Hello Jordan, about a Month's worth of cycling I think would be etiquette
When I cycle a tank, I try to cycle it for about four weeks. Two weeks I think is alright if you only add one Axie in to start out with and let the tank cycle a few more weeks and then add another buddy.
You can either test your own water with water testing kits, or you can take it into your local Petsmart or other pet store and they will test your water for you
Petsmart does it for free and they are usually very helpful.
Readings should be Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 and Nitrate: 0.0 - 20 and a healthy PH of about 7 or a little higher.
After your tank has completed its cycle, weekly tank cleaning and maintenance should follow. 25% water changes each week with fresh declorinated water.
Stress Coat I think most of us here at the forum use as decorticator, Amqual+ is also a good one. Stress coat however has Aloe in it to help the Axolotls keep their coat of slime healthy. I prefer this brand
I hope this helps. ^__^
