anubis_Star
New member
I am having a very hard time with my axolotl's tank and hopefully someone here knows what's going on. Sorry it's so long.
I have had her 1.5 yrs. She was in a 20 gallon long, did great. We moved in October. I set up a 40 gallon, moved all substrate and filtration over to the new tank but my cycle still crashed. I was having HORRIBLE slime issues. Looked like biofilm but not like anything I've ever seen before. Stuck to everything, and would completely clog my filters within a few days. My cartridges and bioballs would be coated in it. I would literally tap the intake tube in the sink and giant brown mucoid globs would come out. Tried to add a UV filter in case it was a huge bacterial bloom but that would get completely clogged within 3 days. I assumed it was maybe root rot from a peace lily I had in the lid. The tank ran for 3 months hoping it was an algae or bacteria bloom that would clear but it didn't. None of my parameters ever read above 0 incuding ammonia so I assumed whatever it was was feeding off all waste products. I tubbed my axolotl a month ago and completely cleaned the tank. New filter media, deep cleaned everything in it. Cycled with Dr. Tim's Ammonia (4 ppm initially, then kept it at 1-2 ppm while cycling), Fritz Zyme bacteria, and seeded filter media from my large community tank. I have a HOB filter rated for 75 gallons with two sides. I use bagged bio balls, a filter sponge, polyester fiber, and polishing filter pads. 2 weeks and the tank cycled beautifully. I added the few plants back in half way through to make sure they weren't the cause (minus the peace lily), tank stayed nice and clear. There is no drift wood
Parameters were as follows:
1/10 - Ammonia 1, Nitrites 0, Nitrate 40-80
1/11 - Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrate 40-80 - I dosed ammonia up to 2 ppm
1/12 - Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrate 40-80 - did a 75% water change, let everything run 12 hours. Temperature between 60-64 F depending on time of day. Nitrates down to 5. Added my axolotl in
1/13 (Thursday)- Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrate 5
A few days later I noticed the slime was coming back, and part of the spray bar was already clogging. I tested my parameters and got Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrate 0. I didn't want to disturb the filter too much but it was already starting to become slimy. Rinsed the media in dechlorinated water (I use prime), cleaned out intake tube that was already getting slime in it. To test my cycle I tubbed her again, dosed ammonia up to 2 ppm, but never had a budge in parameters over the next couple days. This time I cycled the tank with fritz turbo start. Once cycled again, I tested the parameters multiple times by dosing up ammonia and getting a 0 reading of ammonia and nitrite within 24 hours. Water stayed clear. Added her back in when readings were ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10
It's been a week and the slime is back. My readings are ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5. I'm a little worried we're going back in the wrong direction with nitrates decreasing. I have a few small plants and some pothos taking root from the lid at the surface, but nothing I feel could explain for a decrease in nitrates with the load I know axolotl's produce. However at this point I'm just leaving the tank be again. I haven't touched filter media and will only clean the slime up around the tank walls and decorations when doing water changes.
I'm at a complete loss. Is my axolotl producing a ton of slime for some reason? This never happened at our old house. She seems fine. She does horrible in a tub, she only ate 3 or 4 times in the 2 weeks she was tubbed but she is very active now and eating like a champ. Her gills are nice and bushy, there's nothing physically that looks wrong with her I can tell. I also question how I'm getting 0 readings on everything and my nitrates are going down. Is it some kind of bacteria or algae bloom that is eating my nitrates? Why did it only show up once she was back in the tank? I have a betta tank and a large community tank. They both get more green algae than they got at the old house (my planted betta tank NEVER had algae before), so I suspect there are some obvious differences in water quality (we moved to a rural area in a new housing development), but neither of those tanks have ever developed this kind of slime or biofilm.
Attached are some pictures of what is already developing (most noticeable was on the lid of the filter), along with how she looks now. She just ate 2 earthworms for me. I also just tested water again before posting, ammmonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5. pH 6.8. Temp currently 58, we've been having cold spells.
