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Advice on skipping tank cycling

Kwags

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Sep 26, 2020
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I recently got a 20 gallon tank I’m currently cycling in but it’s taking some time could I get away with putting my axolotl in. He’s maybe like 4 1/2 inches, I don’t see him making that much waste or anything to really high in the ammonia levels or any of that sub I would Regular water checks and do water changes and if there are any spikes then I will continue to just tub him.

what are thoughts?
thank you in advance
 

Calgarycoppers

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That is the slowest way to cycle and can take months to get a solid cycle to handle the heavy bioload of an axolotl.

How are you ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels tracking?
 

Calgarycoppers

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Cycling requires feeding your cycle, daily testing and patience.
If you want to move it along faster add a heater, nitrifying bacteria supplement and/or old dirty filter media from another tank (not out of a filter for more than 15mins)

Pure cleaning ammonia - no scents, surfactants or additive or dry ammonium chloride

Test daily (ammonia, nitrite once you see nitrites then start testing nitrate daily as well)
Dose your ammonia back to 4ppm daily
Add a heater 76-78 degrees
Add nitrifying bacteria supplement daily at highest dose for 7 days

If ....
Ammonia is over 4ppm - 33% water change and retest to verify 4ppm still
Nitrite is over 2ppm - 33-50% water change
Nitrate is over 160ppm - 75% water change
pH lower than 6 or higher than 8.2 AND your cycle has stalled - 50% water change

In your testing daily you should see....
-ammonia dropping at some point
-nitrite starting to rise at some point
-eventually you will start to see nitrates - do a happy dance

Once you have nitrates keep testing daily and dosing ammonia to 4ppm.

When you notice you dose ammonia and within 24 hours and retest you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and all nitrates do a massive happy dance time for your 3 day challenge!!

3 day challenge is status quo - test, dose ammonia to 4ppm and wait 24 long hours repeat 24 hours repeat. If your tests came to 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and all nitrate you are cycled !!

Now to get your temp down very slowly, get your pH in check - you do need to continue feeding the cycle through this.

Examples or Nitrifying bacteria supplements

Seachem Stability
Seachem Pristine - if you have low ph sometimes you need this one
Dr Tim's one and only
Tetra Safe Start plus
API stress zyme
Nutrafin Cycle


I have the master API test kit. Everything is low sitting at “zero”
 

michael

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I'd pull the white clouds out and plunk the axolotl in. Make sure you have a good biological filter, feed lightly, and do 20% water changes every week or every two weeks. If you have good biomedia from another filter to seed your filter that works good too.
 
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