient in most cases. Lighting should be adapted to plants (power + light spectrum): for example, strong lighting for plants with slow growth and moderate light needs will inevitably benefit the algae; conversely, if the lighting was too low for the plants, they will let it know, by withering or growing poorly ... which would still benefit the algae. See the lighting section of the forum for more information.

Regularly clean the areas where they develop using an algae squeegee or specific sponge. Anti-nitrate or anti-phosphate resins can significantly reduce their concentration but do not tackle the real causes of the problem. However, if the problem was caused by the excessive presence of nitrates or phosphates in tap water, then this would be an effective solution (another being the use of reverse osmosis water, which will then be re-mineralized with Preis for example. used for discus and does not contain iodine) .The use of chemicals is not recommended because on the one hand it is a short-term solution and can damage plants (algae and plants are very close: it is therefore difficult to get rid of one without harming the other). And on the other hand to banish with our kitties because the components are not assimilated by their liver and can cause them serious damage up to death. The first problem (in aquarium keeping in general) is that algae are often destroyed in a very short time: when rotting, a large amount of nitrates / phosphates are released and the loop is closed! The limitation of this method is above all that it does not correct the causes of the algae problem, but only limits the effects temporarily. A recently filled aquarium will very often tend to develop algae during the very first months and in successive waves, including in a well planted aquarium. Nothing abnormal since the water parameters are not yet well balanced and the plants need time to acclimatize and to properly use the various nutrients present in the water (of which nitrates and phosphates are part) ): during this adaptation phase, it is the algae that benefit from it but this situation should not normally continue and, if the tank is sufficiently planted, the plants should then gradually gain the upper hand and take advantage of their development of a reasonable amount of nitrates and phosphates. Easily have a well-planted aquarium. For a beautiful planted aquarium, it is essential to consider these few parameters: Lighting, Ph, water hardness (kh) and CO2. Remember to check each month (on a well-run vat these parameters).

Maintenance: plants tend to "go up" in search of light. You will need to prune them from time to time to make them more bushy. Water changes are essential: fish produce quantities of nitrates and phosphates and an excessive amount of these elements will not be absorbed by your plants ... but by algae! The aquarium: avoid at all costs the bins too small otherwise the axos will survive at best only 3 or 5 years (instead of fifteen or even more). An aquarium of acceptable size is necessary to keep your axos in good health, as they are "big polluters". Another detail and not the least, dwarfism also exists in the axolotl which in a small space will also be restricted in terms of size but unfortunately its organs will continue to grow and therefore to compress.