Finally have my own tank!! Few qns...

Hey all! Been a while since I've been on here. There was little point seeing it was taking me SO long to actually get my own tank and set up (being unemployed at the time and all).. but NOW, finally finally, I have a tank I have yet to actually buy an axolotl because I want the tank to be cycled first and I know it can take a LONG time.

It's a 20 long that I got at the Petco $1 per gallon sale. I also bought the following:
- Mesh lid ... in case the water gets hot I can use a fan and I read the mesh allows more breathing and the water temp says lower that if it were a glass lid
- Digital thermometer
- Stress coat
- API Salt water test kit.. (the one that's always recommended on here)
- Aqueon Quietflow 20 (up to 30G tank size) filter
- Frozen brine shrimp (to do a fishless cycle)

Now I also bought "Ocean Direct live sand" (this: CaribSea® Ocean Direct™ Caribbean Live Sand - Gravel & Sand - Fish - PetSmart) and after buying it noticed it only mentions seawater. It doesn't say it in big bold "ONLY" but I'm hoping this is okay... Opinions?

My other issue is we have an old house (80 years old). We need to replace the water heater because it was un-lived in for about a year and the water heater rusted a little inside or something. This is my dilemma. Is it still safe to use the water coming out of the taps? My husband drinks it no problem (I personally hate the chloramines they add to the town water so I dont.. and yes I know they're there so I have to make SURE to use the stress coat before adding the water to the tank because regular chlorine evaporates and chloramine doesn't... lots of reading ). So that's my qn. Is this water bad for the axolotl?

Oh, and one more issue, the place we have the tank sitting on is a chest thing (pic attached) and as you can see there's a backing thing. I CAN push the tank forward to make the filter fit between the backing and the tank, but it hangs over the edge by a little under a centimetre.. makes me nervous. The only other option is to have the filter on a slight angle. Is this bad? It seems to be running fine. Is VERY quiet (really impressed with that actually) and the water flow is good but not too bad. I can't find anything that says it MUST sit flush. It's not a bad angle.. It's okay enough that the rod that sits down into the water doesn't touch the edge of the tank (close but doesn't). Again, opinions?

Oh, and should I get a chlorine/chloramine tester?

Sorry for the 20 questions. I'm so happy to FINALLY get started. I read I should run the filter for 48 hours before I do anything so that's my plan before I start the official cycle process.

Thanks for reading.

API Salt water test kit.. (the one that's always recommended on here)

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Take that one back.
You need the FRESHWATER master kit, as they are freshwater critters.
This will have all the things you need to test your water.
I assume the Saltwater one looks at different things in the water otherwise they would be sold as the same thing.

You should also get a water conditioner (Unless stress coat is the exact same thing, I don't think you need the stress coat, but I could be wrong.)

The sand might have things in it that would change your water chemistry, so you might be better off not using it.

But I'm no expert on tank related things (and probably never will be), and people for the US might be able to give you better information on what brands/stores to get things from.
Happy axolotling!

Jossie said:

Take that one back.
You need the FRESHWATER master kit, as they are freshwater critters.
This will have all the things you need to test your water.
I assume the Saltwater one looks at different things in the water otherwise they would be sold as the same thing.

You should also get a water conditioner (Unless stress coat is the exact same thing, I don't think you need the stress coat, but I could be wrong.)

The sand might have things in it that would change your water chemistry, so you might be better off not using it.

But I'm no expert on tank related things (and probably never will be), and people for the US might be able to give you better information on what brands/stores to get things from.
Happy axolotling!

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It's weird but in the store I was going to GET the freshwater one but it didn't have everything I needed (didnt list nitrites). When I look at the pic online though it looks fine... bizarre. Either way they're basically the same though. The only difference I can see is the freshwater one has regular pH and the saltwater "high pH". As the range for axolotls is readable by the high pH kit it's no major drama. I am wondering whether you're right and the presence of salt would alter the tests... and so it's calibrated accordingly but I'm not sure... okay. a quick google and I'm safe Can I use my freshwater test kit for saltwater? - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community thank GOD 'cause it wasn't cheap and I've opened it already! Apparently the only difference is the salt would alter the colours so you've got to make sure to use the colour chart from whichever kit you're using (in my case I only have the one so no issue

Stress coat is this: API Stress Coat Aquarium Water Conditioner at PETCO basically it's Water conditioner with a little slime coat boost. One poster did say that it shouldn't be used all the time 'cause stuff gets slimy but most people I've read use it.. that and there was no regular dechlorinater in stock (very odd.. though there was a sale on at the time..). It also says it neutralises heavy metals so maybe this solves my rusty water issue??

