Cycling help!

Joarna

Joarna

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I have a new tank soon to be home to my new axolotl. I could do with some tips, suggestions and advice on cycling a new tank please. Is it possible to speed things up?

I have an established fishtank thats been going for months, can use substrate and the odd plastic plant to add to the new tank.:confused:
 
Definetly dont cycle with axies in it, that way u dont have to keep parameters safe for them with waterchanges.

more stuff u can add from an established tank the better. U could add some disease free fish to give bioload, I use convicts cause I got too many of them.
 
Joarna, adding non-gravel substrate, filter media, and plastic plants from your fish tank will jump-start your cycle.
 
Hmm well the substrate in my fishtank is small gravel/pebbles so that wont do, can possible buy a stocking to hold them in the tank. Filter is different in each tank so that wont really work either :( Am buying some live plants tomorrow so they will help with the nitrite and such.

Dont really want to put my axolotl into the tank straight away but my mother is kinda presuring me into hurrying things along, no fuss n bother just get it over with so you can get over your axolotl obsession :/

I will be getting some little feeder fish to add to the tank to help things along too.
 
Exactly how long should it take for a tank to cycle? If Ive done everything I can to help things along.
 
You can put gravel into a stocking.

Feeder fish aren't a good idea for many reasons. There are lots of threads on this so I'll let you research and make an informed decision.

Cycling usually takes 4-6 weeks, but could be much shorter when you seed the tank with live bacteria.
 
If you really want to speed up your cycle (and are impatient like me :p) you can add a product called Dr. Tim's One and Only. You'll have to shuck out a few bucks, but it's worth it since it will cycle your tank within a day or two IME. Also if you have any other bio-media it will cycle your tank a lot faster. I use a combo of One and Only with cycled media and I get instant cycled tanks.
 
or just grab whatever filter pad or media you use in your current filter and ring it out into the new filter
I do this with all my tanks and my cycle has completed in as little as 2 weeks depending on bio load
usually it takes me 3 to 4 weeks for a proper cycle to startup

im doing 20% water changes on my new axie tank
I need to do the filter trick and see if I can speed the process up a bit

I have used bacterial additives as well, i know that in the US Aquarium Pharmaceuticals makes a product to jump start their cycle
Ive used it before but the name changes with every new bottle design it seems -_-
 
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    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
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  • Thorninmyside:
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    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
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