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parameters

FOG

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Just off to buy a water testing kit. Now I know ammonia should be zero and the PH7.2 (I think) but I can't find anywhere that tells me nitrate and nitrite levels. Could anyone help me out with this please? Also, if these are too high, I know daily water changes will reduce ammonia, but how do I get the pH and the other levels correct?

Thank you in advance,

Aimee.
 
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FOG

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Just tested my water for the first time and I'm really shocked. Had squishy for a week and a half. The tank was set up with treated water I'd let sit for 24 hours. Every day I'm doing 10 - 20% water changes with treated water thats been left to sit for a day or 2. I'm cleaning out any waste as and when in I see it, along with any uneaten food. So why are my readings so high? And how can I reduce them quickly. Surprised it hasn't died!

Ammonia 0.6 - 1.2
pH 7.5
Nitrite 1.6
Nitrate 50
 
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Kerry1968

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Yes your ammonia is a little high, but your nitrate is within the acceptable range as far as I know, pH is fine and nitrite is high too. I think the only thing to do is keep doing your water changes to dilute those high readings. I'm quite new to all this water readings business so hopefully someone will jump in and correct me if I'm wrong, good luck, Kerry.
 

FOG

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I was so worried about my ammonia levels that I did a 50% water change tonight. My readings went down to:
pH7, ammonia 0.6, nitrite 0.8 and nitrate 10 - 50

But I just came home to find squishy floating vertically with her head touching the surface. Tapped the glass and she slowly floated down to the bottom, and is barely moving. Temps at 20C. Possibly a little warm, but its been 21 for the last few days. Fed her earlier on today. Could this be a result of the 50% change instead of my usual 10-20%? I don't think she's ill, but she's definitely not happy. Is there any other way to lower my parameters without doing such a drastic change?
 
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Jacquie

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But I just came home to find squishy floating vertically with her head touching the surface. Tapped the glass and she slowly floated down to the bottom, and is barely moving. Temps at 20C. Possibly a little warm, but its been 21 for the last few days. Fed her earlier on today. Could this be a result of the 50% change instead of my usual 10-20%? I don't think she's ill, but she's definitely not happy. Is there any other way to lower my parameters without doing such a drastic change?

Hi Aimee,

The only way to bring ammonia and nitrite levels down is doing partial daily water changes. Never use so called 'chemical fixes' sold at aquariums to adjust parameters, these cause more trouble than they are worth and will harm the axolotl.

What sort of filter are you using? If you are using an undergravel filter this may explain the ammonia and nitrite levels being so high as the wastes trapped by the filter are not leaving the water.

If you are using a canister filter, I would take filter out, check it for gunk and give the sponge media a shake in a bucket of the tank water - do not rinse sponges under the tap or use chlorinated water!

How large is the tank? If the tank is small, wastes are not dilluted as efficiently as they would be in a large tank.

Do you have any live plants that may be dying? - dying plants increase ammonia levels.

I hate to say it, but if you are feeding bloodworm every day - this may also be contributing to the ammonia and nitrite spikes - bloodworm is very messy and difficult to clean up.

Cheers Jacq.
 

ianclick

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Hi Aimee I agree with Jacq,

It is likely that you have some waste either food or byproducts which you may have missed in your cleaning, otherwise what you are doing should deal to your ammonia level.
 

FOG

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im not currently using a filter. hes in a small tank, big enough for a small axie. i intend to move him into a bigger one once ive moved the newt out. doing the daily changes, taking the hide out and removing any food or waste from the top of the sand, then stirring it up a bit and removing any i see floating up from it. i havent caught him floating again today, so thats good, but he regularly goes up for a gulp of air, every 10 mins or so. i havent fed him yet tonight and ive not noticed him taking in gulps of air at all, it seems to me he does it during, and after eating. ill test the water again tomorrow after doing another change, and see how my levels are looking. thanks for all the information :)
 

ianclick

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Hi Aimee,

If you can afford it I would invest in some form of filter. Over here they range in price from around $70 (NZ) to 5 or 6 hundred (NZ$) even a small cheap should help.

Good Luck
 

FOG

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ive got a filter in the huge tank im getting ready for him. had a smooth newt in there temporarily while it was ill, putting it back in my pond later, then ill have the huge tank free for my axie, complete with filter, loads of hides, fake plants etc.
 

ali000

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If you have had a sick animal in the tank then you'd be wise to completely clean the tank and start again, just in case any nasties are passed on to your axolotl.
 

FOG

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With the new tank im going to have to start over again as i want to give it a good clean now the newts gone out of it. My second axie is arriving in 1 - 2 weeks, as I'll need to quarantine it, should i just wait and start the cycling again with the new axie in the big tank? Then wait 30days and add my current one? Or should i put the current axie in the bigger tank, and quarantine the new one in the smaller tank? Decisions, decisions..

Also my levels are slowly improving, ammonias down to 0.6.
 
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