Axolotl water parameters off

[Maggie.D]

Hey!

I’ve had my axolotl Stumpy for two months. Before then, my tank was ‘cycled’ with Aquavitro Seed, except I don’t think that works. I’m new to axi ownership, and didn’t know about the nitrogen cycle. Now, after two months, my tanks water parameters are off. As of a couple hours ago, my ammonia was .5-1, my nitrites zero, and my nitrates about 0-5. My pH is chronically low, so I have some crushed coral (in mesh bags, of course) to help raise it. I’ve been adding Prime to help lower the ammonia, but it hasn’t been working. From what I can tell (via google), it appears as if my tank isn’t cycled. Stumpy seems to be losing filaments on his gills, but he’s eating and moving around properly. He also hasn’t pooped in about five days, and I feed him every other day. What do I do?

 

[Wheresmynewt]

No such thing as a cycled tank. You have been given bad info and 90% of people on this site will offer you bad information. Then you will see post with them stating their axoltol are sick or in bad water parameters after giving you advice.

Watch father fish on YouTube. Follow his advice and tweak it a bit to fit salamander care. Then ignore everyone else and enjoy your critters

 

[wolfen]

a cycled tank/filter is a tank/filter that is able to remove the nitrogen compounds produced by the inhabitants of the tank.
any waste in the aquarium whether it be excess food or faecal matter breaks down producing ammonium (nh4), the ammonium breaks down into free-ammonia (nh3) which is broken down by aerobic bacteria (nitrosomonas) into nitrites (no2) which are broken down by aerobic bacteria (nitrobacters) into nitrates (no3) that are removed by water changes, plants or in some cases anaerobic bacteria.
ammonia > nitrites > nitrates.. this is called the nitrogen cycle.
as soon as nitrates are being produced the nitrogen cycle is running, this doesn't mean that it is ready though.
to cycle a tank there needs to be enough bacteria to do the job required, growing a large enough bacteria colony is in effect what cycling is.
the aerobic bacteria (there are AOA's "ammonia oxidising archea" as well as AOB's "ammonia oxidising bacteria" but for simplicity I will refer to them as aerobic bacteria) require food ie.. ammonia/nitrites and oxygen (hence the aerobic) to grow and survive.
water parameters play a part in how fast the bacteria grow, this is mostly ph and temperature.
waste is first broken down into ammonium (nh4+), ammonium is difficult for aerobic bacteria to break down but is non-toxic (when chemicals are used to make ammonia safe they lock it into ammonium), ammonium naturally break down into free-ammonia (nh3) which is toxic but is what aerobic bacteria consume/convert/break down into nitrites (no2).
the reason ph can effect the cycle is because the lower the ph is the slower the ammonium (nh4) breaks down into free ammonia (nh3) until it stops breaking down (or rather the breakdown is so slow it seem to have stopped), this is the same with temperature, the opposite applies to salinity with the higher the salinity the slower the break down.
most ammonia tests measure the ammonia as TAN (total ammonia nitrogen) which is nh4 + nh3 (ammonium and free ammonia) which is why even though the ammonia can be detoxified (locked into ammonium) by chemicals ie.. prime etc.. there is still a reading.

ideally your axolotl needs to be tubbed in cold dechlorinated water, changed daily, feed at night change water in morning, whilst your tank is cycled so that it is safe for your axolotl.
add 2g/l non-iodised salt into any water containing your axolotl, this is to combat the effects from ammonia, test your taps ph kh and gh (high likely hood that your kh is low and will need to be dealt with), read about and consider using 50% holtfreter 0.1g/l magnesium sulphate to ensure correct water chemistry, info here.. Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity

 

[Maggie.D]

a cycled tank/filter is a tank/filter that is able to remove the nitrogen compounds produced by the inhabitants of the tank.
any waste in the aquarium whether it be excess food or faecal matter breaks down producing ammonium (nh4), the ammonium breaks down into free-ammonia (nh3) which is broken down by aerobic bacteria (nitrosomonas) into nitrites (no2) which are broken down by aerobic bacteria (nitrobacters) into nitrates (no3) that are removed by water changes, plants or in some cases anaerobic bacteria.
ammonia > nitrites > nitrates.. this is called the nitrogen cycle.
as soon as nitrates are being produced the nitrogen cycle is running, this doesn't mean that it is ready though.
to cycle a tank there needs to be enough bacteria to do the job required, growing a large enough bacteria colony is in effect what cycling is.
the aerobic bacteria (there are AOA's "ammonia oxidising archea" as well as AOB's "ammonia oxidising bacteria" but for simplicity I will refer to them as aerobic bacteria) require food ie.. ammonia/nitrites and oxygen (hence the aerobic) to grow and survive.
water parameters play a part in how fast the bacteria grow, this is mostly ph and temperature.
waste is first broken down into ammonium (nh4+), ammonium is difficult for aerobic bacteria to break down but is non-toxic (when chemicals are used to make ammonia safe they lock it into ammonium), ammonium naturally break down into free-ammonia (nh3) which is toxic but is what aerobic bacteria consume/convert/break down into nitrites (no2).
the reason ph can effect the cycle is because the lower the ph is the slower the ammonium (nh4) breaks down into free ammonia (nh3) until it stops breaking down (or rather the breakdown is so slow it seem to have stopped), this is the same with temperature, the opposite applies to salinity with the higher the salinity the slower the break down.
most ammonia tests measure the ammonia as TAN (total ammonia nitrogen) which is nh4 + nh3 (ammonium and free ammonia) which is why even though the ammonia can be detoxified (locked into ammonium) by chemicals ie.. prime etc.. there is still a reading.

