Cycling!

[rickard]

Hi! My name is Rickard and I bought my Axololt last week and in my eager to get him home I realised that I didn´t have a tank that was cyceled. I have started the cycling with the Axolotl (his name is by the way "V") in the thank, but I know that´s not good for V so what do you guys think I should do? I also haven´t got a filter in my tank yet. My old one is broken and my new one will be delivered within a month. Put him in a bucket with dechlorinated water, a oxygene pump, some sand ect and leave him there until the cycling of the tank is complete? Or, is there a other way? Well, the bottom line is that I don´t want him to suffer at all. He has only lived at my place for 4 days but I already love him. I don´t want him to suffer..

I apologize for my spelling (if there is something wrong with the text). Im from Sweden and im not quite the artist with the English language that I want to be

Cheers /Rickard

(Message edited by ikuinen on August 20, 2006)

 

[kapo]

Welcome to the site.

Yes you can put him in a bucket of dechlorinated water while your tank is cycling, you will need to change this each day. No need for sand, you can add an airstone. Cover it in case he jumps out.

You can place some axie poo (when he does it) into the tank to help it cycling. No need to do waterchanges on your tank if you keep "V" in the bucket!

 

[rickard]

Oh, thanks for the answer! How long can I keep him in the bucket? Or rather how long _should_ I keep him in the bucket?

That sounds good! And again; Thanx for the answer

 

[kapo]

Until your tank is cycled. You will need to test your tank water every couple of days for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If you don't have the test kits, then take a sample of tank water to local petshop/aquarium and ask them to test it and get the no.s - keep a record of it.

Cycling can take anywhere from 4-8weeks. But once a tank is cycled it shud read:

ammonia 0
nitrites 0
nitrates 20-40ppm

 

[rickard]

Iv´e ordered the test kits and they should arrive within 2 weeks. When i have putted V in the bucket, should i change the water daily?

//Rickard

 

[shaun]

Unless there is a filter in the bucket, then yes. An air pump doesn't clean the tank, it just oxegenizes it. Your English is amazing considering your 16. I wish that I was as good at French. Bof!

 

[rickard]

Well, I know that an air pump doesn´t clean the water. But thanks for the answer anyway. Iv´e uploaded some images on my tank and V in the Gallery section.. go and have a look if you want to *S*

Btw, I also speak Spanish ;D

(Message edited by Ikuinen on August 21, 2006)

 

[rickard]

I have now placed V in the bucket with an air pump in. But he seems very stressed out.
Well... what shall i do? or.. rather, is he in danger? Iv´e putted a black plastic bag over the bucket so that it will stay dark an cool. Water temp is 16 degrees

 

[shaun]

Maybe the bubbles are causing too much of a flow, or he's just stressed out from moving.

 

[rickard]

I think he was stressed out from moving. He has been laying still now but he has looked up at me every time i have checked on him (it hurts in my heart to se him down there). I have an oxygen stone(?) in so there is no flow. Just tiny little bubbles that comes up from the bottom. But are you guys shore that living in a plastic bucket for a week wont kill him?

(Message edited by ikuinen on August 22, 2006)