Top products from r/axolotls

I'll just give you my generalize copy/pasta I usually hand out in situations like these so if you wanna read it when you got a chance, then you have it! Also has tips and purchase links for Amazon as well for different axolotl stuffs.


HOW TO CYCLE:

1. Set up tank with clean conditioned water. 2. Add recommended amount of beneficial bacteria per label
   
   
2. Add "waste" to the tank, so a little bit of say fish flakes ( they're cheap and you need a waste source since you DO NOT put a fish or axolotl in a uncycled tank. The flakes are gonna break down into ammonia. The goal with cycling is to get benefical bacteria to build up so they can change (eat) the waste & breaks down the ammonia into nitrite then finally break it down further into nitrate. All these chemicals can hurt axolotl.
   
   
3. Test tank a couple days later with a testing kit ( avoid strips, they will lie to you and give false results) if there is ANY ammonia or nitrite present, you arent cycled. If there is no nitrate present either, you arent cycled.
   
   
4. If you find ammonia or nitrite, take 50% of the water out and add clean treated water. Add more seachem stability ( benefical bacteria) ( add these each time you change water. Even if it's cycled)
   
   
5. Add a pinch more flakes & Continue to do this until your tank is cycled. Meaning you have no ammonia, no nitrite and a presence of 40ppm or less of nitrate.
   
   
   
   Warnings:
   1.If your tank isn't cycled, you are going to chemical burn them with ammonia in the water. And they will suffer. Nitrate ( the final of the chemical process) can also burn the fish/axolotl. This is why we keep this number under 40ppm. If it is higher than 40ppm, change the water 75%.
   
   
6. This beneficial bacteria lives in the filter. If you change your filter, you just ruined your cycle. Don't do this. If it gets nasty/clogged & you have to replace the cartirage, leave the old cartirage in with the new one for a few days so the beneficial bacteria can inhabit the new filter. If you can avoid replacing that, just rinse/gently squeeze out the filter in old tank water when you do clean the tank to keep from murdering the bacteria
   
7. Letting the filter dry out will also kill a cycle.
   
8. 
   
   *NOTE: Most bottles of beneficial bacteria say they cycle a tank in a day. Cycling can take up to a month in some cases but usually just two weeks if you keep on it. This requires constantly monitoring, testing and replacing most of the water in the tank when you get high ammonia/nitrite levels. You need ammonia/nitrite to be 0 and nitrate to be more than 0. Definitely less <40. If all your levels are higher than this, or if nitrate remains 0, your tank isn't cycled.***
   
   
   Summery;
   So basically, cycling builds beneficial bacteria which makes these waste breakdown chemicals go through a cycle of breaking down into a less dangerous form which keeps fish/axolotl from getting sick/dying. ... Most new fish people don't do this. And fish store employees try & tell them just adding something like seachem stability fixes this. It doesn't. An uncycled tank is basically new tank syndrome and it kills animals.
   
   You still are going to need to keep an eye on chemical levels after the cycle..Occasionally different things can cause the cycle to "crash", like changing the filters or a high tempeture, or the filters becoming dry..
   
   Once your tank is cycled, and you have an axolotl, honestly it's not that much work. The cycles the worst part. I feed my adult axolotls once every other day, I change 75% of their water twice a month, and add water to top it off / spot clean occasionally two-three other times a month due to the water I lose due to evaporation.
   
   
   Stuff you'll need:
   
9. Air stone+ airline+ air pump ( cheap ones are at Walmart.
   
10. Seachem stability ( beneficial bacteria)
    
11. Seachem prime ( it's a water conditioner I just prefer seachem)
    
12. A tank, 10 gallon minimum for 1 axolotl. But the bigger the better.
    
13. A filter
    
14. Hides for the axolotl
    
15. A syphon / water vacuum ( to suck out the poo/change water easy. I have a long food grade plastic hose I got from Ace hardware. I syphon and let it drain into the yard
    
16. A bucket
    
17. A Tupperware
    
18. A fan. Literally any fan you can put on top the tank and point at it will work. I have a table fan sitting on top my tank and blowing at the water to help keep it cool. A chiller is best, but they are expensive.
    
