Cycling?

I am soon moving to college, while its only 1hr45mins away from home, i am sure there is a major difference in the water... I am taking my Axolotls with me to keep me company...
Any advice on how to make this transition safe and easy for them?
*including cycling does anyone have a link on how to do it?

The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling - Aquarium Advice

This is a good guide, the only thing i would ignore would be the 90% water change when your finished, change it to daily 30% changes to ensure your cycle doesnt crash.

If your doing a fish IN cycle, then all you need to do is test the water everyday with a liquid test kit, to look for any drastic spikes, and do a daily 30% water change to keep the levels in 'safe' parameters for the lottles.
If there is a large spike, then do a bigger water change

You will know either way you chose whether your tank is cycled when you get reading of;
ammonia - 0ppm
nitrITE - 0ppm
nitrATE - needs to be kept at less than 40ppm

Hello

My lotties have just moved with me. They had a three hour drive then another half hour trip a month later. Best way to transport the lotties is have them in their own separate containers filler as much as possible to minimise sloshing which stresses lotties. I transported them in a chilly bin to keep them cool and dark - dark minimizes stress too.

If they are already in a cycled tank just keep all your ornaments wet in bags of tank water. If they dry out it kills the bacteria. My cycle survived both moves by just keeping the filter media and ornaments wet

The link above from a previous member is great link too if you haven't got a cycled tank. If you want more info simply serch this forum - it has HEAPS of threads on cycling tanks

EDIT: When I had to instantly cycle my fish tank I used the seachem stability. It's the only "bacteria in a bottle" that I've come across that genuine cycled my tank in less than a week.

thank you both so much i will definitely check them out. I honestly don't really even understand what cycling is and IN FISH cycling? i will try to search about the forums. MUCH appreciated

how important is cycling?

Very! This is where you get your good bacteria, and the water tests correctly. If your water parameters are off, your axie can get sick, and/or die. IN-fish cycling takes a lot of work and testing the water everyday... Non-fish cycling is better, but takes time before you can put anything in the water except plants (about 2 weeks give or take).

You should read the article that Layna linked to above... I just did, and it's great info :happy:

Me, being the somewhat impulsive person I am, ended up buying an axolotl, along with its tank, all in the same day. I had forgotten that I needed a cycled tank, but thankfully with some vigilance and help, I'm now over a month in with this little guy and his tank is nicely cycled. That being said, I HIGHLY recommend a cycled tank for ANY aquatic creature, not just axolotls. It's much better for them in the long run, I assure you, even if cycling can be a bit of a pain to do.

thank you all! i didn't even know of cycling when i first got my axies and i threw them in the tank and they are as healthy as can be...... since im moving to college tho ill try to let my tank cycle a bit... how should i keep my axies in the meantime?

I kept mine in a very basic nursing tank with one hide and no substrate, and changed the water 100% daily with aged dechlorinated water to prevent my axxies from getting sick. Even a container will do as long as it's clean and longer than he is, but it MUST be 100% water replaced daily.