Photo: Dusty tank?

[stefan429]

Hi guys, I have 2 juvy axolotls in a 20 long tank. Recently ive been getting a lot of dust particles in the tank. This morning they were sprinkled everywhere. Im not sure what im doing wrong. I just changed the water maybe ~20%. The whole setup is 2 weeks old, thats when i got them. I have a fluval filter, a fan running above an open top aquarium, sometimes i cover it with a carboard piece to try and avoid the dust contamination but it doesnt seem to work. They also seem to be stress because i see their tails slightly curled a lot. But the ears/hair is never really curved forward, though.

In the pics you see my setup, took out decorations to clean. The other pic is the little black particles i took out already.

 

[LippyNix]

If you are using carbon filters and don't rinse them well enough or they have a tiny rip in them, they will release black particles into the tank. If you are feeding worms and don't clean them well enough or they shoot out a little bit of dirt as they are eaten, that can produce black particles. If those 2 things aren't the cause, I have no idea what it could be. Dust won't usually be black. Also, that filter needs something to break up the water flow back into the tank if you don't already have something. That can stress them out. Are you testing your water? If the tank is 2 weeks old, it's cycling and parameters will spike quickly to dangerous levels, so you have to keep on top of it. I'm just typing anything that comes into my head, so I'm sorry if it seems random or harsh.