19. A tank thermometer ( don't get the thermometer strips, they lie
    
20. A master fresh water test kit.
    
21. Worms or repashy or pellets
    
    
    
    Links:
    
22. Test kit https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000255NCI/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549784772&sr=8-2&keywords=master+freshwater+test+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51FQhbpfB0L&ref=plSrch
    
    
    
23. Fan suggestion
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001R1RXUG?aaxitk=NqgMhM9.r7.gAHICKezCoA&pd_rd_i=B001R1RXUG&pf_rd_p=0ef604ef-c787-43e9-9404-52a4ff25a95c&hsa_cr_id=8386596470601&sb-ci-n=asinImage&sb-ci-v=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F71pMktGGyRL.jpg&sb-ci-a=B001R1RXUG
    
    
24. Tank thermometer
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002AQITK/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1549784880&sr=8-5&keywords=tank+thermometer
    
    4.
    Air pump + line + stone.
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B073DWVX5P/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1549784937&sr=8-11&keywords=air+pump+for+aquarium&dpPl=1&dpID=41%2BcSpzfDgL&ref=plSrch
    
    
25. Filter ( basic the tank you have probably already has one)
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000260FUM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785038&sr=8-2&keywords=hob+filter&dpPl=1&dpID=41Rr1kpTVOL&ref=plSrch
    
    
26. Shower poof ( hang these so they slow the flow of water coming out of filter. Axolotls don't like a lot of heavy water flow. Get these at the dollar store and rinse them before going in tank. You don't have to get these online. I'm just showing you)
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01F88BMC8/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785094&sr=8-3&keywords=shower+pouf
    
    
27. Seachem stuff
    Prime; https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00025694O/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785181&sr=8-1&keywords=seachem+prime&dpPl=1&dpID=41Q0rRc8NML&ref=plSrch
    
    Stablity:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002APIIW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785210&sr=8-1&keywords=seachem+stability
    
    
28. Food
    Pellets:
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0787T25J1/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785278&sr=8-1&keywords=axolotl+pellets
    
    Repashy:
    https://www.chewy.com/repashy-superfoods-meat-pie-gel/dp/166289?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Repashy%20Superfoods&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkfriBRD1ARIsAASKsQLQAXpk3WwGiCwRMr6OQmbfUXPIZutYnADrujltXxW1PPSVgYpPduEaAmAaEALw_wcB
    
    Ice cube trays for repashy( frozen is better. It's a jello. It will really trash your tank. So frozen is better):
    
    https://www.amazon.com/niceCube-Mini-Ice-Cube-Trays/dp/B01L7ZFBXW/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785496&sr=8-2-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mini+ice+cube+tray&psc=1
    
    
    
29. Hides. Here's a good example..I soemthing similar. Just go to the reptile section at your pet store. Get one that's not rough but smooth. Plastics a good option. Just rinse it well before you put it in tank
    https://www.arcatapet.com/m/item.cfm?cat=22600&source=GA-PLA00522600&fullsite=0
    
    
30. Water vacuum. This is what I have + I have a big long hose for big water changes. I use this to spot clean poo and "vacuum' it into a 10 gallon bucket
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B011DDJZ9Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785739&sr=8-1&keywords=aquarium+vacuum
    
    Feeding tongs: They're actually tweezers for planting a planted fish tank. These can grip worms very well.. The Amazon ones that are silver suck and will make your life hell. Don't waste your money on ones on amazon unless you can find these on Amazon.
    
    https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/fish/feeding-accessories/fluval-straight-forceps

Water parameters are super important! You can pick up a testing kit on Amazon for a good ten dollars cheaper than I've seen in stores, and I can't even begin to tell you how much of a lifesaver it is! ( Also it's just good to have for peace of mind. )

