Question: Tank setup okay?

[Axolotl addict]

I was wondering if my tank setup looked okay for my soon to get 5" Axolotl
Please read
Temp sits around 67-70 degrees throughout the day, still cycling, ammonia sits around .25 a .75 ppm for now, ph around 7.6-8, Water very hard, basic - slightly alkine
Filter runs at about 100-110gph depending on setting, (tank is 20 gallon long)
Preparing terra cotta pot as a hide, plants are Anubis nana, temple compact a, Marimo moss ball, and some dwarf hair grass
Also have 3 ghost shrimp in, helping cycle, been in there for about a week
(FYI lighting is only temporary for temporary plant growth and photo)
Tell me if this looks good, and/or if I forgot anything, and make suggestions.
Also me first post

 

[Axolotl addict]

Also how long does it take for people to respond?

 

[SammyTheLotus]

Tank looks pretty good, but you'll definitely need to get your ammonia down to a 0 before adding your Axolotl, even a level of 0.25 can lead to stress and disease over a period of time.
Also I would remove the ghost shrimp, as Axolotl should only be kept with their own kind.. The Axie will end up eating the shrimp or the shrimp will pick at the Axie (especially the gills!) and neither animal will end up happy.

 

[Axolotl addict]

Okay, I, last time I tested, I had dosed ammonia a couple of hours ago, would this make it read high?
People say that they're ghost shrimp don't bother Axolotl, my ghost shrimp are relatively small, only like .5-1 inch,
Also woke up this morning and water loomed a little foggy, some stuff on the glass, is it a bacterial bloom?

 

[AxolotlChris]

Tank is looking good, create more hides, purchase hollow logs ect. from aquatic stores, perhaps purchase some large pebbles which would add some character. Your plants are looking good, if you have a light source you should add loads more plants for a healthy natural environment. Lighting is not a problem as long as there are plenty of hides for your Axolotl to use if it so chooses, and if the light is around 12-14w.

The temperature is slightly high, you ideally want to be between 16-18 degrees Celsius.

Does your test kit allow you to test for Nitrite and NitrAte? These are two of the three key toxins (the 3rd being ammonia) that you need to be testing to know how your cycle is functioning.

A complete cycle is Ammonia converting to Nitrite and Nitrite converting to NitrAtes.
Caudata Culture Articles - Cycling

The API FreshWater Master Test Kit is recommended by most users of this forum:
Welcome to API Fishcare: FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT

It is advised to cycle your tank without using your Axolotl or other aquatic animals.
Fishless Cycle - Cycle Your Aquarium without Using Fish

Ghost shrimp are not an issue, a lot of keepers use shrimp or Guppies as a additional source of food for Axolotls, and they do not feed on the Axolotl gills, they wouldn't even get a chance too. It also allows the Axolotl to hunt which I think is quite nice.

As your dosing using liquid ammonia I would just remove the ghost shrimp and save them the pain. You have full control over your ammonia levels because you are using liquid ammonia. Dosing using more ammonia will create higher readings of ammonia within the tank.

You could be experiencing a bacterial bloom, could you take some clear images?

 

[Axolotl addict]

Sorry for misleading, but what I meant by ammonia dosing is that I had some algae wafers added to the tank to feed all the good bacteria
Also I m still preparing my hides, about to drill one today
About the temp, I was going to see if my dad had an extra fan from an old pc, if not I'll simply pay an extra 10 dollars.
Shrimp look as happy as ever, so I'm not worried about them, I have stopped adding extra ammonia, (rotting food), no signs whatsoever of stress.
Funny stuff on glass seems to be gone now, or just diminished so much that I can't see it/photograph it
Again, new to the forum, sorry for the misleading info,
Also about nitrates and nitrites one was .25 and other was 20 ppm, can't remember which was which, but I think nitrates are supposed to be the high one???
I'm going to pick up my own test kit this weekend, I'm using my science teachers right now
I'll try to be more clear in the future.

 

[Axolotl addict]

I've always cycled my tank with algae wafers, seem to give off the right amount, forgot to say this but I was also using seachems stability, sorry for the misleading info yet again, just my mind being stupid after school.