Btw I've done one test so far to get my "base" for the water. It's 0.25 ammonia, 0ppm for the nitrates and nitrites, temp of 71F, and the pH was 7.9 which I know is high but I'm hoping will resolve during the cycling process. Time will tell. So overall it's not hideous water conditions so far.

Okay so frig... Did another water test and it's all the same except the pH went up.. le sigh. The dude at the LFS (specialist one, not Petsmart) told me that the local tap water is naturally acidic so I might need a buffer solution or something.. was he lying? Or is he being honest? Before I did anything the first water reading was 7.9 so it IS normally high.. Opinons?

Acidic means it would be below 7, not above (which is basic). Really, pH is one of the last things you need to worry about.

I use stress coat as my normal dechlorinator since it's the only one available to me where I'm at. You can use any you like, as long as they're not 'ammonia neutralizer' type dechlorinators.

Don't use the sand. When in doubt, leave it out.

Water from your tap should be fine. Iron at low levels (even as iron oxide) isn't that harmful to most critters. If you're terribly worried about it, let the water run for a few minutes before filling up your buckets. I do this anyway.

It's MUCH better to have the filter sit at an angle than to have the tank unsupported. Think of it this way: a filter that sits at an angle might burn out and stop working. An unsupported tank might crack and send 20 gallons of water and your slimy friend all over your floor. Or you can put the filter on the end of the tank rather than the back.

Kaysie said:

Acidic means it would be below 7, not above (which is basic). Really, pH is one of the last things you need to worry about.

I use stress coat as my normal dechlorinator since it's the only one available to me where I'm at. You can use any you like, as long as they're not 'ammonia neutralizer' type dechlorinators.

Don't use the sand. When in doubt, leave it out.

Water from your tap should be fine. Iron at low levels (even as iron oxide) isn't that harmful to most critters. If you're terribly worried about it, let the water run for a few minutes before filling up your buckets. I do this anyway.

It's MUCH better to have the filter sit at an angle than to have the tank unsupported. Think of it this way: a filter that sits at an angle might burn out and stop working. An unsupported tank might crack and send 20 gallons of water and your slimy friend all over your floor. Or you can put the filter on the end of the tank rather than the back.

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Oh wow... Why didn't I think of the side? It'll fit fabulously there and I agree and about the angle v sitting forward. Angle was always the way it was gunna go over tank sitting forward.. the idea of it smashing some day is just too scary.

The pH keeps rising (and I should have known high number = basic... I blame.. well.. stupidity) and I was told the sand will keep it up high. I was also told that thanks to the hardness of the water here our set pH will be high normally anyway (which explains the 7.9 when I did the first test right after filling)... the LFS dude recommended a buffer to fix the water issue and to remove the sand because the buffer can lower but the sand will just keep raising so it would be fruitless.

I didn't know that pH was basically (no pun intended) not a big deal. I remember reading something about controlling the pH helped control one of the big deal ones ammonia/nitrate or whatever... or maybe it was high pH meant something bad.. ahh well I just remember 7.6 is the highest it should go so I'm aiming to sit under that.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. The filter fix alone has made my day (gives me something to attach my digital thermometer to (the display, not the probe) for easy access

Great Well I bought new sand (just some standard sand but it's not white, he said most white has aragonite/coral in it and that's why it's white) and I've emptied the tank of the water but the sand is heavy so as hubby is at work I'll wait (maybe a little pun intended ) until he's home to help. Then hopefully we can get this cycling of my tank started

Thanks guys

So it's been about 2 months and it looks like my tank is FINALLY cycled. My ammonia and nitrite are 0, and my nitrate was around 40-60 (maybe 50) so I did a 20% water change and not it's more like 20-40 (closer to 40).