I was really new to keeping a fish tank when I first got my guy, and quickly learned aquarium decor is ridiculously expensive. Terra cotta pots are a pain to find on Amazon in my experience, but if you have the opportunity to pick a few up in a gardening store ( basically for pennies! ) they make excellent hides. ( Of which you want at least two per axolotl! ) I have four in my tank; two normal, one sliced in half to make a kind of cave a bit lower to the ground. ( Just make sure you sand down all the edges! ) The last one is wide, but only a couple inches tall, so I filled it up with sand to give him a little raised platform. PVC pipe can also be used as an inexpensive hide, and I've seen people do some really cool stuff with it. Also, plants! I grabbed these off of Amazon and my axolotl loves them, but in terms of live plants, you can't go wrong with marimo balls. ( Though there are other live plants that work well with them! Java fern and java moss are just two examples. )

Also, Axolotls are messy little guys. I'd highly recommend getting a turkey baster to clean up their waste and any uneaten food they leave behind. Personally, I feed my axie nightcrawlers with a big pair of tweezers and it helps keep the tank neat and tidy. ( Plus, it's a lot of fun! )

Hi there! I have some aquariums at home too, though I don't have any lotls. I find r/aquariums is pretty reliable for advice when it comes to tank care.

If you want to do some reading about the nitrogen cycle, check here and here.
These and other websites can be found by Googling "aquarium nitrogen cycle" or something similar.

If you have a local fish shop (LFS) nearby, I would suggest going there and talking to employees about getting a tank started, as well as any equipment you may need.

In terms of testing your water parameters, I and many others in the fishkeeping community recommend the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, which can be found here on Amazon or at your local Petsmart or Petco.

When I started keeping fish, I really didn't have anyone around me that could give me pointers. The internet is a great resource. I would definitely recommend joining a couple forums related to aquariums, as well as making good use of Google.

Hopefully this at least gives you somewhere to start!

I've heard these are amazing, but I've never used one myself so I can't say for sure. Does require some custom rigery of your tank though.

Right now all I'm using are 1 liter soda bottles filled with water (conditioned in case it leaks) and frozen. Once it gets a bit warmer I'm going to move them into a room with a portable air conditioner I got for less than $50 on CL. That's honestly my best recommendation, get a cheap AC off of CraigsList, cheaper than a water chiller AND you get to enjoy the cool air as well.

"

Not likely. In fact, if it's something they can fit inside and hide in, they'll probably love it. I definitely recommend adding some things into the tank that they can hide under.

Also, like others have mentioned, it wouldn't hurt to get a bigger tank meow. They'll enjoy the space, and you won't have to worry about setting up a new one when they outgrow it like you will if you start smaller.

Definitely set the tank up early and cycle it. I made the mistake of not doing this in advance the first time, and I think I stressed the little guys out trying to cycle with them in the tank. If you want to get fancy, I recommend getting a good canister filter and a spray bar to provide good filtration without much current.

I keep all three of mine together (all around the same size) and while they are occasionally a little nippy at each other, most of the time they're just fine. I think they're outgrowing the aggressiveness slowly.

"

FTFY

Not likely. In fact, if it's something they can fit inside and hide in, they'll probably love it. I definitely recommend adding some things into the tank that they can hide under.

Also, like others have mentioned, it wouldn't hurt to get a bigger tank now. They'll enjoy the space, and you won't have to worry about setting up a new one when they outgrow it like you will if you start smaller.

Definitely set the tank up early and cycle it. I made the mistake of not doing this in advance the first time, and I think I stressed the little guys out trying to cycle with them in the tank. If you want to get fancy, I recommend getting a good canister filter and a spray bar to provide good filtration without much current.

I keep all three of mine together (all around the same size) and while they are occasionally a little nippy at each other, most of the time they're just fine. I think they're outgrowing the aggressiveness slowly.

