Question: When to remove axolotl?

I just put my axolotl into a new uncycled 10 gal tank about a month ago and I was wondering how long the cycle should take if its not done already? The water got a bit cloudy not too long ago (2 weeks ago I think) and I've heard there may have been a crash?

More importantly though my tank reads 1.0 ammonia and 1.0 nitrites even though I did a 70% water change yesterday. Would it be best to remove him? I dont exactly have a place to move him too but I'll get something if I must. He's very active but also pretty young so it worries me a bit.

I'm very new to the axolotl scene this is my first one. Every other water parameter is perfect.

It is not very likely for an axolotl to survive a cycle. So if you keep him in there you MUST change the water EVERY DAY!!!! If possible, put him in a large tub with a lid on it (put holes in the lid so he can breathe, you don't want him jumping) You want to change the water everyday if you put him in a tub, if its a small tub, change it out completely every day, if its a larger tub, clean it out 25-50% everyday to every other day. I would not recommend leaving an Axie in an uncycled tank in my opinion. I would remove him as soon as you can into a big tub, they usually arent that expensive at a walmart if you have one where you live.

It will take 6-8 weeks for a tank to cycle, from now on if you remove him you want to finish it with a fishless cycle, so add in fish food everyday because it adds ammonia to the tank helping the cycle come to a completion. There are several websites on the internet that will help explain a fishless cycle better than I can such as Wikihow, just search on google 'Fishless Cycle Wikihow' and it should explain it better than I

75% water change is quite a lot. You need to find a balance between removing the toxins in the water and keeping the bacteria in. It is the bacteria that cycle the tank and if you are doing a 75% water change often then you are also removing the bacteria. It's better to do smaller water changes, about 15-25% each week.

Ninjaflipper said:

I just put my axolotl into a new uncycled 10 gal tank about a month ago and I was wondering how long the cycle should take if its not done already? The water got a bit cloudy not too long ago (2 weeks ago I think) and I've heard there may have been a crash?

More importantly though my tank reads 1.0 ammonia and 1.0 nitrites even though I did a 70% water change yesterday. Would it be best to remove him? I dont exactly have a place to move him too but I'll get something if I must. He's very active but also pretty young so it worries me a bit.

I'm very new to the axolotl scene this is my first one. Every other water parameter is perfect.

Click to expand...

It would have been better if you had researched how cycling works BEFORE getting your axolotl, because it should have been done when the tank is empty. Fish-in cycling is considered to be very cruel. You are lucky that your axie still appears to be in good health.

You say you want to take him out, but where on earth would you put him?? It would have to be a small container that you can do a 100% water change on daily, which isn't really fair on him. Plus you'd then have to add ammonia to the empty tank to make sure it continues cycling.

Anyway I can't explain this to you, you need to go and do this research yourself. Find out what cycling is and how it works so you can actually make sense of whats happening in your tank. You know what to look for but you don't seem to know how everything is interacting. It usually shouldn't take a month for the ammonia stage in the cycle to pass, but it can take as long as 8 weeks or more for the whole process in some cases. You are welcome to put him in a tub but you will need to change all the water every single day and make sure he isn't exposed to swings in temperature (smaller quantity of water = more susceptible to changes in temp).

Please also disregard what Krawat165 said, it is incorrect. There is hardly any bacteria in the water, it is mainly concentrated in the filter, on ornaments, in the sand etc. You need to be doing these larger water changes to make sure your axolotl stays healthy.