Very night nitrate levels

Hi folks,

Did a test on the water parameters there and while PH was fine, and ammonia was a little on the high side, the nitrate level was really high, like close to 50 . I've removed my lotl from the tank and also changed most of the water and cleaned his sand as best as I could. I cleaned the filter sponge with 'old' water from the tank. I didn't remove the sand because I don't want to lose most or all of the good bacteria.

I've re-filled the tank, added the proper amount of de-chlorine liquid and have tested the levels again. Ph is 6.5 and the nitrate is I'd say between 5 and 10, ammonia is almost 0. I'm using the liquid test rather than the paper test.

My lotl is at the moment sitting in a container of the old water but how long should I let the tank cycle for before I put him back in? I don't want him in water of that high a nitrate for any longer than necessary. Also, the new water looks a little cloudy, probably because of the stuff kicked up from the old sand but I assume water that's a little cloudy won't do him any harm?

Should also say he has a 1/5 water change every week, 60 litre tank, he's the only one in it so not sure why nitrate would spike so high when they others weren't too bad?

If you have just rinsed your filter in the old tank water and used dechlorinated water to refill you should have preserved the cycle and it's safe to put your axie straight back in after a short temperature acclimatisation.

Don't forget that the water in the tub that your axie is in is the high nitrate water.

To prevent this happening again you need to test your water ate least weekly, if not twice a week, and change the water whenever nitrates get over 40.

Great I'll pop him back in shortly, the tank water is a good bit colder than where he's currently residing.

Wonder how it happened though. Hmmm, glad I checked it!

Would you recommend a bigger water change that 1/5 of the tank? I'm wondering if maybe he needs a little more each week.

Nitrates are the end of the cycling process - anything that is considered 'waste' will contribute. Remove uneaten food, dead plants, axie poop etc to help, and the recommendated water change for axies is at least 25% per week, if not more. I do 30-40% weekly in my smaller tanks, 25% in my big tank.

It must be his poo that does it since I can rarely find it to remove it. The only live plant we use is duckweed and he gobbles up everything that comes his way.

I think he's fallen out with me anyway.