Hopefully they’ll be ok! I don’t blame you, they’re adorable. I’ve put a couple links to some very trustworthy websites, be sure to read up on Tank environment (ex: sand or bare tank only, no gravel) and diet because they’re special :)

I actually have a worm compost just to keep enough worms around to keep my bois fed, and my tank is in a basement so it stays cool enough with the fan I have on it (15 C to 18 C)

Axolotl.org

Axolotl City

PetMD

Also since you mentioned this is your first time with a fully aquatic creature, do you have a water test kit? They’re imperative to tell if your tank is cycled properly or if somethings wrong. I use and personally vouch for the API Master Kit because it’s the cheapest and most accurate chemical set out there. I’ve put an amazon link for that too, and a couple articles about the Nitrogen cycle

API Test Kit

Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle & New Tank Syndrome


Tbh if you read all that, you’ll know pretty much everything you will ever need to!

If you're not already a part of it, join Axolotl-aholics on Facebook. There's an extremely helpful files section. Anything not answered, you can post and others are fairly good at helping. As far as cooling, I use an aquarium fan I bought off Amazon. I can paste the link below. I keep it on pretty much 24/7 and it keeps it cool. My only complaint is that it evaporates 3-4 gallons of water a week in my 40 gallon breeder tank.

Petzilla Aquarium Chiller, Fish Tank Cooling Fan System for Salt Fresh Water (4-Fan) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DXHFI9E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SDYwDbTE0F9H6

https://www.amazon.com/Rangen-Salmon-Pellets-Sinking-Axolotls/dp/B0787T25J1/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522788502&sr=8-2&keywords=axolotl+pellets

These are good pellets. I supplement mine with theses. One of mine hates them, one likes them. Its hard to feed them though since mine are used to hand feeding with tongs so I bent a plastic spoon and drop them into the spoon and kinda hover it near the axolotl to get her to eat them. She loves them, and they smell like the best cat treats ever, if you have cats, be sure to get a tupperware to put these in, otherwise your cats will tear through the bag.

Set up for TWO Axolotls

Realistic initial set up cost $145
(Not including cost of axolotls)

$5-$150 30g tank MINIMUM preferably 40+ (OfferUp Facebook groups Craigslist pet stores)

$1-$130Hides - decor or caves or even home made must be water safe even pvc piping works minimum of 2 for each (decor can become expensive fast if you want to make your tank look very “pretty”)

$20-$75 Filter - something with low current flow sponge filter or a canister filter with something to break up a strong flow if you have a sponge filter you need air line tubing and a air pump (link of canister filter is what I use in my 55g tank )

Bacto-Surge High Density Foam Filter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GOFPX9I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_oov7AbY5ESARC

Penn Plax Airline Tubing for Aquariums –Clear and Flexible Resists Kinking, 25 Feet Standard https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002563MW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kpv7AbQ20H9V7

Tetra Whisper Easy to Use Air Pump for Aquariums (Non-UL) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YF4FI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Hpv7AbC3Y8R2Z

SUN 4-Stage Aquarium External Canister Filter with 9 Watt UV Sterilizer 264GPH (HW402B with Pro Filter Kits) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFCS6W7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CVv7AbX67HQED

$10-$15 Water additives
Water dechlorinator follow instructions on bottle if the tank isn’t fully cycled use prime plus follow instructions on bottle it helps keeps the water healthy for the axolotls too

API TAP WATER CONDITIONER Aquarium Water Conditioner 16-Ounce Bottle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LO9KSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1qv7AbHFPEHT5

Tetra 77960 SafeStart, 100 Gallon, 250-ml, 1.69-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003E2RI74/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1tv7AbDHHEMEY

$20-$35 API water test kit to make sure the water is in good parameters
http://www.axolotl.org/requirements.htm

API FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT 800-Test Freshwater Aquarium Water Master Test Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zvv7AbK35G0WW

$2-$10 Aquarium thermometer that reads down to 60 degrees F

CNZ Digital LCD Thermometer for Aquarium Fish Tank Vivarium Reptile Terrarium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPXVI94/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yxv7Ab1NSQ5H6

$5-$20 Aquarium syphon

Aqueon Medium Siphon Vacuum Aquarium Gravel Cleaner, 9-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RK1WBK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2aw7Ab3Z5KS9B

