Placing fish in a new tank to get the "conditions" right???

Hey everyone,

I have just bought a new aquarium which I am going to put some Axolotls in, however someone told me that I should put about 10 or 15 guppies (small fish) in the tank for a week so they get the water conditions right? after a week I should take out the fish and put in the axolotls? apparently this is because axolotls/fish don't live in pure water? I'm a little concerned about doing this in fear of the fish giving the axolotls diseases. Has anybody heard of this practice and should I do it? or is it just ok to place the new axolotls into clean water? thanks :dizzy:

Amphibious said:

Hey everyone,

I have just bought a new aquarium which I am going to put some Axolotls in, however someone told me that I should put about 10 or 15 guppies (small fish) in the tank for a week so they get the water conditions right? after a week I should take out the fish and put in the axolotls? apparently this is because axolotls/fish don't live in pure water? I'm a little concerned about doing this in fear of the fish giving the axolotls diseases. Has anybody heard of this practice and should I do it? or is it just ok to place the new axolotls into clean water? thanks :dizzy:

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i just fill tank with water add some conditioner mix it about and then pop the axy's into that. they seem happy and not an issue. all done in less than 5 minutes.

wish i knew where all these myths and stories come from that you have to do this or do that to a tank and water.

On the contrary, putting a few guppies in IS a good idea, as you need to cycle your tank Caudata Culture Articles - Cycling, and guppies provide an excellent source of ammonia. When the temperatures got too hot for my axies over the summer, I put 9 into the tank (whilst the axies went out to the air con), and they kept the cycle stable (which means fewer water changes, better waste disposal, and overall better tank and axie health). They then went onto become axie food for one of my fussy eaters, and a few actually managed to pass away from old age. I now have their babies kept separate and find them a lovely pet in their own right.
I'd also suggest some red cherry shrimp or ghost shrimp-they act as a cleaning crew, axie chowder and assist in keeping the tank stable as well.
Good luck with your axies! (And your guppies!)

It takes much longer than a week to get the cycle started. It usually takes at least a month, usually two. If you put guppies in, left them for a week, you would putting your axolotl in a tank that's already full of ammonia from the fish. Definitely read through the article that Caitie linked. It explains the nitrogen cycle pretty well.

Cycling is important is it allows that cleaning bacteria to grow, if you have another tank you can put some filter media/plants/ornaments etc from it into the new tank. This helps with the cycling process.

When I got my new tank I switched filters completely, using my established filter from my goldfish for the new tank and giving the goldies a new filter. My tank was cycles within 2 weeks, during which time I did water changes every other day and tested my water religiously.

I would have cycled the tank the normal way but there was no way to as the new tank was replacing an old leaking one, but now I know this trick works I'll do it again. Right now I've got 2 filters running on my axi tank, the regular hang on one and the new canister filter which will be the filtration for her new custom home. When the new tank comes I'll just put both in again then remove the hang on once the tank is cycled.

The advice you got to "condition" the tank was well intentioned, and correct, but poorly explained.

What you need to do is learn about and create a "nitrogen cycle" - the article Catie pointed you to is a good one, and if you google it you will find more.

You will also find a lot of advice and products out there to "speed up" the cycling process - frankly, i wouldn't bother with trying to speed it up, just let it happen. I tried a product additive supposedly to speed up the cycle, it didn't really.

The only thing about the fish i would be concerned about is disease. Can you delay your axie purchase? If you can wait 4-6 weeks with just guppies in the tank, then you can cycle the tank and also watch the fish for any signs of disease, quarantine them basically. If after 6 weeks they show no signs of illness, then leave them in with the axies for snacks

the key to cycling is patience - it takes a while, dont rush it

Bren

Another thing, do you know someone who has a running, well established filter they might be able to give you? Or does your local fish shop use sponge filters? That's another way to get the cycle going, by introducing a pre-seeded sponge from a SAFE source (Someone without diseases in their system).
Also, live plants (as the diagram points out) help the cycle out- and not having thrashing axies in for a while could be the key to giving them the best shot
And if you can't put off getting your axies, maybe keep them in smaller containers and change their water every single day until your cycle's established?
Oh! And because it should be mentioned sooner rather than later (And someone other than I will!), GET THE TEST TUBE TEST KIT!!! Not only are the colours prettier, but the results are a lot more accurate than the dip strips *Shudder*!
Good luck with your tank and your axies!

Hey,
Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll be sure to check out that link on the nitrogen cycle and yes I can hold off on buying the axies.
Although I do have one already that I bought out of impatience however he's in a seperate tank for now. He is about 15cm long and the tank is only a foot long so how often should i be changing his water while I wait for the cycle to complete? I know someone said once a day but I dont want to stress him out with having to adapt to new water conditions once a day...

Hey,
Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll be sure to check out that link on the nitrogen cycle and yes I can hold off on buying the axies.
Although I do have one already that I bought out of impatience :errr: however he's in a seperate tank for now. He is about 15cm long and the tank is only a foot long so how often should i be changing his water while I wait for the cycle to complete? I know someone said once a day but I dont want to stress him out with having to adapt to new water conditions once a day...

If it's a 30cm tank, test it every day, and change at least every second (anyone got a specific figure apart from around 60%-ish?) and if the ammonia rises above 0.25, change the water. As to keeping it stable, monitor the temperature and the ph., and aim to get the replacement as close to the tank as possible (Anyone else think more on the topic?) Are you running a filter in it? Just a cheap box filter will do, or the replaceable cartridge filters you can pick up for $12 (two refills for the same price) and can act as a buffer if things go suddenly crazy.

I am thinking of getting some guppies to help cycle my tank. My only concern is that when reading up on guppies I noticed they like there water slightly more warmer, around 75 and 85 degrees. Axolotl's like there water cooler. Should I stick a heater in the tank until the tank is cycled? I plan to remove guppies before adding an Axie, or i may just leave them in for a snack.

Also what is the best food to feed the guppies?