New axolotl owner, needs help

[joxters]

Hello! So, on Saturday I got my first ever axolotl. The pet store person told me that it’s okay to put her in a new tank while adding Prime.

This morning I researched a lot more and realized that most online forums/posts suggest to cycle BEFORE adding the axolotl. Thanks, pet store employee, but what’s done is done and I should’ve researched more beforehand.

So, what should I do here? I have been using Prime, and her water changes are 20% daily. Should I take her out and cycle the tank completely for about a week using Prime and Stability (referencing the guide on axolotlcity), or is she okay to stay? If I take her out, do I fridge her for that entire week? I want her to have the best home possible!

As for the tank itself, she has a sponge filter. (Sorry for constant edits, I realize I forget stuff LOL)

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

Hello! So, on Saturday I got my first ever axolotl. The pet store person told me that it’s okay to put her in a new tank while adding Prime.

This morning I researched a lot more and realized that most online forums/posts suggest to cycle BEFORE adding the axolotl. Thanks, pet store employee, but what’s done is done and I should’ve researched more beforehand.

So, what should I do here? I have been using Prime, and her water changes are 20% daily. Should I take her out and cycle the tank completely for about a week using Prime and Stability (referencing the guide on axolotlcity), or is she okay to stay? If I take her out, do I fridge her for that entire week? I want her to have the best home possible!

As for the tank itself, she has a sponge filter. (Sorry for constant edits, I realize I forget stuff LOL)

While it's not recommended to cycle a tank with an animal in it, it can be done. It just takes longer because you can't let your ammonia get high to speed up the process. Cycling a tank can take 4-6 weeks or longer so even removing them for a week really wont get you very far into your cycle. That said, Prime is the best water conditioner to use and will act as a temporary binder for ammonia but should NEVER be used in lieu of a water change. Daily water changes probably aren't necessary as long as your tank is the appropriate size. You should have them housed in at least a 20 gallon long tank. Sponge filters are fine, though I would recommend using one that is slightly larger than the recommended size, or using two. This just give more surface area for your bacteria to grow and since they don't create much water current, using a larger one wont be harmful in any way. Stability is a good additive and will help jump start your system a little quicker, but it will take some time for you bacteria colonies to grow and compensate for your axolotl's waste. Microbelift Special Blend is also a great liquid bacteria starter.

If you haven't already, get a good liquid test kit, like the API freshwater master kit. Testing your ammonia a least twice a week will be very important here at the beginning to make sure your levels aren't getting too high. Generally the rule is:
(during cycling period)

pH: 6.8 - 8.0
ammonia: < .5 ppm
nitrite: < .5 ppm
nitrate: 0 - 10 ppm

If you feel more comfortable tubbing her while you cycle the tank, you can. Just do 100% water changes on the tub daily. Pretty simple.

A note on fridging: Fridging is used as an emergency measure to slow the progression of disease and/or illness. it is not for any other purpose and should not be done unless its an emergency (the rare exception being to alleviate constipation, but even that can be done other ways). The purpose is to lower their body temperature to slow their metabolic processes to give you more time to seek treatment options.

 

[joxters]

While it's not recommended to cycle a tank with an animal in it, it can be done. It just takes longer because you can't let your ammonia get high to speed up the process. Cycling a tank can take 4-6 weeks or longer so even removing them for a week really wont get you very far into your cycle. That said, Prime is the best water conditioner to use and will act as a temporary binder for ammonia but should NEVER be used in lieu of a water change. Daily water changes probably aren't necessary as long as your tank is the appropriate size. You should have them housed in at least a 20 gallon long tank. Sponge filters are fine, though I would recommend using one that is slightly larger than the recommended size, or using two. This just give more surface area for your bacteria to grow and since they don't create much water current, using a larger one wont be harmful in any way. Stability is a good additive and will help jump start your system a little quicker, but it will take some time for you bacteria colonies to grow and compensate for your axolotl's waste. Microbelift Special Blend is also a great liquid bacteria starter.