Feeding

$2.50-$3 Fishing earth worms (Walmart sporting goods section)
$10-$15 blister pack of 30 blood worm cubes (I can sell them to you while supplies last for $15 or you can buy them at any pet shop that sells fish)

Earth worms when they get bigger try to feed them nibbles of a worm like the size of their head and move up as they get bigger and frozen blood worms for first month to month and a half try to feed the earth worms to the axolotls ever couple days by hand until they start accepting them they might start accepting earth worms as soon as a week after receiving them from me (feed frozen blood worms every other day until they are regularly eating pieces of worm )

Maintenance

You can use a turkey baster and clean up their poops as you see them you’ll still have to do water changes but much less water 25%-35% or use a syphon once a week and do a 30%-50% water change along with the water dechlorinator and some of the safe start plus make sure to test the water regular with the api test kit

Keeping the water to the correct temperature

60-64F is the perfect water temp for them but it can be hard to achieve during summer but doing more regular water changes can help with that and putting a fan over the aquarium blowing on it will help by up to 4-5 degrees

NO SAND OR GRAVEL ESPECIALLY NO GRAVEL EVER sand maybe fine once they are 6-7inches but they will swallow it and they can become impacted and possibly lead to death

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: http://smile.amazon.com/Antec-TriCool-80mm-Cooling-3-Speed/dp/B00066ISVG/


|Country|Link|Charity Links|
|:-----------|:------------|:------------|
|USA|smile.amazon.com|EFF|
|UK|www.amazon.co.uk|Macmillan|
|Spain|www.amazon.es||
|France|www.amazon.fr||
|Germany|www.amazon.de||
|Japan|www.amazon.co.jp||
|Canada|www.amazon.ca||
|Italy|www.amazon.it||




To help add charity links, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

sure, i use an active aqua brand water chiller on amazon, when it was on sale for $270

here is the link : https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-Active-Aqua-Chiller-10/dp/B0048IVBT4

EDIT: i found a better deal: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BHHP71C/ref=dp_cerb_3?th=1

I would recommend leaving the sand out for babies, it also makes clean up easier - if you decide to add sand later you totally can. I'll include the link for the fan I use, I think the online reviews include some low scores but personally I've had this fan for almost a year and I really like it. It probably won't last forever but if you need ~5 °F drop it'll do wonders and it is so worth it for such a fair price. And the mounting system is nice - no worrying about anything falling in the tank whatsoever!

Zoo Med Aqua Cool Aquarium... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049RNVXI?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Just Amazon. Here's the fan: http://www.amazon.com/Antec-TriCool-80mm-Cooling-3-Speed/dp/B00066ISVG/ (get two of these, 80mm)

And here's the power supply: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006NTNGN0

Honestly my husband hooked them together because they took some weird finagling that involved wire strippers... but I bet if you were interested he could write up a quick how-to, it only took him a minute.

The tank's just under 40 gallons. The ramp is a turtle ramp I'd found online that people said their axolotls very much loved. The right side is a 'leaf' thing for turtles, too.

It comes in handy to both just make more stuff for them to interact with and give more leg room, and also because one axolotl prefers waddling around on the dark, shadowy ground and the other prefers floating in the light. I've basically made it so they each have their own space.

Would recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Clear-Power-Filter-AquaClear/dp/B000260FUM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1536260246&sr=8-2&keywords=aquaclear+filter

It would work good for a 20 gallon tank and it has an adjustable flow switch, so you can mess around with that to find the perfect flow for your axolotl, they are all different and it depends on the size. But it would never hurt to also have a sponge filter in there, but a single sponge filter isn't going to cut it as the only source of cleaning.

Do test it. When you go to the petstore its also a good idea for you to pick up a bottle of Prime conditoner. This will detoxify the ammonia and harmful nitrogens so you can safely cycle your tank without hurting/killing the axies. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all toxic waste products. If these get too high it can rapidly harm the axies so this will help protect them. If it's still too high I do recommend tubbing them though. Once you get it tested post the parameters.

