Just when I thought the water parameters were perfect....

[Mortimer]

Thanks to those of you who helped me during my last water parameter problem. The ammonia and nitrite have been at zero for some time (and I don't have a water test kit for nitrates). I'm thinking that the nitrates never showed up....and my tank is STILL cycling. This makes it the third month. I'm thinking that I've done too many water changes or something, and I'm not letting the cycle complete. Anyway....here's what's going on:

The ammonia and nitrites have been at zero for weeks. I've been so relieved. But a couple days ago, I noticed that Mortimer's gills were slightly forward (which I've never seen before) and his tail was curled at the end. I've read that the tail curl doesn't necessarily mean anything, so I wasn't too worried. I changed the spray bar so that it directly hits the glass and isn't causing him to be stressed by the water flow. Then I saw him with a totally KINKED tail in a very odd position.

His tail has never been kinked before (and is normal today). He's been eating normally, and I haven't noticed any behavioral changes. I immediately checked the water parameters (even though I checked them the previous day and they were fine), and I'm having a definite nitrite spike--it was at 1.0ppm. The ammonia had elevated to 0.25ppm. So I did a 30% water change, and it went down to 0.50ppm nitrite and 0ppm ammonia.

I just checked the water again, and it's back up to what it was yesterday. He seems fine for now (no kinked tail or gills forward), and I'm about to do another 30% water change.

Here are my questions:

1. How long should I expect the nitrite spike? I'm going to the store today to buy a nitrate testing kit so I can see if nitrates are even showing up.

2. I have another tank that I just set up for two little ones that I just purchased (will post pictures soon). I got them after I was confident that I had this stuff down....argh. The water in that tank is the same temperature ((66 degrees) and has no ammonia or nitrites. Should I move Mortimer into that 10 gallon tank until his tank has completed cycling? If it cycles at the same rate as his tank, the ammonia shouldn't spike for a while. (And I'll be checking it daily.)

Anything else you need to know:

I am using an Eheim canister filter (there is minimal water flow in his tank). I feed him blackworms (but I'm trying to find a place to buy earthworms to switch him over to those). This is a picture of his tank (below). I clean any left over worms as soon as he is fed, and I'm regularly checking to make sure that there is no hidden poop.

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can provide. Poor Mortimer.

Sharon

 

[wandering]

If he were mine I would move him until the two readings are zero. But I would keep him on his own in a little tank and do frequent water changes. I wouldn't want to risk them injuring each other in a smallish tank together. But then I'm still keeping 8 juveniles in separate (uncycled) tanks because I'm terrified of injuries!

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[Mortimer]

If he were mine I would move him until the two readings are zero. But I would keep him on his own in a little tank and do frequent water changes. I wouldn't want to risk them injuring each other in a smallish tank together. But then I'm still keeping 8 juveniles in separate (uncycled) tanks because I'm terrified of injuries!

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Thank you, Wandering. I'll go ahead and move him. He definitely won't be with the little ones. He'd eat them in a heartbeat!

 

[Mortimer]

I bought a nitrate test kit.

Right now, this is what my water is looking like:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 1ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm

What does this mean?

 

[wandering]

Recommend you test the water that goes into your tank for nitrate too. My tap water has nitrate in it but my tank water has more. And remember that the stuff in the second test bottle has to be really shaken into suspension in the liquid. For a minute. Then a good shake in the test tube. And then wait ten minutes.

Assuming your nitrate is increased it looks to me like your system is getting there. The nitrite may be down to zero in a day or two. Of course, if your ammonia is down to zero you need more going in to keep your ammonia munchers from dying off. Hmmmm. If you were doing a fishless cycle you would put a bit of ammonia in at this point to keep things rolling. I would not change any water because you don't want to starve the nitrite munchers. Maybe test in the morning and put axie back in if nitrite is a bit lower and there's zero ammonia?

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[Mortimer]

Recommend you test the water that goes into your tank for nitrate too. My tap water has nitrate in it but my tank water has more. And remember that the stuff in the second test bottle has to be really shaken into suspension in the liquid. For a minute. Then a good shake in the test tube. And then wait ten minutes.

Assuming your nitrate is increased it looks to me like your system is getting there. The nitrite may be down to zero in a day or two. Of course, if your ammonia is down to zero you need more going in to keep your ammonia munchers from dying off. Hmmmm. If you were doing a fishless cycle you would put a bit of ammonia in at this point to keep things rolling. I would not change any water because you don't want to starve the nitrite munchers. Maybe test in the morning and put axie back in if nitrite is a bit lower and there's zero ammonia?

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Okay. Thank you.

 

[wandering]

Don't know how you've got on with your test results. Been thinking about this overnight(!). If the nitrite is still there you could just put the water changes in the tank to feed you ammonia munchers. Until you're confident that the nitrite is being converted......

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[Mortimer]

Don't know how you've got on with your test results. Been thinking about this overnight(!). If the nitrite is still there you could just put the water changes in the tank to feed you ammonia munchers. Until you're confident that the nitrite is being converted......

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Thank you so much for thinking about us over here!

So I just checked the water again, and I'm really confused. Ammonia has gone ever so slightly up (between 0-0.25), nitrite has stayed the same (1ppm--despite a 20% water change yesterday), and nitrates have gone down a little bit (somewhere between 0-5 but much closer to 0).

This is super frustrating.

 

[wandering]

Hmmm. Perhaps you still have a way to go.
Must still be something rotting and producing ammonia. That's good. (While your axie is not in the tank) and the nitrite spike means your ammonia munchers are doing well. Its normal to get a nitrite spike. It just takes time for the nitrite processing bacteria to multiply. They can't start increasing until they have the nitrite. Best not to do water changes as long as your axie is not in there. Just let your bacteria do their thing. At this point I would normally cheat by adding more filter media from one of my many fishtanks. But you will have to be patient . It will be exciting when you get definite orange nitrate readings. Then you will know that you have grown both bacterial colonies. If your ammonia goes down to zero perhaps put something in to top it up again to keep the ball rolling. axie poop perhaps? ( if you were being really scientific you would follow the fishless cycling guide and put in a measured amount of pure ammonia. And when your test colours come out yellow, blue and orange, you would put ammonia in again to test that it gets processed in a day, before you finally put your axie back in).
I have kept my juveniles in uncycled tanks for four months now so I can say that it is just fine for them. Just need to do quite large water changes daily or every other day if the water volume is high. Its better than having them suffer ammonia or nitrite spikes in a cycling tank.

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[Mortimer]

I think I have good news. I've been putting the babies' poo (and there's been lots of it) in the cycling tank. I just checked the water, and the ammonia/nitrite/nitrates are at 0/1.0/10-20 today....so the nitrite isn't getting any better, but the nitrates are increasing. And the ammonia is gone. These are good signs that it's doing its thing, right?!?

 

[wandering]

Woo hoo!

That is looking good!

Keep on what you're doing; its working. Don't be tempted to put your axolotl in yet, though, so near its not worth spoiling it. When your nitrite and ammonia both reach and stay at zero even though you are chucking in the poo it demonstrates that you have a working poo processor. A couple of days at yellow blue orange then a little water change to dilute the nitrate and you will be ready to put your axie back in.


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[Mortimer]

Thank you so much for all of your help with this!