Baby Lotl in new tank

[Coletteashlyn]

I just got a baby axolotl who can’t be more than a couple weeks old. He is only about an inch to an inch and a half long. I was expecting him to be bigger when I got him, and was planning on moving him into an already cycled 10 gallon, but when I saw how small he was, I got a 3.5 to keep him in for the time being without substrate for him to choke on or a strong filter to suck him up. I’ve been doing 50% water changes every 2 days and filling bags with ice to cool the water down since I don’t have a chiller for a tank that small. Is the 50% every two days good enough to keep the tank decently cycled while he grows a little more? There’s a small filter attached to the tank as well. Thank you!

 

[Hayleyy]

Is the little filter you got cycled? You can add something (either a decoration and/or filter media) from that tank into the smaller one so there is beneficial bacteria.
You will need to check water parameters daily and do water changes accordingly.

Or, you can just lower the water level of your 10 gallon and tie something to the intake filter tube so he can't get damaged
What substrate do you have? I'm not sure how small juveniles go with anything other than barebottom

 

[Coletteashlyn]

The little filter is not cycled yet. The 10 gallon just has sand, but I know my bigger guy eats the sand sometimes and I wasn’t sure if the baby would do the same and be harmed. I will definitely put something from the cycled tank in there though!