If you haven't already, get a good liquid test kit, like the API freshwater master kit. Testing your ammonia a least twice a week will be very important here at the beginning to make sure your levels aren't getting too high. Generally the rule is:
(during cycling period)

pH: 6.8 - 8.0
ammonia: < .5 ppm
nitrite: < .5 ppm
nitrate: 0 - 10 ppm

If you feel more comfortable tubbing her while you cycle the tank, you can. Just do 100% water changes on the tub daily. Pretty simple.

A note on fridging: Fridging is used as an emergency measure to slow the progression of disease and/or illness. it is not for any other purpose and should not be done unless its an emergency (the rare exception being to alleviate constipation, but even that can be done other ways). The purpose is to lower their body temperature to slow their metabolic processes to give you more time to seek treatment options.

Thank you so much for the reply!

The tank is 30 gallons, and I use a small-sized Hikari Bacto-Surge sponge filter for it. Do you think a second one would be good? Online it says that the size I have can filter up to 40-gallon tanks.

Don’t worry—I don’t use Prime as a substitute! The tank also has some live plants which I read are very good for filtration, I’ll attach a picture. With the 30 gallons in mind, though, how often should I water change?

Eventually, whenever the tank is cycled, I plan on adding a second axolotl. Would this affect anything in terms of the cycle, or will it be okay?

Thank you for the other tips! I’m getting a test kit this afternoon, and Stability as well. That’s good to know for fridging, too!

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

Thank you so much for the reply!

The tank is 30 gallons, and I use a small-sized Hikari Bacto-Surge sponge filter for it. Do you think a second one would be good? Online it says that the size I have can filter up to 40-gallon tanks.

Don’t worry—I don’t use Prime as a substitute! The tank also has some live plants which I read are very good for filtration, I’ll attach a picture. With the 30 gallons in mind, though, how often should I water change?
View attachment 88263

Eventually, whenever the tank is cycled, I plan on adding a second axolotl. Would this affect anything in terms of the cycle, or will it be okay?

Thank you for the other tips! I’m getting a test kit this afternoon, and Stability as well. That’s good to know for fridging, too!

Tank looks good. Live plants will definitely help with your levels. Just be careful not to bury the rhizomes of your anubias there on the right. It happens easily in sand. I also use marimo moss balls in all my tanks. The axolotls like to push them around and they're literally zero maintenance.

Personally, i would add a second sponge. Axolotls produce exponentially more waste than fish so more filtration is really never a bad thing. I run most of my larger tanks with a canister filter and 2 sponges. Keeps the water super clear and the axies happy.

When you go to add another axolotl, your tank will take a little time to compensate for the additional ammonia production, but that's about it. You'll just want to monitor your levels a little closer until you get a handle on how quickly you're building up that waste. Generally 30% partial water changes should always be done weekly. The amount and frequency, however, should be determined and adjusted by your water testing.

 

[joxters]

Tank looks good. Live plants will definitely help with your levels. Just be careful not to bury the rhizomes of your anubias there on the right. It happens easily in sand. I also use marimo moss balls in all my tanks. The axolotls like to push them around and they're literally zero maintenance.

Personally, i would add a second sponge. Axolotls produce exponentially more waste than fish so more filtration is really never a bad thing. I run most of my larger tanks with a canister filter and 2 sponges. Keeps the water super clear and the axies happy.

When you go to add another axolotl, your tank will take a little time to compensate for the additional ammonia production, but that's about it. You'll just want to monitor your levels a little closer until you get a handle on how quickly you're building up that waste. Generally 30% partial water changes should always be done weekly. The amount and frequency, however, should be determined and adjusted by your water testing.

Okay, thank you!
I’ll get the second sponge this afternoon, too. I’ll order some moss balls online, too.

Oh dang, the water changes are a lot less frequent than I thought!! That’s a good thing for sure, but dang I guess this proves that I’m a nervous wreck LOL, I just want her to have a good home, she’s been very sweet already.

I’ve been cleaning the poops as suggested online, but I know that they need to release ammonia to some extent for the cycling to work, right? Should I leave the poops in there for a certain amount of time, or clean them immediately as I have been doing?