ideally your axolotl needs to be tubbed in cold dechlorinated water, changed daily, feed at night change water in morning, whilst your tank is cycled so that it is safe for your axolotl.
add 2g/l non-iodised salt into any water containing your axolotl, this is to combat the effects from ammonia, test your taps ph kh and gh (high likely hood that your kh is low and will need to be dealt with), read about and consider using 50% holtfreter 0.1g/l magnesium sulphate to ensure correct water chemistry, info here.. Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity

After doing a 50% water change with Prime, the ammonia has gone down to .25. Still not ideal, but better than 1. My nitrites are still 0 and my nitrates are still at a 0-5 range. My pH is low, which I’ve talked about in another post, and my water is very hard. I don’t have a number, as I use a strip for that and all it says is “very hard”. Stumpy is now floating really frequently (he pooped two days ago, I fed him yesterday) but is able to stay/walk on the bottom. It’s his head that’s floating, not his tail or bottom, and I can’t find anything about his upper half floating only his bottom half. He seems to be swimming and eating fine as well, only the floating is worrying. I think if the ammonia goes up tomorrow I’m going to try to tub him and see if I can cycle the tank. On a happier note, I’ve had him for two months today!

 

[wolfen]

make sure to keep the tanks water cold and well oxygenated (use of air stones advisable,finer being better)
bicarbonate of soda can be used to increase ph, axolotls are quite happy in very hard water (try to get it tested with drop test for more accurate reading)
how an axolotl floats tends to show where the air is, for head floating it is normally due to surface gulping and water not being oxygenated enough, they will also gulp air more frequently if the water is too warm.

 

[Maggie.D]

make sure to keep the tanks water cold and well oxygenated (use of air stones advisable,finer being better)
bicarbonate of soda can be used to increase ph, axolotls are quite happy in very hard water (try to get it tested with drop test for more accurate reading)
how an axolotl floats tends to show where the air is, for head floating it is normally due to surface gulping and water not being oxygenated enough, they will also gulp air more frequently if the water is too warm.

So I recently added another filter into the tank (with the other filter still running, of course) and now my nitrites have spiked. Yesterday the nitrates were about 5, the ammonia was about .5, and the nitrites were about .25. This was after a 50% water change. Today, the ammonia was .25, the nitrites .25, and the nitrates 0-5. Stumpy hasn’t pooped in about a week, and he only ate about half of his food today, although he’s been eating fine recently. He’s also been swimming at the top of his tank; it’s not as if he can’t get back down, he just stays up there. Also, I do have an air stone. Is the new filter the cause in the nitrite spike? Why is he floating so much?

 

[Wheresmynewt]

So I recently added another filter into the tank (with the other filter still running, of course) and now my nitrites have spiked. Yesterday the nitrates were about 5, the ammonia was about .5, and the nitrites were about .25. This was after a 50% water change. Today, the ammonia was .25, the nitrites .25, and the nitrates 0-5. Stumpy hasn’t pooped in about a week, and he only ate about half of his food today, although he’s been eating fine recently. He’s also been swimming at the top of his tank; it’s not as if he can’t get back down, he just stays up there. Also, I do have an air stone. Is the new filter the cause in the nitrite spike? Why is he floating so much?

Honest opinion is that, you’ve token everybodies advice that has trouble with axolotl. You’ve also taken advice of people who put you in a. Shit hole.

Youre tank cannot be “cycled” if it’s a bare bottom. Your chemicals you add to lower ammonia is an unwise decision. The shit is still in the water and you’re adding more stuff into it to make it “safe”.
Take the unsafe water out. Put in some sand, add a bunch of plants and don’t put chemical water in your tank.

I DO ZERO WATER CHANGES, 0 cleanings and my animals gills are long and they eat well

IGNORE ALL THE OTHER ADVICE BECAUSE SEEING THE SAME POST WITH NO SOLUTION IS GETTING OLD

 

[wolfen]

in a bare bottom tank it isn't the tank that gets cycled rather its the filter, the biggest issue is the nitrites which can poison the blood, ensure that you have plenty of bio-media, add 2g/l non-iodised salt to the water, salt offers some protection against nitrogen compounds although it would probably be safer to tub until the nitrites are dealt with.
the new filter wont cause the nitrite spikes it is more the case that there isn't enough bacteria to consume/convert the nitrites into nitrates.

 

[Wheresmynewt]

in a bare bottom tank it isn't the tank that gets cycled rather its the filter, the biggest issue is the nitrites which can poison the blood, ensure that you have plenty of bio-media, add 2g/l non-iodised salt to the water, salt offers some protection against nitrogen compounds although it would probably be safer to tub until the nitrites are dealt with.
the new filter wont cause the nitrite spikes it is more the case that there isn't enough bacteria to consume/convert the nitrites into nitrates.

Adding another filter doesn’t clean the water. It increases the oxygen which would convert more nitrites into nitrates

I set up my tank and within 1 minute they are “cycled”

 

[wolfen]

mechanical stage of the filter ie.. sponge/floss, removes debris/muck from the water column, biological stage of the filter ie.. ceramic rings/balls etc.. houses bacteria which consume/convert ammonia/nitrites, chemical stage ie.. activated carbon/zeolite removes chemicals etc.. from the water column, a filter does not create oxygen but requires the water to have adequate oxygen for the bacteria to thrive.
because the bacteria that consume/convert ammonia/nitrites are living organisms they have to grow and populate the media which takes time.