Help me help my axies!

[Shneebly]

Hi guys! I am brand new to this site and I will probably do something wrong posted but I sure hope I get this right!
My name is Lane and I have two axolotls that are about 6 inches and 6 months set up in a 29 tall tank with sand bottom, 3 moss balls, 1 plant and a large hide home. I have had water trouble since day one though!

My water seems to constantly loose it's "cycle".. It will be doing OK and I check it to find that ammonia and other readings are just about off the charts! I do 50% water changes and vacuum the sand floor but I am in constant stress for my babies. The water usually sits around 65f due to a small fan and my husbands idea is that we may just have bacteria colonies dying off and messing up the cycle. My filter also have strange greenish black slime that builds up in it. Just these past few days I have noticed stringy white stuff dangling on their gills which I am afraid is fungus. Is a salt bath the right thing to do? Sadly these babies have lived in higher than ideal ammonia since we got them... I do not understand why my cycle keeps failing me.... Though this has been a struggle they have always eaten well and continue to eat very well. Brain my natural color male is more active curious while pinky my albino female tends to hide in her home more but both will come out at dinner time.

Please help.
Lane

 

[Caesar]

Hi guys! I am brand new to this site and I will probably do something wrong posted but I sure hope I get this right!
My name is Lane and I have two axolotls that are about 6 inches and 6 months set up in a 29 tall tank with sand bottom, 3 moss balls, 1 plant and a large hide home. I have had water trouble since day one though!

My water seems to constantly loose it's "cycle".. It will be doing OK and I check it to find that ammonia and other readings are just about off the charts! I do 50% water changes and vacuum the sand floor but I am in constant stress for my babies. The water usually sits around 65f due to a small fan and my husbands idea is that we may just have bacteria colonies dying off and messing up the cycle. My filter also have strange greenish black slime that builds up in it. Just these past few days I have noticed stringy white stuff dangling on their gills which I am afraid is fungus. Is a salt bath the right thing to do? Sadly these babies have lived in higher than ideal ammonia since we got them... I do not understand why my cycle keeps failing me.... Though this has been a struggle they have always eaten well and continue to eat very well. Brain my natural color male is more active curious while pinky my albino female tends to hide in her home more but both will come out at dinner time.

Please help.
Lane

Your water can appear cycled one day and not the next because the bacteria are not removing the ammonia in the water, you are with the water changes. Once your axolotl poops/food gets put in the water, your levels go back up.
Has your tank ever been cycled completely?
Many people on here suggest fishless cycling because it is less harmful to your axolotls, check this out:
The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community

 

[Canecorsonewt]

You can change 25% of the water daily. I did it and my tank cycled in 6 weeks like it should. When i had more than 0.25 ammonia i would do 50% water change. I would vacuum and do 25% water changes daily i did skip some weekends when out of town. You might want a new filter to? If they make a sponge filter for your size tank i would recommend it. I have 3 running in 3 different aquariums. When i want to cycle a new tank i take one of my double sponge filter swap with new filter and instant cycle. I use api master test kit haven't hade any problems after cycling my first aquarium.

 

[Canecorsonewt]

You can change 25% of the water daily. I did it and my tank cycled in 6 weeks like it should. When i had more than 0.25 ammonia i would do 50% water change. I would vacuum and do 25% water changes daily i did skip some weekends when out of town. You might want a new filter to? If they make a sponge filter for your size tank i would recommend it. I have 3 running in 3 different aquariums. When i want to cycle a new tank i take one of my double sponge filter swap with new filter and instant cycle. I use api master test kit haven't hade any problems after cycling my first aquarium.

You might want to do more if they are not healthy. There's articles about salt baths on this site.