Couple of qns:
1. Can I take out my filter media (just the white part with carbon, not touching the bio filter or anything else) and change it or should I leave it?

2. Should I add more ammonia just to test it?

3. I still don't have any decorations. This has been a busy couple of months. Should I buy the decorations and add them and run water tests before I get the axie? Or can I add them and get the axie right away?

Thanks in advance!

Your tank appears to be cycled so your good to go, you can use pellets/fishfood to keep the bacteria fed till you get an axolotl. The decorations if shop brough aquarium safe ones can be rinsed and placed straight in your tank, if you want to add other things check the appropriate threads for safe materials.

make sure to be continually adding ammonia so your bb doesn't die. Don't add too much though(over 5 ppm's) or that will kill the bb off too.

Ohh, tank for axolotl - not for you... thought you had your own tank there for a sec...

Sykadelic said:

okay. a quick google and I'm safe Can I use my freshwater test kit for saltwater? - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community thank GOD 'cause it wasn't cheap and I've opened it already! Apparently the only difference is the salt would alter the colours so you've got to make sure to use the colour chart from whichever kit you're using (in my case I only have the one so no issue

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Almost right. You can use the Marine kit for freshwater. They are the same chemicals for each test from fresh to salt so that doesn't matter BUT you will need to read your results from the card for the type of water you are testing regardless of what's written on the label of the bottle. You will need a FRESHWATER test result card not the SW one it came with or you won't get an accurate reading. Comparing your freshwater result to the salt water card won't work as the colors will be off due to the lack of salt in the water you're testing.

This is the 2 types of ammonia colour cards and as you can see they are a bit different and should you get a colour that matches 0.25 on the salt water card you would actually have a reading somewhere between 0.5 and 1

In most aquariums this is fairly negligible so why bother? Because your water has a higher pH than the average tank so you're looking at a higher concentration of the toxic Ammonia (NH3) than you would at a lower pH making it a significant difference. Most of us like to keep it below 0.25 anyway.

There are similar differences in the Nitrate and high pH cards.
If you're getting a pH of 7.8 on the SW card you'd be looking at an 8 on the freshwater.

you can google and print off pictures of all these cards so you might be able to get away with not buying any more kits.


Remove the sand and change some water to bring the pH back down a bit.
I'd be inclined to go with a buffer if it's still up around the 8 mark. I know the lovely ppl here don't like to add "stuff" to their water but they are safe and extremely affective when used correctly.

You can add your decorations whenever you like before, with or after you've added you axie. I like a few days before so it gives everything time to settle and gives me time to fine tune the position of everything without having to worry about freaking out my axie or risking dropping something on it :errr: just give them a rinse under the tap first to remove any dust or residue from the when they were made.

Good luck!

MereB said:

Almost right. You can use the Marine kit for freshwater. They are the same chemicals for each test from fresh to salt so that doesn't matter BUT you will need to read your results from the card for the type of water you are testing regardless of what's written on the label of the bottle. You will need a FRESHWATER test result card not the SW one it came with or you won't get an accurate reading. Comparing your freshwater result to the salt water card won't work as the colors will be off due to the lack of salt in the water you're testing.

This is the 2 types of ammonia colour cards and as you can see they are a bit different and should you get a colour that matches 0.25 on the salt water card you would actually have a reading somewhere between 0.5 and 1

In most aquariums this is fairly negligible so why bother? Because your water has a higher pH than the average tank so you're looking at a higher concentration of the toxic Ammonia (NH3) than you would at a lower pH making it a significant difference. Most of us like to keep it below 0.25 anyway.

There are similar differences in the Nitrate and high pH cards.
If you're getting a pH of 7.8 on the SW card you'd be looking at an 8 on the freshwater.

you can google and print off pictures of all these cards so you might be able to get away with not buying any more kits.

Remove the sand and change some water to bring the pH back down a bit.
I'd be inclined to go with a buffer if it's still up around the 8 mark. I know the lovely ppl here don't like to add "stuff" to their water but they are safe and extremely affective when used correctly.

