Cold to cool water critters

[brewmaster15]

So during the pandemic I starting breeding axolotls with my son. I gained a strong appreciation for raising critters that require no heaters and little electricity.. something that was important during the pandemic to me

Fast forward and I am looking at other critters to breed that don't need heaters... basement temps here are high 50s to high 60s most of the time..maybe creep to 70s in the summer.

Dont mind small heaters... natives are fine... nothing terribly big for critters.. You'd be surprised.just how many critters you can breed in a simple low tech metal rack with plastic shoe boxes and airlines.

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So give me some suggestions..Things you have bred..kept and wanted to breed..saw somewhere. Fish, inverts, whatever.. just no goldfish please. Just looking for ideas.... im not limited to the rack either.. I have quite a few tanks I can repurpose even have outdoor areas..

Al

[brewmaster15]

Oh and if you are puzzled by the bricks on the lids ..axolotls are not strong critters..however .. our youngest cat ,Leo, is the axolotl terminator. He does not mind fishing them out of the water ..he gets shoulder deep in tanks.He will pull a 8 inch axolotl out my 125 gal if he finds an openning.
Al

[LizStreithorst]

How about Hillstream Loaches, Al. I have 5 of them and think that they are super cool. But since all my other tanks are at 82 and my water storage is at 82 I have them at 82 as well. They are healthy and happy at that temp but I doubt they'll do any breeding at that temp. I've thought about setting up another small water storage just for them that's not heated, but I haven't gone to the trouble yet. I try to keep the fish room between 78 and 80 so it is tolerable to me. So even in ambient heat I don't know if they would breed.

Al, is there a good market for those axolols?

[brewmaster15]

Liz those loaches are a very good idea.. They would love my water here. I will have to do some more research on them but they are cool looking critters. Thanks

Axolotls do have a pretty good market..its funny because they remind alot of discus ( clean water, etc) though they are polar opposites temp wise. Even the Axolotl keepers remind me of Discus keepers lol. They get all fired up over their pets and the proper way to keep them. They are also really just starting to tap into the genetics and morphs . Problem is the genetic pool is tiny..these almost extinct in the wild now There is also a problem with keeping them.. They do not tolerate warm water, prone to bacterial infections and fungus if kept too high temp.. One of the few critters I know that is often put in the fridge to help it heal. Still I find that they do okay with warmer temps than is gospel provided the water is clean and not too high in pH. We raised a bunch outslde in CT in the summer ( in the shade obviously) They also are illegal in a few states for fear of going wild in the water ways.

I think one thing that they have going for them is they are cute as heck.. they always look like they are smiling. and it of course helps that they are now a mine craft item..

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They are really hard to find in petshops and alot of breeders are cropping up now. They do have something else going for them.. A few years ago the Government banned import of alot of amphibians because of a fungus that could wipe out our natives. These are able to bred locally and are not an issue.So they fill a huge void. They are also super easy to feed. Adults eat pellets no problem. I don't really see us doing more than a few pairs here and there, I'm interested in a particular color morph..coppers and maybe a rare one or two. Most people like the leaucistic ones over the brown wild types. Having bred Discus I have to be careful... we were able to easily bred these here and have way more than I thought..but like I mentioned elsewhere its been good for Ethan..he sells them to help with College expenses.


al

[jeep]

Axolotls are really cool. I don't know much about them, but are you saying they must have cooler water? My house gets well into the 80's during summer.

[brewmaster15]

Brian the ideal temp range is somewhere around 58-68F give or take a degree.. mid 70's is pushing it and can stress them out. That said.. My son keeps his pair in his bedroom( going on 3 years) and I can tell you it isn't 58-68 in the summer..we only use window ac units as needed. They must be happy because they breed like crazy in that tank. Most of ours are in the basement. They do much better the cooler it is.

al

[jeep]

Maybe I can add a special refrigeration room during my upcoming remodel, lol...

[brewmaster15]

Lol... they make chillers for tanks .. probably dont need the whole room.

[brewmaster15]

A familiar sight here..

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Axolotl eggs