Redecorating

Hi, me again.
While Hikaru is hopefully recovering in the fridge, I thought to give her tank a thorough clean out.

we took out everything, cleaned the glass inside and out with lemon juice (and rinsed well). rinsed all the slime off the driftwood and pebbles in fresh water, cleaned the ceramic pot she hides in etc..

Question? should I set up my tank now and hopefully get it to cycle before we put her back ..I don't know how long she'll be in the fridge..at least a week ??

I have a funny feeling that cleaning the slime off everything might not have been a good idea??

Yes, you should set up the tank now. :happy:

Cleaning the slime usually doesn't hurt anything. Cleaning the ornaments and rocks is usually OK too, except that your tank has a rather small filter, so a larger proportion of the beneficial bacteria were on the rocks and decorations. So if your cycle weren't already probably crashed, you might have seen ammonia and nitrite spikes.

Did you clean the sponge filter? (You should squeeze them out in a small container of tank water once a week. Don't use tap water unless it is dechlorinated.)

Here is what I recommend for a fishless (axolotl-less) cycle.
1) Get a bigger filter (a sponge filter is good for axolotl tank, but make sure it is sized to handle a larger tank than the one you have) and set it up in the tank.
2) Get a test kit that tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH. Check your tank to see what the current levels are. (Read the directions - some tests have to sit before you check the reading.)
3) Get some pure ammonia (no additives like scent).
4) Add a food pellet to the tank and leave it there. (It provides trace elements for the bacteria.)
5) Add small quantities of ammonia (spoonful at a time) to the tank until the ammonia rises to about 4 ppm.
6) Check the pH, ammonia, and nitrites the next day. If the ammonia has dropped noticeably, hurray! If the pH has dropped below 6.5, change 25% of the water. (Low pH will also have negative impact on the cycle.)
7) Repeat the previous two steps until the ammonia and nitrite drop to 0 by the next day.
8) Do a 90-100% water change (dechlorinate the water!).
9) Reintroduce Hikaru to the tank. (Float her container in the tank until the temperature is the same, etc.) If she is coming straight out of the fridge, put her container in a cooler and let it warm up slowly to about the same temperature as the tank first.

You can cycle with Hikaru in the tank, but that will take longer and take more work, since you will need to keep the ammonia and nitrite low by doing frequent water changes water changes. The advantage is, then you don't need to buy ammonia since Hikaru would supply her own. :happy:

If Hikaru seems recovered before the fishless cycle is complete, you can keep her in a smaller container outside of the tank and do 100% water changes every day.

I consider cycling a tank to be very educational, and you son is the right age to be educated. Just make sure he reads and understands everything, and double check all of the conditions before you let him put Hikaru back in the tank!

I agree with everything except for step 8. I think that doing the water change will disbalance the aquarium even if the bacteria grows on the filter. Yes, the tank will have nitrate, but not enough to cause for a water change. Maybe try introducing some plants into the aquarium to help with the water...

There is nothing wrong with step 8. It is a complete myth that a large water change will upset the cycle. Please don't give out incorrect advice to new people.

Thank you Laura and everyone. I've always rinsed the filter out .
Today is a public holiday (Australia Day) so all the aquarium stores are closed. but tomorrow I'll go with a list and get everything I need.

Do Axolotls get lonely? Is my tank big enough for two?

Dimentions 24x12x12

If I'm going to get all this stuff I may as well get a friend for Hikaru and a bigger tank

only one thing, I dont think we can buy pure ammonia in Oz

Cleaning the slime usually doesn't hurt anything. Cleaning the ornaments and rocks is usually OK too, except that your tank has a rather small filter, so a larger proportion of the beneficial bacteria were on the rocks and decorations. So if your cycle weren't already probably crashed, you might have seen ammonia and nitrite spikes.

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Correct, don't clean off all the slime, that will surely crash your cycle. Taken from Caudata Culture ( CC )

4. Protect your tank slime.
Where do beneficial bacteria grow? On any wet surface in your tank: on the glass, the gravel, the rocks, the aquarium ornaments, the filter. You may notice that these surfaces are slimy. This slime is your biofilter. Here are some simple things you can do to take care of it:

• If you must use an antibiotic treatment for a sick newt, do the treatment in a separate quarantine tank so you don’t kill the good bacteria in your main tank.
• If you want to clean your tank, don’t clean all the ornaments and the filter all at once. If you do, you’ve just killed most of your biofilter and the tank may have to start the cycling process all over again.
• Choose tank decorations that have rough surfaces where more bacteria can colonize, such as natural rock and terracotta.
• Choose a color of gravel that won’t show the algae, and you will never have to scrub it. (However, you will still have to remove debris diligently.)
• Understand that algae, in moderation, is not bad. Most algae have all the same benefits of live plants – oxygen production and nutrient consumption. If you get excessive algae, particularly the ugly kinds, take steps to reduce it. But never take the whole tank apart and scrub everything off unless absolutely necessary.
• If you are starting a new tank, use some pieces of filter media or gravel from the older tank to help establish the bacteria in the new tank.

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3) Get some pure ammonia (no additives like scent).

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5) Add small quantities of ammonia (spoonful at a time) to the tank until the ammonia rises to about 4 ppm.

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From CC;

Some hobbyists have used household ammonia to provide the ammonia source for cycling a new tank. Information on this method can be found on various websites. However, this method should be used with caution. Household ammonia is very strong, so only very small amounts (drops) are needed.

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Do as Laura directs, just start with smaller amounts, as it will be a lot easier to add more than remove some.

6) Check the pH, ammonia, and nitrites the next day. If the ammonia has dropped noticeably, hurray! If the pH has dropped below 6.5, change 25% of the water. (Low pH will also have negative impact on the cycle.)
7) Repeat the previous two steps until the ammonia and nitrite drop to 0 by the next day.
8) Do a 90-100% water change (dechlorinate the water!).
9) Reintroduce Hikaru to the tank. (Float her container in the tank until the temperature is the same, etc.) If she is coming straight out of the fridge, put her container in a cooler and let it warm up slowly to about the same temperature as the tank first.

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Maybe I am understanding incorrectly, but what it seems to me is that you are saying that is all it takes to cycle your tank? From CC;

Once the bacterial populations become established, they break down these compounds into non-toxic forms, and the tank is then considered to be "cycled". It can take anywhere from several weeks to a couple of months to cycle an aquarium.

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For the OP, here is a information sheet on cycling; Caudata Culture Articles - Cycling

Do Axolotls get lonely? Is my tank big enough for two?

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Unfortunately your tank is not big enough for two, it would have to be a 20 gallon or bigger, and your tank is only 15 gallon.

If I'm going to get all this stuff I may as well get a friend for Hikaru and a bigger tank

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If you want two, I would recommend a 30 or 40 gallon, they will provide plenty of room for the two

only one thing, I dont think we can buy pure ammonia in Oz

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No worries, some frozen brine shrimp will work too. Enough to cover a dime ( CC reference xD )

Hope this helps! -Seth

EDIT: Sorry for quoting CC so much, but it is great info written by experts and can be trusted, plus it is easy to access and takes a lot less time to post than typing it out in your own words!

Thank you