You can add your decorations whenever you like before, with or after you've added you axie. I like a few days before so it gives everything time to settle and gives me time to fine tune the position of everything without having to worry about freaking out my axie or risking dropping something on it :errr: just give them a rinse under the tap first to remove any dust or residue from the when they were made.

Good luck!

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Man I kinda wanna say "dammit!" about the cards but at the same time the different colours now make a LOT of sense for why it didn't seem to rise that much.. and now comparing my results to the different card.. lol Maybe i will just buy the Freshwater Kit but it wasn't there last time I was there... ahh well

My pH is steady now that I've removed the evil sand. It's steady at 7.9 (using SW test) with no fluctuations... but now you've got me thinking about what it would be on the FW test... I know you said I had to use the different card but now I'm wondering if that's even good enough... if the reaction is different... yeah... le sigh. I won't bother getting the axie till I get the new kit and run tests. Fruit-cake! Lol.

Thanks for the reply though.

The tests themselves are the same between the kits, the ingredients in the bottle that is. They are exactly the same just with different labels on them so you wouldn't have to buy the other kit. The reaction itself isn't an different and it's simply the presence of the salt that changes the colour a little necessitating the slightly different coloured cards.

You could google images of the freshwater cards for each test and just print them out from your computer and use those. If you wanted them to last a but longer you could laminate them or put them in plastic bags so they don't get wet making the ink run. Most printers now do a good enough job of colour matching for you to get away with it until you run out of tests and need to get a new set.

You should be able to figure out what your readings would have been if you have a look at the FW card and just match the colours you got. pH 7.8 on the SW card is the same colour as 8 on the FW one for example.

Mere.

MereB said:

The tests themselves are the same between the kits, the ingredients in the bottle that is. They are exactly the same just with different labels on them so you wouldn't have to buy the other kit. The reaction itself isn't an different and it's simply the presence of the salt that changes the colour a little necessitating the slightly different coloured cards.

You could google images of the freshwater cards for each test and just print them out from your computer and use those. If you wanted them to last a but longer you could laminate them or put them in plastic bags so they don't get wet making the ink run. Most printers now do a good enough job of colour matching for you to get away with it until you run out of tests and need to get a new set.

You should be able to figure out what your readings would have been if you have a look at the FW card and just match the colours you got. pH 7.8 on the SW card is the same colour as 8 on the FW one for example.

Mere.

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Well I have some good news. I went back to where I got the kit, spoke to someone who told me to bring the SW one back and they'll give me a store credit for it (which is good 'cause we buy frozen mice for the snakes there) so I bought the FW one.

Ran the tests today. The results are all slightly different (obviously ). I added some more of my ammonia source (frozen brine shrimp) yesterday as someone (you I think) told me to make sure I add an ammonia source every now and then so the BB (biological barrier) won't crash.

My results are as follows:
pH is 8.1
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrate 20-40
Nitrite 0.

So... how bad exactly is that pH? Do I actually need to mess with trying to fix it? Like I said before it was steady, never changing at 7.9 (using the SW test so steady at 8.1 on the FW test). I read that one of the reasons for certain pHs is water hardness (Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity) . I KNOW we have hard water and my husband thinks the water softener isn't working right.. it's OLD too... eventually we want to get tankless hot water and I know you can get a water softener wall thing (like the tankless water heater is) but I think that's prolly $$$ so would I be okay for now? The page I linked said axolotls like "somewhat hard" water... I've read there are ways to soften the water (and that the water softener isn't actually the best way) but if it won't kill my axie and simply means I need to do weekly ammonia checks when doing my 20% water changes that's okay... but if my BB is working properly shouldn't the ammonia be taken care of anyway?

Also, another random qn... with winter coming around my water temp has fluctuated a bit (we turned the AC off finally). It's only by a degree or two though. It's usually around 71 (or lower) and right now it's around 68.5. Is that a major issue I should worry about? I've already told my husband that we can't turn the heater up, over winter, above 71 and he's okay with that because he prefers the cold.

Thanks in advance! and sorry for the noob qns!