Darkmaverick
Site Contributor
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2008
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- Rayson
Hi Paul,
The water conditioning salts are fine if you want to ensure hard water for your tank. Hard water is better for axolotls to protect their skin and against anaemia. I think the art is in balancing an appropriate concentration. Saturated solutions will obviously be extremely detrimental to the skin integrity. You want to ensure only very little amounts are added. The concept is the same much like salt baths for axies. You can't leave them in there for over 15 min because it would cause skin and gill damage.
Have you considered 'fishless' cycling? I have two links here that i think you should have a look through if you haven't yet.
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/waterquality.shtml
When i first started keeping axies and fish, i used to add stress zyme (bottled bacteria). I know the products claim to accelerate the cycling process and help establish good bacteria colonies. The use of such products are controversial in the sense that there are both people who are supporting it and people who are against it.
People who are against it, in their experience, feel that the products are ineffective, a waste of money and adding to bioload. In my personal observation, my axolotls tend to go through a dramatic skin shedding phase whenever i added this product. For me, anything that is suggestive to cause an irritation (such as manifestation of overt skin shedding), i get a bad impression. Since then, i haven't used it. They work safely for my fish tank though.
For people supporting it, and a lot of experienced hobbyists and aquaculture vets included, they find the product useful and safe. Some also feel that these products would not be marketed otherwise if they failed experimental trials and guidelines. Also since there is such a big market for such products, some feel that it must be effective.
I think ultimately the decision is still yours to make through your personal experience and judgement. Bottom line is health and safety of axolotls isparamount. Even if the product works well in accelerating cycling, i would not personally not consider using them anymore if i find they cause adverse reaction in my axies.
Cheers.
The water conditioning salts are fine if you want to ensure hard water for your tank. Hard water is better for axolotls to protect their skin and against anaemia. I think the art is in balancing an appropriate concentration. Saturated solutions will obviously be extremely detrimental to the skin integrity. You want to ensure only very little amounts are added. The concept is the same much like salt baths for axies. You can't leave them in there for over 15 min because it would cause skin and gill damage.
Have you considered 'fishless' cycling? I have two links here that i think you should have a look through if you haven't yet.
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/waterquality.shtml
When i first started keeping axies and fish, i used to add stress zyme (bottled bacteria). I know the products claim to accelerate the cycling process and help establish good bacteria colonies. The use of such products are controversial in the sense that there are both people who are supporting it and people who are against it.
People who are against it, in their experience, feel that the products are ineffective, a waste of money and adding to bioload. In my personal observation, my axolotls tend to go through a dramatic skin shedding phase whenever i added this product. For me, anything that is suggestive to cause an irritation (such as manifestation of overt skin shedding), i get a bad impression. Since then, i haven't used it. They work safely for my fish tank though.
For people supporting it, and a lot of experienced hobbyists and aquaculture vets included, they find the product useful and safe. Some also feel that these products would not be marketed otherwise if they failed experimental trials and guidelines. Also since there is such a big market for such products, some feel that it must be effective.
I think ultimately the decision is still yours to make through your personal experience and judgement. Bottom line is health and safety of axolotls isparamount. Even if the product works well in accelerating cycling, i would not personally not consider using them anymore if i find they cause adverse reaction in my axies.
Cheers.