I have had her 1.5 yrs. She was in a 20 gallon long, did great. We moved in October. I set up a 40 gallon, moved all substrate and filtration over to the new tank but my cycle still crashed. I was having HORRIBLE slime issues. Looked like biofilm but not like anything I've ever seen before. Stuck to everything, and would completely clog my filters within a few days. My cartridges and bioballs would be coated in it. I would literally tap the intake tube in the sink and giant brown mucoid globs would come out. Tried to add a UV filter in case it was a huge bacterial bloom but that would get completely clogged within 3 days. I assumed it was maybe root rot from a peace lily I had in the lid. The tank ran for 3 months hoping it was an algae or bacteria bloom that would clear but it didn't. None of my parameters ever read above 0 incuding ammonia so I assumed whatever it was was feeding off all waste products. I tubbed my axolotl a month ago and completely cleaned the tank. New filter media, deep cleaned everything in it. Cycled with Dr. Tim's Ammonia (4 ppm initially, then kept it at 1-2 ppm while cycling), Fritz Zyme bacteria, and seeded filter media from my large community tank. I have a HOB filter rated for 75 gallons with two sides. I use bagged bio balls, a filter sponge, polyester fiber, and polishing filter pads. 2 weeks and the tank cycled beautifully. I added the few plants back in half way through to make sure they weren't the cause (minus the peace lily), tank stayed nice and clear. There is no drift wood
Parameters were as follows:
1/10 - Ammonia 1, Nitrites 0, Nitrate 40-80
1/11 - Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrate 40-80 - I dosed ammonia up to 2 ppm
1/12 - Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrate 40-80 - did a 75% water change, let everything run 12 hours. Temperature between 60-64 F depending on time of day. Nitrates down to 5. Added my axolotl in
1/13 (Thursday)- Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrate 5
A few days later I noticed the slime was coming back, and part of the spray bar was already clogging. I tested my parameters and got Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrate 0. I didn't want to disturb the filter too much but it was already starting to become slimy. Rinsed the media in dechlorinated water (I use prime), cleaned out intake tube that was already getting slime in it. To test my cycle I tubbed her again, dosed ammonia up to 2 ppm, but never had a budge in parameters over the next couple days. This time I cycled the tank with fritz turbo start. Once cycled again, I tested the parameters multiple times by dosing up ammonia and getting a 0 reading of ammonia and nitrite within 24 hours. Water stayed clear. Added her back in when readings were ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10
It's been a week and the slime is back. My readings are ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5. I'm a little worried we're going back in the wrong direction with nitrates decreasing. I have a few small plants and some pothos taking root from the lid at the surface, but nothing I feel could explain for a decrease in nitrates with the load I know axolotl's produce. However at this point I'm just leaving the tank be again. I haven't touched filter media and will only clean the slime up around the tank walls and decorations when doing water changes.
I'm at a complete loss. Is my axolotl producing a ton of slime for some reason? This never happened at our old house. She seems fine. She does horrible in a tub, she only ate 3 or 4 times in the 2 weeks she was tubbed but she is very active now and eating like a champ. Her gills are nice and bushy, there's nothing physically that looks wrong with her I can tell. I also question how I'm getting 0 readings on everything and my nitrates are going down. Is it some kind of bacteria or algae bloom that is eating my nitrates? Why did it only show up once she was back in the tank? I have a betta tank and a large community tank. They both get more green algae than they got at the old house (my planted betta tank NEVER had algae before), so I suspect there are some obvious differences in water quality (we moved to a rural area in a new housing development), but neither of those tanks have ever developed this kind of slime or biofilm.
Attached are some pictures of what is already developing (most noticeable was on the lid of the filter), along with how she looks now. She just ate 2 earthworms for me. I also just tested water again before posting, ammmonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5. pH 6.8. Temp currently 58, we've been having cold spells.
. With this being said I really don’t understand why the water parameters are staying so perfect. Maybe try getting the water tested at your local fish/pet store to see if they get different reading? Well I really hope this helps and hopefully someone with more advice will reach out!