Also could anyone please elaborate on the cycling process?
Thanks guys!
I can do that for you.
What is happening in your tank while it's cycling is 2 VERY important friendly bacterias are taking up residence in your filter, on your substrate, the walls of your tank and anything else you have in there. You need to leave the tank to cycle (run like it would normally while monitoring water base lines to track the cycle) long enough for the #'s of these bacteria to get high enough to cope with the waste your pets will produce.
OK I posted this on another thread but since you asked...
OK this is about to get very sciencie... sorry but it's the easiest way to show you why you need to let the bacteria grow and hence just why cycling is SO important
In your tank at any given time you will have
Ammonia NH3 Most toxic and
Ammonium (Ionised ammonia) NH4+ Still toxic but not as toxic as ammonia
Along with Nitrite and Nitrate which we will get to shortly.
A word on the relationship of pH & ammonia toxicity, feel free to skip this bit
Ammonia, NH3, the main waste product produced by your axolotls, is very toxic in its unionised form (NH3 as opposed to NH4+).
A low pH means a higher concentration of H+ ions in the water, which in turn results in a higher degree of ionisation of NH3 to NH4+.
Conversely, a high pH means a lower concentration of H+ ions in the water and less ionisation, meaning unionised ammonia, toxic NH3, is the main form of ammonia.
What this means in English is that the higher the pH, the more toxic the ammonia simply because there is a lower level of ionisation to NH4+ so the higher the levels of NH3
Ammonia can kill, and at a pH of 8 or more, it kills even more effectively.
Water temperature can also affect its toxicity, a higher temperature resulting in a higher toxicity.
Why cycling is vital!!!
Ammonia (NH3) is the precursor to most of the nasties that you will need to deal with.
Axolotls excrete Ammonia, there's no getting away from that.
Nitrite, NO2-, is produced FROM ammonia by the bacterium Nitrosomonas (in your filter, a GOOD bacteria). It is not as toxic as ammonia but IS still toxic. Nitrate, NO3-, is the least toxic of this family of nitrogenous compounds. It is produced from nitrite by the bacterium Nitrobacter (another good bacteria). Although it should be tested for, regular water changes and plants in the aquarium will keep the levels of nitrate (Plant food) in check. Although not toxic at low levels, if let build up through lack of water changes, it too can be dangerous, and high levels usually lead to blooms of algae.
So summing up, in your filter by the bacteria
Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate
Highly toxic > Toxic > Not so bad really
Cycling is the process that allows both good bacterias to grow so the conversion above can happen completely.
The ultimate goal is to achieve an equilibrium where all this is happening so that all 3 nasties are being used at the same rate they are being produced. This is the advantage of a planted aquarium so the plants can remove the end product, Nitrate, as it is produced but regular water changes will also help keep it in check.
Hope that helps clear up what's going on and why it needs to happen.
