Question: Tank Cycling Help????

I got two Axolotl today which was earlier than I had wanted. I had been planning to get Axolotl after I had cycled my 30 gallon tank but I got two Axolotl before I was ready because my friends coworker was going to dump them in a lake because she was tired of taking care of them and my friend took them for me because she knew I was mid preparation to get them. One is 3 inches and missing a leg because the other one (probably about 5 inches) bit her before I got them. I have them separated in long but kind of shallow storage containers, they are completely submerged and have a little room to move but its not a great solution. I don't want to cycle the tank with them in there because I don't want to hurt them and am not confident I could keep them healthy that way and I am worried about the bigger one picking on the smaller one if they are housed together right now, but is there a good way to keep them separated in containers and a good size container while the tank cycles? I know daily conditioned water changes would be necessary but anything else? I am freaking out, I was not fully ready for these precious baby's!

First, stop and breathe. You saved a couple of poor axies AND your local ecosystem! You've got this!

Google fishless cycling or cycling with ammonia. I THINK it works faster, but I'm not sure. Daily 100% water changes are great for them while in small containers, and they will do better than you think if you do that. The only things they really need are clean water, food and a place to hide (PVC pipe is popular). Watch the smaller one for signs of infection on the injured leg. You can keep them in the same tank with a divider once it's ready and until they are closer in size. I've looked at some scientific/experimental axie info, and I know that a lot of labs routinely keep the entire colony in individual small containers, so don't let that scare you. I am relatively new to axies, but not aquariums or fully aquatic amphibians. In my short experience, axies are hardier than you think they are!

Thank you very much, I like to obsessively research for months before actually doing something so I started to freak out that I couldn't do this!