Question: ANOTHER One On Cycling...

[Snailbait]

Okay, once I get the split in my tank repaired I plan to get started right away with cycling it. I have read as much as I could find on this process, and I feel I understand it pretty well now. I do have some questions that I hope someone on here may be kind enough to answer for me. :wacko:

I will be doing a fishless cycle with store bought ammonia, and I plan to use plastic plants and have sand as a substrate.

Firstly, would it be pointless to start cycling before adding things (sand, ornaments etc) to the tank? I'd like to get started as soon as I can, but won't waste my time if I'd have to restart when I add everything. I don't have access to anything from an established tank.

I read a few things about people cycling their tanks with the axolotl in it, how risky is that and is it bad for the axolotl? Are they put in from the start?

The petshop where I plan to buy my axolotls from has limited stock and doesn't restock regularly, so I have to take what I can get, when I can get it. I plan to go there on Thursday to see what they have, (fingers crossed they have plenty of healthy ones!) and they do 'hold' them for a while, but it wouldn't be long enough to complete a proper cycle. What would you do in this situation?

An off topic question: What kind of solastic would be safe to repair the crack on the bottom of my tank?

 

[Azhael]

Cycling with the axolotl in the tank is possible, but requires certain conditions. For starters i would only consider it if the tank is big. The bigger the better. If the water volume is big enough, ammonia and nitrites are likely not to reach dangerous levels. In a small tank, this is very risky since levels can rise very fast and reach concentrations that can, if high enough, kill the axolotl.
Other variables that have an effect are live plants (they take ammonia and nitrites from the water), the amount of monitoring one can apply, the use of materials from an already cycled tank...

If you are not going to use live plants (i would urge you to seriously reconsider it) and the tank is not big, i would definitely not recommend cycling the tank with the axolotl in.

Even in the conditions already mentioned, it is still stressful for the axolotl to be in an uncycled tank. Water parametres will vary constantly, causing stress, which for a newly acquired animal can cause severe problems.

You should start the cycling process once the tank is "done". The biofilm of benefitial bacteria will grow on every submerged surface. In order to work, you require a big surface, so having all the stuff in the tank is best. Otherwise there might not be enough surface and the bacteria might not be able to deal with all the compounds (theoretically).

Given that there are many people in Australia keeping and breeding axolotls, you might want to consider getting yours from a breeder, rather than from a pet-shop. That way you can choose when to get it, instead of depending on the pet-shop´s timetable, plus the chances of getting quality animals are better.

 

[Snailbait]

Thanks for the tips Azhael!

I didn't think there would be much point in starting the cycle now anyway.

I have searched for breeders here but have not found any. I went to the petshop today and they don't have any Axolotls - I wouldn't buy one from them anyway judging by the state of their fish.

 

[Jennewt]

If your tank has a crack in the bottom, you should not ever put water in it, even after repair. It is OK to seal it with aquarium silicone sealant (sold in pet shops), but the tank should then be used as a terrarium. It will never have the structural integrity to trust it to hold the weight of water. (Water is surprisingly heavy!) If it broke suddenly, you could easily kill the axolotl and ruin part of your house too.

 

[Snailbait]

If your tank has a crack in the bottom, you should not ever put water in it, even after repair. It is OK to seal it with aquarium silicone sealant (sold in pet shops), but the tank should then be used as a terrarium. It will never have the structural integrity to trust it to hold the weight of water. (Water is surprisingly heavy!) If it broke suddenly, you could easily kill the axolotl and ruin part of your house too.

I have been worrying about that. I only just bought the tank and it got broken during transport. I'm really bummed. I had planned on getting it repaired by a professional but I have read that even properly repaired tanks shouldn't be used again. :nono: I don't know what to do now, new tanks are expensive, especially since this one IS my new tank.

I can't find any axololts within my reach, does anyone have any suggestions on what I could do?

I had my heart set on getting some, but nothing seems to be going right for me.

 

[lea]

hi april.....it will all come together..hang in there....could you contact the place you got the tank from and tell them what happened...start looking in the trading post and weekend shopper..i know they have cheap 2nd tanks...im having trouble finding axies as well....i think it is the wrong season for them in aussie(i dont know if this happens but im guessing) .....can the pet shop near you order on for you???

 

[Snailbait]

hi april.....it will all come together..hang in there....could you contact the place you got the tank from and tell them what happened...start looking in the trading post and weekend shopper..i know they have cheap 2nd tanks...im having trouble finding axies as well....i think it is the wrong season for them in aussie(i dont know if this happens but im guessing) .....can the pet shop near you order on for you???

Thanks Lea for the encouragement. :happy:

I did contact the place I got my tank from, but was told that since it was my fault it broke, I can't take it back.

I'm going to ring around some pet shops and see what they say about axolotls. Fingers crossed!!

 

[Snailbait]

Okie dokie, I have my new tank up and running. I put the sand in and have the filter going, other than that it is empty for now.

I let the water settle and the filter run for a bit before testing the water. pH is good (can't remember what it was exactly, wrote it down somewhere...) and Nirtrates and Nitrites are 0 as expected. However, I did get a reading for Ammonia (0.25). To be sure, I tested the water straight from the tap, and Ammonia was 0. Why do you think I would be getting a reading from my tank? My first thought was that it could be from the sand, but I had washed and washed it with hot water until the water was clear, and the water in the tank is also clear. What could it be? Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[Mac Myers]

Well.... I'm no chemist. The only thing I can propose is that there was some ammonia in the tank for whatever reason. Did you rinse it well before Filling? It's certainly possible something was in the sand but it sounds like you rinsed it pretty well.
I'd continue to test it for a few days and if the level doesn't continue to climb then I'd just go ahead and cycle the tank normally. Someone jump in if I'm wrong please!
It's interesting that your tap water tested at Zero for ammonia. I just got a chemical breakdown of mine and now I'm afraid to take a shower.