Question: Types of filtration

[CrimsonBlaze]

my axie imoogi has recently been transfered into a new 75 litre tank , however because i spent all my money on the tank i could not buy a new water filter right away and im pretty sure the filter wasent even adequite for his last tank(30 litre aprox).
It is an elite mini a-130, so assuming its not suffitiant for my tank should i increase the amount witch i syphon the gunk out and add new water to the tank.
i currently do this once or twice a week.
also i have ordered a new filter but due to time of year it probably wont arive till after xmas, it is an aleas xp-07 waterfall type filter for up to 120 litres and aparently does all 3 types of filtration. biological, chemical and mechanical(whatever that means)
will this filter be okay or should i mayb use both in the tank at the same time.

does anyone own one of theese filters and be able to shed some light on how good they are, because i have a feeling it might not be that great due to how cheap it was and as the saying goes , you only get what you pay for.

 

[Shizeric]

For axolotls, because they create such a mess, you should vacuum out excess food that they don't eat after each feeding. Leaving uneaten food will take a large toll on your water quality..especially if there is no filtration. The filter you are purchasing, aleas xp-07, appears to be a standard hang on tank filter. The only issue with these is they tend to create a lot of water disruption, which isn't good for axolotls. You should try to best to dampen the disturbance made to the water from the filter. Personally I have never heard of that brand of filter, but anything is better than nothing.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

do i still have to syphon every day even it there isnt realy food left in the tank.
He eats everything i give him witin seconds of entering his tank
and he does have filtration atm, 2 filters infact but both of them are for tanks a fration of the size to what they are in now( i think ones for a 8 litre tank and the other maybe 10 - 20.
i have currently got one each end of the tank

 

[Niall W]

Once the filter's are set up, and the tank's cycled then a water change ever week - three weeks ish (depending on ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels) of around 20% is still needed as with any other tank whether it has fish or caudates in I take it you have a testing kit for these?

But not every day, no :happy: Just remove any uneaten food quickly - easiest way is with a turkey baster - as it'll rot quickly producing ammonia etc

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

Hey thanx for the advice allthough i dont know what cycling is, i have seen threads about it and will read them shortly
also no i do not have a testing kit as i can not afford one- unfortunately the axie was a present so i wasnt able to get set up for it at all before hand, infact he was even in a tiny 6 litre tank for the first few days as that was the only tank i had at the time .
does anyone know of any way to do the nitrate test other than buying it?
any ideas would really be apreciated

 

[Darkmaverick]

If you have access to an aquarium shop nearby, you can bring a sample of your tank water for testing. Some places charge a small fee while other places may do it free. This is not a long term solution though, and i do recommend you invest in a kit. You can always stagger out your purchases, starting with the test for ammonia and nitrites, and then later nitrates and anything else.

 

[Niall W]

Yes mate, reiterating what Darkmaverick said, to be honest test kits are a must.

You can't see the toxins in the water, so you need to test for them and do a water change as soon as they start creeping. Without them you may only notice when it's too late and your axie is seriously ill - or at worst, dead.

A test kit for Ammonia, Nitrite and nitrate is only around £20 english, so perhaps $27AUS possibly?

CYCLING:
If you haven't read up on this yet, i'll quickly explain :happy:
Basically, your filter needs to build up a culture of useful bacteria within the filtration medium as well as other ornaments etc to break down Ammonia into nitrite, nitrite then into nitrate from your axie's poo (Ammonia --> Nitrite --> Nitrate - each more toxic than the next).
When you first set up a tank your filter has no beneficial bacteria and as such needs some time (can be 2 - 4 weeks) to build this.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

Hey thanx you guys for the info although i really cant aford a testing kit atm as i just lost my job and the cheapest one i could find was 40 Nz$ .
I had no idea you could get water tested at a pet store though and actually i live about 3 mins drive from 1 and personaly know the head of the fish department there so hopefully i can get it done for free
and about the cycling thing i think its a bit late for that as the filter has been in with my axie ever since i got him about 6 weeks ago

 

[melfly]

If you are cycling with the axolotl in the tank you need to know what the water chemistry is. I would recommend takin a sample asap to your local aquarium. And start saving up for a test kit. Mel