Sorry for the number of questions, I just want to make sure she’s being treated the best

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

Okay, thank you!
I’ll get the second sponge this afternoon, too. I’ll order some moss balls online, too.

Oh dang, the water changes are a lot less frequent than I thought!! That’s a good thing for sure, but dang I guess this proves that I’m a nervous wreck LOL, I just want her to have a good home, she’s been very sweet already.

I’ve been cleaning the poops as suggested online, but I know that they need to release ammonia to some extent for the cycling to work, right? Should I leave the poops in there for a certain amount of time, or clean them immediately as I have been doing?

Sorry for the number of questions, I just want to make sure she’s being treated the best

there will still be plenty of ammonia so I would continue to clean up as you see them. Cycling will take longer and that's fine. it's more important to keep her water chemistry balanced for her than it is to push the cycle along faster.

and yea, water changes arent too bad. As i said, you;ll determine how often and how much water to change by testing your tank regularly. What you feed her and the amount you feed her is also going to make a difference.

Nothing wrong with being cautious. I would much rather you be meticulous than have to make a bunch of corrections later.

 

[joxters]

there will still be plenty of ammonia so I would continue to clean up as you see them. Cycling will take longer and that's fine. it's more important to keep her water chemistry balanced for her than it is to push the cycle along faster.

and yea, water changes arent too bad. As i said, you;ll determine how often and how much water to change by testing your tank regularly. What you feed her and the amount you feed her is also going to make a difference.

Nothing wrong with being cautious. I would much rather you be meticulous than have to make a bunch of corrections later.

Once again, thank you so much for your help!

I got the kit and did a test—ammonia is at 1ppm!!! I immediately tubbed her (in dechlorinated water) and am working on a 50% water change. I read online that this is the spike part of the cycle, is that true?

 

[joxters]

Well I did the 50%, added Prime and Stability, waited an hour, and the ammonia tested to be 1ppm again. What should I do?

EDIT: I don’t want to triple post, so here’s an edit. I found online an active sponge filter, so I’m going to take the bite. I’ve seen many positive reviews of it, I just have to test every day, which is 100% fine by me. If it fails, at least I can say I tried! Here’s to hoping it works, though.

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

Well I did the 50%, added Prime and Stability, waited an hour, and the ammonia tested to be 1ppm again. What should I do?

EDIT: I don’t want to triple post, so here’s an edit. I found online an active sponge filter, so I’m going to take the bite. I’ve seen many positive reviews of it, I just have to test every day, which is 100% fine by me. If it fails, at least I can say I tried! Here’s to hoping it works, though.

Testing right after a water change is always going to give you a bit of a skewed reading. Id recommend doing a 40% change every day for 3 days and see if that helps bring it back down. You're not going to have just one "spike" of ammonia when cycling. It's going to be pretty much a constant battle with it for a couple weeks until you get a big enough bacteria colony to compensate for it. The idea is to just try to keep it from getting above .5ppm to keep it safe for her.

A good bacteria additive that i use in every tank i own, whether its saltwater, freshwater or axolotls, is microbelift special blend. It smells like a bottle of 1000 roadkills, but it is worth it.

 

[joxters]

Update on her tank!

She has two filters now: one that’s from an already cycled tank, and the old one. Here’s to hoping it keeps her water clean and happy! I also got a bacteria additive like you suggested, I’ve put some in there. With the two filters, one from a cycled tank, and the bacteria additive, I’m hoping that this process can be smoother. Shorter? Probably not, but smoother.

Tomorrow/Saturday I plan on buying some moss balls for her. I read Marimo ones are good, but they’ve also had a recall due to an invasive species if I remember right? So hopefully I can find something that isn’t invasive, LOL

While I try to bring the ammonia down, she’s currently being tubbed. I have a lid with air holes in it to help her eyes (and so she doesn’t jump out, just in case), and I keep checking its temperature and adjusting it whenever it gets too warm. I change the water twice a day in the tub—once in the morning, and then whenever she poops (if she doesn’t poop I change it in the evening still). Her gills are curved forward just a tad, but the tip of her tail isn’t curled so I’m hoping she’s okay.

Thank you so much for the help! Here’s to hoping everything goes nicely.