Broken Filter Help?!

[DigiriblePlum]

So I got home from work last night to discover my 40 litre tank's filter had completely packed in ... it was definitely working when I left!

Luckily I'd been planning on replacing it anyway as it didn't seem to be up to the job and had just that night picked up a Fluval Mini Underwater filter, which is now fitted.

I'm just concerned, this is gonna mean I need to start the cycle all over again right?
I was planning on running the new filter alongside the old for at least a month to allow the right bacteria to build up, but that's out of the question now :/ And there's no space in it to put any of the old media either

I'm a new Axie owner, only had my Caduceus for about 3 months, so I'm really worried about getting something wrong and harming him. Would it be better to take him out of the tank and into a tub while the new filter cycles or am I okay to keep him in there with more frequent water changes? Been doing partial changes every other day as it was as the last month or so the ammonia levels wouldn't stay below about 0.25

He's eating well, showing no signs of stress that I can see, and is pretty active especially at night so I don't think he's taken any harm from being without a filter for the day

 

[Kitan]

Hey GREAT news! 0.25 is unlikely to be an issue while you re-establish your cycle; depending on your pH, your temperature likely keeps it away from being toxic. Check this video out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m20Jn6-ppro&t=305s

Was there still water in your old filter when it stopped working? If so, there is a good chance you still have a lot of your bacteria in place. Sand substrate? Plants? Bacteria hangs out on all these things too. Best way to see if your cycle crashed is to check the parameters.How are your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates? If your cycle HAS crashed, I would pick up some of SeaChem's Stability and use that to re-establish the colony

So, I looked at a cross section of your new filter; did your old one have bio rings? If so, it should be easy enough to replace some\all of the new ones with those.

The little guy wouldnt be showing signs of stress just yet, even if there was a problem. Your ammonia would rise pretty quickly, but again, the cold helps reduce the damage. Just keep an eye on the parameters and he should be fine in the tank. Use the calculator from the above video to determine if it is toxic to your 'lotl and continue to monitor his behavior and appetite.

Please note I am even more new to Axolotl keeping than you, but I am a research fiend; other more experienced people on here could likely give you even more advice