Axolotl Aquarium Cycling-How to Speed it Up?

Is there any way to speed up the ammonia-nitrite-nitrate cycle? I've been doing my research and am trying to do everything right to establish a good environment before I make the big step in purchasing the actual axolotl. I've got the aquarium set up with a large river rock bottom, filter, dechlorinated the water with Seachem Prime, added the appropriate amount of sea salt, waited two days then added 8 rosy red minnows. Of course, the next day the water was cloudy (I expected as much) and I am waiting for the bacteria to establish themselves. It's been 2 days and all the rosies are alive and well but the water is still cloudy. I have done one 25% water change already.

I'm curious, why'd you add sea salt? Freshwater fish (and well in an axolotl's case amphibian) don't need salt in their water unless you're treating them for a disease.

Anyway, Cycling takes 3-4 weeks and sometimes longer. Nothing is going to happen in 2 days. There is really no way to speed it up - the bacteria take that long to establish and that's it, scientifically it's impossible. So keep testing your water and doing regular changes (I'd do 25% changes once a day if you want to keep those minnows alive - I don't prefer doing fish-in cycling because it's stressful and sometimes deadly for the fish, but it is the easiest way)

When you start seeing nitrate in your tests you're getting there, and when your levels are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and <40ppm nitrates you tank is cycled. I assume you're going to remove the fish before adding the Axolotl?

Do you have a filter? I didn't see mention of one - a filter is necessary as it gives the beneficial bacteria a place to live in the media. Edit: whoops nevermind, missed that, excuse my quick reading.


There are products like safe start that can supposedly kick start your cycle by adding bottled bacteria to your tank, but I am VERY skeptical those products work (the beneficial bacteria are very sensitive and there is no way they could survive in that bottle) and the type of bacteria they use often dies off very quickly and leaves you once again with an un-cycled tank unless new bacteria has grown in that time.

There is no short-cut.
And I'm also interested in why you're adding salt. The only salts you will need to add are water hardeners if you have very low calcium or soft water.

Thank you for your responses, I'll have to be patient I guess! Just as well, the breeder I'm going to isn't going to be selling for 2 months. To answer the sea salt question, at the pet store I work at we add sea salt to the new shipments to help reduce disease and infection. I didn't want the rosies to infect my tank with anything as well as reduce stress. It's a simple ratio of 1 teaspoon salt per gallon used for first-time tanks. It's not a long-term, everyday treatment.

SJdport57 said:

Thank you for your responses, I'll have to be patient I guess! Just as well, the breeder I'm going to isn't going to be selling for 2 months. To answer the sea salt question, at the pet store I work at we add sea salt to the new shipments to help reduce disease and infection. I didn't want the rosies to infect my tank with anything as well as reduce stress. It's a simple ratio of 1 teaspoon salt per gallon used for first-time tanks. It's not a long-term, everyday treatment.

Click to expand...

Hum, that's interesting.

Yup, just be patient!

If anyone finds info that proves me wrong please let me know! I realize that sometimes pet stores have "traditions" that sound good but aren't grounded in facts.

While adding salt for fished is sometimes common practice (I was told to add salt to my guppy and shrimp tank to encourage breeding) it's not recommended for axies as they absorb salts through their skin. No harm done for the cycling process, but once you are ready to add axies you should do enough water changes to all but eliminate the salt for them.