High ammonia/nitrite levels in Axolotl tank

[Toothpickthelotl]

Hi! I’m a new axolotl owner (have had my baby (his name is toothpick) for about a month or so) and I just now got a freshwater testing kit so I can check to see how the cycling process is going. I’ve been doing a lot of research and understand the cycling process. I’m a bit concerned because when I tested my perimeters my ammonia showed about 3 ppm and my nitrite showed 2 ppm. I do a 50% water change weekly, and everyday I pick up waste and any extra food particles with a turkey baster. It’s been almost a week since my last water change, could that be why the levels are a little high? Toothpick hasn’t showed any signs of distress.
Does anyone have any advice on what I should do? I’m planning on doing a 50% water change tonight and testing the levels again. Should I be doing a 25% water change every day until it’s fully cycled? I read that that’s a good thing to do, the only reason I haven’t been is because the breeder I got my axie from said to just change once a week.
Thanks so much!

 

[minorhero]

You have had the axolotl in the same tank for a month and are still getting 3ppm of ammonia in the tank with the axolotl? Something is off there. Your tank should have cycled by now. What filtration are you running? What media is in the filter? How big is the tank? Are you gravel vacuuming?

 

[Toothpickthelotl]

You have had the axolotl in the same tank for a month and are still getting 3ppm of ammonia in the tank with the axolotl? Something is off there. Your tank should have cycled by now. What filtration are you running? What media is in the filter? How big is the tank? Are you gravel vacuuming?

Thanks for responding! I agree that something seems off, It’s weird though because toothpick seems perfectly fine.
I’m not sure what the filter is called, I got the axolotl from a friend who’s a breeder and she gave me the filter with the tank. It hangs in this slot on the back of the tank. The filter cartridge in the filter is by aqueon. I’m worried the filter may be old or something.
the tank is a 5 gallon (I know this is a tad small but he isn’t too big yet), and I’m going to be upgrading to a 20 gallon in the next couple weeks. I’m planning on also getting a new filter along with it.
I gravel vacuum everytime I clean the tank so once a week. I use very fine sand as substrate.
Also an update: I did a 50% water change and checked again. Ammonia went to 1 ppm and nitrite went to about 1.5

 

[minorhero]

Ahhh got it figured then.

Soooo a bit of rant but the the american aquarium industry basically screwed themselves decades ago and new hobbyists are still paying the price. The folks that make the filters really like the idea of selling a 'cartridge' that is disposable and requires constant replacement. That way they get to keep making money forever from the same filter. HOWEVER, this is a terrible idea for both the animals in the aquarium and the person who takes care of them. Bacteria that turn ammonia into nitrite and then to nitrate will grow on every surface in the aquarium. Filters are designed to provide a lot of surface area in a relatively small space and push the water from the aquarium over that surface area. When you replace your cartridge as the filter makers suggest you get rid of all of the beneficial bacteria that have grown on that cartridge. Plus the cartridges themselves are very small.

Your best solution is to go buy yourself some medium to fine filter sponge and shove that into your filter along with the current cartridge. Leave it a few weeks (don't change out the cartridge) and then after 2 weeks of both of them being in there you can go ahead and remove the cartridge and get rid of it entirely. The sponge will provide surface area sufficient for beneficial bacteria, is completely reusable, and requires only occasional rinsing in used tank water during a water change every 1 to 4 months.

For more information on this process check out youtube for videos on 'improving hang on back filters'. There are quite a few out there.

Anyway your issue is that you have a small tank with a small filter and your critter is too big for it and a messy eater. Thus your ammonia is super high. You should definitely upgrade the tank as soon as possible, but in the meantime go get yourself some filter sponge. The sponge can follow your critter to the next tank as well so its a good investment.

 

[Toothpickthelotl]

Ahhh got it figured then.

Soooo a bit of rant but the the american aquarium industry basically screwed themselves decades ago and new hobbyists are still paying the price. The folks that make the filters really like the idea of selling a 'cartridge' that is disposable and requires constant replacement. That way they get to keep making money forever from the same filter. HOWEVER, this is a terrible idea for both the animals in the aquarium and the person who takes care of them. Bacteria that turn ammonia into nitrite and then to nitrate will grow on every surface in the aquarium. Filters are designed to provide a lot of surface area in a relatively small space and push the water from the aquarium over that surface area. When you replace your cartridge as the filter makers suggest you get rid of all of the beneficial bacteria that have grown on that cartridge. Plus the cartridges themselves are very small.

Your best solution is to go buy yourself some medium to fine filter sponge and shove that into your filter along with the current cartridge. Leave it a few weeks (don't change out the cartridge) and then after 2 weeks of both of them being in there you can go ahead and remove the cartridge and get rid of it entirely. The sponge will provide surface area sufficient for beneficial bacteria, is completely reusable, and requires only occasional rinsing in used tank water during a water change every 1 to 4 months.

For more information on this process check out youtube for videos on 'improving hang on back filters'. There are quite a few out there.

Anyway your issue is that you have a small tank with a small filter and your critter is too big for it and a messy eater. Thus your ammonia is super high. You should definitely upgrade the tank as soon as possible, but in the meantime go get yourself some filter sponge. The sponge can follow your critter to the next tank as well so its a good investment.

Thank you so much!! This was super helpful. I’ll order a filter sponge right now and put it in the tank ASAP. I had no idea about the cartridge problem. Hopefully my axie will be ok until I get a bigger tank as well, I’ll do more consistent water changes to make sure I keep the ammonia levels low until I do. Thanks again