So, I Want To Get An Axolotl...

I want to get one, but before I do I want to know a quick question. I’ve read numerous articles on them and know that it’s recommended that the water temperature stays somewhere between 60-72, they need sand or nothing, that they don’t like light, and that they need earthworms or something else along those lines. However, I do have one question:

I really want to make the tank pretty. I wanted to try my hand at aquascaping, and to grow my own plants and developing the tank myself before getting one. However, due to the temperature the Axolotl needs to be at, is there any plant that would survive in those temperatures that’re safe to house with an Axolotl? Or will I just have to settle for fake plants? If so, what are some realistic looking plants?

Oh, I forgot to mention that I plan on getting a 30 gallon tank since I read that they’re very messy.

 

There's loads of plants that will be fine at those temps.
Basically any plant that works for goldfish will work for axolotls. Even some more tropical plants can survive lower temperatures.
You can do any sort of moss, java ferns, anubias, anacharis, hornwort, subwassertang, pennywort, water wisteria, and if you keep it at 68 you can do more tropical ones like Amazon swords. Even a little below and they'll be fine.
That being said, axolotls will not tolerate temps over 72-73 very well at all, so be sure the summer heat won't make it too warm. My tanks go up to 78 in the summer without heaters or anything, and that would be very bad for an axolotl.
Also, they're sensitive to ammonia and nitrite, so make sure to cycle the tank for a full one to two months before getting yours. Also, please read up on the aquarium nitrogen cycle (click on those words <-) and I highly recommend the API freshwater master test kit.
Good luck on getting your new pets!

 

There's loads of plants that will be fine at those temps.
Basically any plant that works for goldfish will work for axolotls. Even some more tropical plants can survive lower temperatures.
You can do any sort of moss, java ferns, anubias, anacharis, hornwort, subwassertang, pennywort, water wisteria, and if you keep it at 68 you can do more tropical ones like Amazon swords. Even a little below and they'll be fine.
That being said, axolotls will not tolerate temps over 72-73 very well at all, so be sure the summer heat won't make it too warm. My tanks go up to 78 in the summer without heaters or anything, and that would be very bad for an axolotl.
Also, they're sensitive to ammonia and nitrite, so make sure to cycle the tank for a full one to two months before getting yours. Also, please read up on the aquarium nitrogen cycle (click on those words <-) and I highly recommend the API freshwater master test kit.
Good luck on getting your new pets!

Yeah, I have my AC on at all times and I’ll get a heater that’ll keep the water at a constant 68 if I do decide to go with the Swords. My room doesn’t really get hot.

I actually have that kit added to my cart along with other items since I wanted to see how much it’d be all together. I also have sand added to my cart. Would 3 bags of 5-pound sand be good enough for one?

 

There's loads of plants that will be fine at those temps.
Basically any plant that works for goldfish will work for axolotls. Even some more tropical plants can survive lower temperatures.
You can do any sort of moss, java ferns, anubias, anacharis, hornwort, subwassertang, pennywort, water wisteria, and if you keep it at 68 you can do more tropical ones like Amazon swords. Even a little below and they'll be fine.
That being said, axolotls will not tolerate temps over 72-73 very well at all, so be sure the summer heat won't make it too warm. My tanks go up to 78 in the summer without heaters or anything, and that would be very bad for an axolotl.
Also, they're sensitive to ammonia and nitrite, so make sure to cycle the tank for a full one to two months before getting yours. Also, please read up on the aquarium nitrogen cycle (click on those words <-) and I highly recommend the API freshwater master test kit.
Good luck on getting your new pets!

Also, as for the nitrogen cycle I’ve read it but I’ve never really understood it? Do you think you could break it down into simpler terms I might be able to understand? I think what I’m most confused about is the 1st step as it says you need fish waste? But if there’s no fish in the tank and I don’t have any fish right now, how would I get fish waste? Or am I just misunderstanding the whole thing?

 

Also, as for the nitrogen cycle I’ve read it but I’ve never really understood it? Do you think you could break it down into simpler terms I might be able to understand? I think what I’m most confused about is the 1st step as it says you need fish waste? But if there’s no fish in the tank and I don’t have any fish right now, how would I get fish waste? Or am I just misunderstanding the whole thing?

Absolutely! Yeah, it's difficult to understand when you just read it because it just sounds like a bunch of chemicals and stuff.
Since we deal with closed systems in aquariums, whatever we put in, we have to remove because it can't be swept downstream or anything. So when fish (or axolotls) create waste, it remains in the tank and begins to be broken down by bacteria (I mean, remove it when you can't, but you'll always miss some, and no one wants to clean the tank after every meal, that would be awful). The bacteria converts it to ammonia, which is very toxic to fish and everything when it is over 0ppm. The toxcicity has some correlation to pH, but basically once it hits 0.5 it's lethal in a few days to most things. Ammonia poisoning shows signs like red streaking on fins, red streaking on the body, labored breathing, and the telltale gasping at the surface of the water or hanging out under the filter flow.
More bacteria come along and convert ammonia into nitrites, which are actually worse. Nitrite poisoning shows similar signs to ammonia poisoning, but can also cause "brown blood disease" and if a red belly shows on the fish, it's often too late.
Both ammonia and nitrite interact with a fish's ability to get oxygen from the water, and so they end up being unable to breathe. Aquarium salt, 1tbsp per 5 gallons, can help, but I don't think axolotls tolerate salt.
Then, nitrite is converted into nitrate, which is a lot less toxic. Ammonia amd nitrite shouldn't be over 0, but nitrates should just be kept below 20 (40 is okay sometimes, but I just go 20 because I can't tell the color difference).
So, how to get fish waste without fish... A really messy option that leaves a lot of fungus is fish food. Basically anything organic will be broken down into ammonia, whether it be food, waste, or even dead plants.
Or, an easier way, is to use Dr. Tims ammonia (pure ammonia, make sure there's no additives if you use another kind, I think ACE hardware has some).
You'll want to be testing this whole time, and most people start by doing 2-4ppm of ammonia, and continue dosing to get to that amount for several weeks. The ammonia turns to nitrites, then nitrates. Once ammonia is processed into nitrates in 24 hours and there is no nitrites, it's cycled.
You can also use this in conjunction with bottled bacteria, like tetra safe start plus, which will cycle the tank in 1-2 weeks.
Oh and filters are extremely important, the vast majority of the bacteria that converts this stuff is housed in the filter media. So don't throw it out every month, because it's only the carbon that expires, but the pad holds all the bacteria, and throwing that out throws out the cycle. Also, it can be washed, but should only be washed in old tank water, as tap water will kill the bacteria.
Sorry, that was really long winded, feel free to ask more questions though!