Weird tank parameters- no ammonia but nothing else either?

[Axilottaquestions]

Hi everyone. After months of tubbing I finally thought I figured out cycling and got set up. Then I assume it crashed… but it’s been weeks and I’m seeing no changes at all! Ammonia stays yellow (but weirdly dark) and no nitrates/nitrites. What is going on?

Some other info: seemed fully cycled
- but I cycled using 4ppm ammonia guide and recently read maybe for axylotyl need to only do to 2ppm to sustain it?
- may have been putting too much prime in? (New bottle didn’t have a dropper so was guessing)?
- ph went out of balance
-algae bloom
- I did two back to back water changes
- also took out a big toy castle, which I now realize may have had a lot of my bacteria on it

So I think one of those led to crash, but can’t figure out why no ammonia, how I get back on track, if I need to run again etc …

Thanks for any help!

 

[wolfen]

4ppm ammonia is used because that is how much a adult can produce in 24hrs (this ensures that filtration will be adequate once axolotl is older)
check your nitrate test (make sure you read instructions) possible faulty test, also be aware for trace nitrites.
whilst cycled (or any other time) test ph, if it drops to 7 use enough bicarbonate of soda to increase it to 7.4-7.6

 

[Axilottaquestions]

4ppm ammonia is used because that is how much a adult can produce in 24hrs (this ensures that filtration will be adequate once axolotl is older)
check your nitrate test (make sure you read instructions) possible faulty test, also be aware for trace nitrites.
whilst cycled (or any other time) test ph, if it drops to 7 use enough bicarbonate of soda to increase it to 7.4-7.6

Thanks Wolfen! Follow up questions:

How do I test for “trace nitrates”?

Ok so 4ppm IS what you cycle for? I was thinking maybe mine isn’t old enough to produce that much waste so I starved the bacteria I had going up with 4. Sounds like I don’t need to worry about that? And if I cycle again still do 4ppm. Tnx!

Is it possible my tank is still cycled and I’m just not seeing the nitrates? I have gotten them to register with this same test kit previously so this is different… and do the kits stop working after awhile? I’ve had for less than 6 months.

I do read the directions, (though had done wrong for a while shaking the tube not bottle #2!) and but it had worked previously so something is different.

I did just check the GH and KH for first time: I think GH is 3-4. Kh 7. So could that be the problem? GH should be higher?

Thanks for helping all of us so much!!

 

[wolfen]

the nitrite test in the photo is reading 0.25ppm, because it is a low reading I referred to it as trace level.
because of the high levels of ammonia produced (or added in the case of cycling) the nitrate levels shouldn't read near zero (or in the photo 5ppm),
there are a few reasons for low/zero nitrates in an axolotl tank.. very large water changes, heavily planted tank, special nitrate removing media, thick pea soup algae, nitrate reactor, anoxic water conditions, anaerobic bacteria growth, faulty test.
your gh is bad for an axolotl tank, axolotls are moderate/hard water animals so they require good water mineralisation.

 

[Axilottaquestions]

An gotcha thanks! I just got “ equilibrium” to address the hardness.
I started to wonder if there was enough oxygen so I put the air stone in there so I guess we’ll just keep seeing how it goes! Thank you for all your help!

 

[wolfen]

replenish is more suitable than equilibrium for axolotl tanks due to the lower levels of potassium.