Help Please! Cycle issues

[StillLearning]

Hello everyone!

I am calling for reinforcements! My son got his first axolotl in early October. Lesson learned, I did not have a tank set up and have been in the cycle nightmare ever since. I won’t do that again! That being said, I am trying to do right by the axie and have been working my tail off ever since but I’m stuck.

He is in a 29 gallon tank. Almost immediately, I was able to get the ammonia taken care of and that has never been an issue since. However the Nitrites are always high and nothing I do seems to get them down, for moths and months now.

The nitrites sit around 1.5-2.5. I have been using prime to help detoxify the nitrites.

I added a nitrite filter to the filter months ago but it has had no noticeable affect.

I just can’t seem to get the bacteria that transforms nitrites into nitrates to take hold. On a nightly basis I’ve been adding Seachem Stability to try to establish good bacteria, pretty sure what the can do before they die off is where the low nitrates come from.

I recently went to the reptile show and asked the breeders and even a nice aquarium store but they were stumped. Can anyone please help me figure out what is going on and how to fix it?

The stats:

29 gallon tank
Fluval 207 canitster filter with spray bar with foam over bar to reduce flow
Airstone
Just one juvenile axolotl, no plants or other animals
Sand on bottom
KH 125.3
GH 89.5
pH 7.6
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 1.5
Nitrate 5
Chlorine 0

54.3 degrees

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!! Trying all I can do to keep him healthy!

 

[wolfen]

I'm assuming that your sons axolotl isn't in the tank whilst it is cycling.
kh levels are good (around 7°)
gh levels are low (around 5°)
the temperature is cold for a cycling tank, pond bacteria is more effective in colder waters but even then no lower than 50°f, because there is no axolotl in the tank the water temperature can be increase to speed up cycling ie.. 78°f
for a cycling tank the nitrates are low, how long has it been cycling and how is it being cycled?
as I said I'm assuming that your sons axolotl isn't in the tank but if hypothetically it was then.. have the temperature at 60°f and try to use pond bacteria, use a solution like 50% holtfreters with 0.1g/l magnesium sulphate (the salt and chloride will help protect against nitrites), use a dechlorinater only (no bells and whistles, it only needs to dechlorinate), do a 50% water change every time there is any trace of nitrites or once per week, dechlorinate water before adding (if possible use a pump in the bucket/tub etc.. to agitate the water to make sure it is fully dechlorinated before hand), as to the filter.. pack the trays with as much ceramic bio media as it will hold (ceramic media will hold more bacteria than the plastic media will) keep the side foam (this will catch debris), the bottom foam can be either kept or removed and bio-media used instead (this is up to you), use foam/shrimp guard on inlet to prevent accidents at one end of the tank, have spray bar facing the glass at other end of tank (make sure it also points slightly downwards to stop over spray), before removing any water turn the sand over by going through it with a fork before hand to release any debris and gas. have air-stone/s central at back of tank to allow for full oxygenation
link for holtfreters.. Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity

 

[StillLearning]

I'm assuming that your sons axolotl isn't in the tank whilst it is cycling.
kh levels are good (around 7°)
gh levels are low (around 5°)
the temperature is cold for a cycling tank, pond bacteria is more effective in colder waters but even then no lower than 50°f, because there is no axolotl in the tank the water temperature can be increase to speed up cycling ie.. 78°f
for a cycling tank the nitrates are low, how long has it been cycling and how is it being cycled?
as I said I'm assuming that your sons axolotl isn't in the tank but if hypothetically it was then.. have the temperature at 60°f and try to use pond bacteria, use a solution like 50% holtfreters with 0.1g/l magnesium sulphate (the salt and chloride will help protect against nitrites), use a dechlorinater only (no bells and whistles, it only needs to dechlorinate), do a 50% water change every time there is any trace of nitrites or once per week, dechlorinate water before adding (if possible use a pump in the bucket/tub etc.. to agitate the water to make sure it is fully dechlorinated before hand), as to the filter.. pack the trays with as much ceramic bio media as it will hold (ceramic media will hold more bacteria than the plastic media will) keep the side foam (this will catch debris), the bottom foam can be either kept or removed and bio-media used instead (this is up to you), use foam/shrimp guard on inlet to prevent accidents at one end of the tank, have spray bar facing the glass at other end of tank (make sure it also points slightly downwards to stop over spray), before removing any water turn the sand over by going through it with a fork before hand to release any debris and gas. have air-stone/s central at back of tank to allow for full oxygenation
link for holtfreters.. Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity

Thank you so much for your detailed reply! I just got to work but I will spend time digesting the information tonight. Unfortunately, the axolotl is in the tank. Our tap water is absolutely horrible (super soft water, very low ph) and I’ve been worried about what moving him to a tub with daily water changes would do to him. I have clearly not been cleaning the sand the right way so I will start that. I can’t find an aquarium heater that goes below 70 but maybe I can set it up on a separate thermostat. I will look for the pond bacteria (great idea!) and the ingredients to make the solution you mentioned. I do have the airstone going and have packed the ceremics in! More to come, thank you so much again!!