Empty tank?

[Axolotlet]

I'm leaving my axolotl with a friend for the summer in a smaller tank. What should I do with his main tank? It's a 30 gallon tank with no filter (I had to use move his filter to his new temporary tank). Should I leave the water standing? I'll be gone for a few months. Should I drain it? If so what do I do when I get home and have no cycled tank to put him back into?
Thanks!

 

[auntiejude]

Drain it. Leaving a tank empty is just asking for a revolting smell when you get back. Even a cycled tank would not be pleasant after a few months unattended.

If your friend has a cycled tank you can ask for some filter media to kick start your cycle when you get back.

 

[Axolotlet]

Thank you ^-^
He'll be home in a week and all I have is this 30 gal empty tank, should I fill it partially with uncycled water and mix in the contents of the 5 gal tank he's living in now? Will that be enough to cycle it? Will it be safe to move him from his small cycled tank toa. Large partially cycled one right away? Thank you!!

 

[bugdozer]

The most important thing you can do is to transfer the filter from his current tank into the one you're putting him in. Since the majority of the bacteria responsible for the cycle live in the filter media, when people talk about the tank being cycled it's really actually the filter that is cycled. If you just transfer the filter from one tank to another when you move the axolotl, the filter won't "know" it's in a different tank and will continue to do the donkey work of breaking down ammonia emitted by the axolotl. Of course some bacteria live on ornaments, substrate and plants too so if you can transfer those it would also be beneficial.