Question: New to Axolotl's, some help and advice please!

Hi guys, I'm getting my tank today (yay!)
And I have a checklist of things I need.
Which are as follows.

Basics:
Sand - (Unipac Aquarium - White)
API Freshwater Master Test kit
Tap water conditioner - (Tanksafe/De-chlorinate)

Extras:
Turkey Baster
Marimo moss balls
Plants - (silk)
Hides - (found a big old hippo skull that looks great! Thinking about covering it with java moss but I don't know if it's good for axies?)

That's what I have so far, I think I understand the cycling hubub but I don't know whether you need to cycle and have a filter or whether you can just cycle without one?

The tank is 3ft in length and fairly deep, lots of room for my 2 future playmates!

Just wondering if I've missed anything out or if anyone has some starter advice (or a reliable UK stockist!).

Cheers,
Mary-Alice

You can cycle without a filter but it's not recommended.

Think of it this way, although every porous surface in your tank will become colonised by the friendly bacteria the media inside your filter is designed so that it has lots of surface area. Depending on what filter media you use it could potentially be several miles worth( if you were able to spread it all out flat). All of this will become colonised. What's more, your filter will draw ammonia and nitrite rich water directly to all these miles of bacteria, thus making them highly active and effective. And what's more filters (at least the good ones) also direct oxygen rich water over the media and the bacteria it carries. These types of bacteria are much more effective when they have a good supply of oxygen.

Basically, although your whole tank contributes to the cycle, your filter is like a highly efficient little biological cleaning factory. I think filtered tanks are generally much healthier than others (although I have heard of some interesting alternatives to filters on here)

ps. welcome to Caudata forums!

p.p.s. You can get some decent aquarium filters for about a tenner from a certain online warehouse which is named after a very long river!

p.p.p.s moss on a hippo skull sounds fantastic and should cause absolutely no problems for your future axies .. on one proviso and that is you must post a picture of it once you have set it up ;-)

If you can, go to a local pet store rather than a chain. In my experience, they are far more helpful.