I bought this one and it usually brings it down 5 degrees F. But I wish I went DIY.

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Aqua-Aquarium-Cooling/dp/B0049RNVXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397579131&sr=8-1&keywords=aquarium+cooling+fan

I have Wardley sinking shrimp pellets and Noodle vaccums them up like candy. He also gets worms for more complete nutrition.

Use aquarium sand. Play sand tends to have concrete and other potentially harmful construction dusts.

I live in New Orleans, so it's warm here. I first got this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JSVLBO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and it brought the temperature down a decent amount, ~7-8 degrees. Then someone on this sub was selling one of these https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Technology-Aqua-Aquarium-Chiller/dp/B004LPKG5Y/ref=sr_1_7?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1493135029&sr=1-7&keywords=aquarium+chiller for around 150, and now my 40 breeder stays in the mid to high 60s. If you want the chiller core device I don't use anymore, I'd give it up for say 2/3 price of new, but only get it if you know your tank is drillable.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000260FUW/?tag=fishlore-20

https://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Penguin-Power-Filter-50-Gallon/dp/B0009IMDQM/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1519069282&sr=1-4&keywords=filter&th=1

I was looking at these two so far, but the 2nd one seems off since its half price the others...

IceProbe Thermoelectric Aquarium Chiller - 4 in. x 4 3/4 in. x 7 1/2 in. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JSVLBO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IRUZDbKDQKH7E

this one (btw one bag is barely enough for a 10 gallon)

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Hammock-17-5-Inch/dp/B0002AQDKO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485410801&sr=8-1&keywords=reptile+hammock

I found this link on Amazon but not sure if it's safe/too much for the water... https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-116044608-Equilibrium-300gram/dp/B0002A5WQA/ref=sr_1_2?camp=1789&creative=9325&keywords=000116044608&linkCode=ur2&qid=1557530866&s=gateway&sr=8-2

penn plax turtle ramp. Acts as an addition of more floor space and they hide under it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096R1B60/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have this one cooling a 40gal breeder, set to 66F. This means it turns on when the water gets to 69F and turns off when the water gets to 66F. It runs at least once an hour. Anybody who tells you that you don't need a chiller to keep axolotls better live in the arctic freaking circle, because to keep them without a chiller is basically animal abuse. Room temperature water is never going to be in the mid-60s, fan or no fan.

This is the fan I use. I know some people use computer fans with one pointed in and one pointed out to get decent air flow for fairly cheaper. That one is a bit hard to keep tightened down on my tank but I bought it because I was tired of the stress of keeping my old laptop fans on top (plus they crapped out fairly fast). As for a chiller I don't know of any off the top of my head.

I posted this to you on a thread from two days ago then I saw this post.

The chiller is probably going to be the most expensive part of your setup. We started with a Max Chill 1/13 HP for a 20 gallon long tank. It worked fine for us.

We weren't prepared for breakdowns though and when our central air died in August the chillers ran constantly until they overloaded. It turned out to have fuses but that chiller wasn't enough for the larger size tank we wanted and so we replaced them.

Our current chillers are ActiveAqua ASCH50-25 1/4HP. They are much larger but they handle our now 40 gallon in Florida with no problem. In hindsight I would have bought my chiller for the largest tank size I expected to have rather than purchase twice.

Advice. Be ready for adapting for whatever tubing diameter the chiller uses. Ours both provide fittings for 2 sizes. Assuming you have an external filter, you will have to run tubing between them and might need an adapter. The max chill had fittings we used with 1/2 inch interior diameter tubing. The ActiveAqua has fittings for 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch. We still use adapters because our filter uses 5/8 inch tubing.

No no no, I would never intentionally steer someone wrong in the matter of owning and maintaining a pet.

https://www.amazon.com/API-FRESHWATER-800-Test-Freshwater-Aquarium/dp/B000255NCI

This is the test kit you need. it comes with test tubes and drops. No strips in this test.