Newbie Axie Owner, need help

[ZiraLaru1]

So im a fairly new axie owner. ive had my axie exactly a week now & im just now finding out about cycling and some other things. My axie is about 5-6 months old from what the store told me. The pet store i got my axie from told me i needed a 10 gallon tank, a pump, a sponge filter (which i purchased from them) and said that all i needed to do was if i was using tap water, to fill the tank up hook the filter & pump up then add 20 drops of sechem prime per 10 gallons (which i did) & let the tank sit for at least 24 hrs & then i could add my axie to the tank. and thats mainly the only info they gave me other than that i should feed my axie 1-2 chopped up [earth] worms (i also purchased these from the pet store my axie came from) every other day. which ive been doing. i just found out about needing to cycle a tank & doing water test kits but dont know how to go about that as ive already got my axie in its tank. can someone help me pls. i want to make sure that my axie is getting the care that it needs & deserves. I have already purchased a water test kit & a few other water conditioner products from walmart that i was told were safe. Pictued below are the products i have & the setup of my axie's tank. Please help this newbie, thanks in advance.

 

[miola]

Check out the thread a few above your own titled: "Filters, substrates, setups:"
it has some great links to explain the basics, the pet shop left out some very important stuff!

You are still going to be cycling you tank, you'll just be doing it with an Axolotl as opposed to axolotl-less. So testing your water parameters daily will be important. I find the Tetra EasyStrips pretty accurate, but you will need to be testing for ammonia as well.

If you have not already, read up on or watch a youtube video on the nitrogen cycle. I was pretty vague on it when I started, and it is a definite must know.

It can take a month or more for your tank to cycle, so daily water changes (10-20%) are important. This means siphoning out and replacing some of your tank's water with fresh, cool dechlorinated water. It is 2 drops of Prime added to each gallon of tap water you put back in. If you are using a hose from your tap and just filling the tank directly (not filling individual gallon bottles), you will need to add in enough Prime for the whole 10 gallons (20 drops) each time. Also, remove uneaten food and waste. A turkey baster works well for this.

Replacing some of your water daily keeps your ammonia and nitrate at "acceptable" levels until your bacteria colonies are established (a cycled tank) and start keeping the ammonia and nitrite at 0 themselves.

I have not used the Tetra Water Care Kit. But I had good results with the Tetra Safe Start when my tank cycle crashed. It will not "instantly" cycle your tank, but it will jump start the process by getting some good bacteria into the tank environment. Just shake it up well and pour the whole bottle in. It should be the perfect amount for a 10 gallon tank.

watch for signs of stress in your Axolotl and check you water parameters regularly.

I hope this helps & all the best.

 

[miola]

Also, keep in mind that you may need to do more than a 20% water change if your test shows harmful levels of nitrites or ammonia. Even up to 50%. You can dose your tank with the Prime as well in those situations, there are directions on the bottle. But remember that it "locks" the harmful stuff for a limited time. If your nitrite and ammonia get up into the super high levels danger zone, you can always temporarily move your Axolotl into a separate tub to avoid harm, while you work on the tank cycle.