Need tank help/advice

[Cattlemedic]

Having a tank issue, looking for advice!!
I have a 10gallon tank for two juvenile Axolotls about 2-3inchs. I've had the tank for a couple months without any previous problems. I am in the market to get them a bigger one very soon. Last week I woke up and my tank was pretty cloudy and had a lime green tint to it so I did a 25% water change and put new filter inserts in. Within a couple hours it was back to being just as cloudy and green. The next day I went through and scrubbed everything in the tank and did a 50% water change, same thing within a couple hours it was back to being cloudy and green....over the weekend I went and got accu-clear and added that, which looked like it worked until I got up the next morning and it was cloudy again..... my brand new filter cartridges were green..... I tried doing a 25% water change again yesterday and cleaned the filter really well and replaced the cartridges again, this morning same results! a cloudy tank with a lime green tint and algae on the decor and glass....I took my water and had it tested at petsmart and all the results were normal....
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 0
ph - 7.0
alkalinity - 100
hardness - 150
chlorine and chloramine - 0
temp is 67
They are not in direct sunlight or any natural sunlight..., their tank light is only on during the day...
I have not made ANY changes at all so I have nothing I can point fingers at and its suddenly having these issues.
any advice is welcome =[

 

[SammyTheLotus]

Hi there! Sorry to hear about your frustration with your new tank, I was having issues myself when I first got mine, you just need to be patient!
Have you heard of the nitrogen cycle? It's essentially a colony of bacteria that needs to build up to get rid of ammonia (waste from your Axolotls and decaying food, etc) and turn it into nitrates, and then nitrites which are removed with water changes!
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml
There's lots of articles online with this info on how to cycle your tank, I would recommend removing your Axolotls until your tank is fully cycled so they don't suffer any stress or pain due to the cycling process!
I just bought some liquid pure ammonia from my local hardware store and added a small amount to my tank, and tested daily for levels!
Also you might want to invest in a water testing kit! The API brand master test kit is the one most users here swear by, it's much more reliable than the paper test strips and since you'll need to be testing often while your cycle is establishing, it's worth the investment.
For now I'd suggest to get familiar with the cycling process and move your Axolotls to a small container that you will need to change 100% of the water in every day!
Sorry if you're already familiar with the cycle by the way, I just usually bring it up when people have tank problems because it's usually the source of their problem!
Feel free to ask anymore questions you might have!

 

[SammyTheLotus]

Also I don't know what your setup is, but be careful with the tank light being on! Axolotl don't have eyelids and hate bright lights, so if you have the light on make sure you have plenty of caves and hides for them to go into to get away from the it if they choose to!

 

[Cattlemedic]

Hi there! Sorry to hear about your frustration with your new tank, I was having issues myself when I first got mine, you just need to be patient!
Have you heard of the nitrogen cycle? It's essentially a colony of bacteria that needs to build up to get rid of ammonia (waste from your Axolotls and decaying food, etc) and turn it into nitrates, and then nitrites which are removed with water changes!
Caudata Culture Articles - Cycling
There's lots of articles online with this info on how to cycle your tank, I would recommend removing your Axolotls until your tank is fully cycled so they don't suffer any stress or pain due to the cycling process!
I just bought some liquid pure ammonia from my local hardware store and added a small amount to my tank, and tested daily for levels!
Also you might want to invest in a water testing kit! The API brand master test kit is the one most users here swear by, it's much more reliable than the paper test strips and since you'll need to be testing often while your cycle is establishing, it's worth the investment.
For now I'd suggest to get familiar with the cycling process and move your Axolotls to a small container that you will need to change 100% of the water in every day!
Sorry if you're already familiar with the cycle by the way, I just usually bring it up when people have tank problems because it's usually the source of their problem!
Feel free to ask anymore questions you might have!

Thanks for the response! The tank had been cycled already and doing fine for the past 3 months without issue, the aoxolotls have been in it for two months and the problems just started this past week? I could change the water out restart if you think it would help I just dont understand how suddenly this happened.

 

[SammyTheLotus]

That's so strange! Sometimes cycles can crash and what you're describing sounds a bit like a bacteria bloom!
http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/246850-bacterial-blooms-explained/
This article might explain it a little better than I can, do your Axolotl seem to be okay? The bloom might clear up on its own in a few days.
I wouldn't restart your whole tank because your cycling bacteria live in the filter, on any substrate (sand, stones) and tank decor! If you empty the water and wash everything you might kill off the bacteria and your cycle would start from the beginning again!

 

[Cattlemedic]

That's so strange! Sometimes cycles can crash and what you're describing sounds a bit like a bacteria bloom!
Bacterial Blooms Explained - New to the Hobby Questions and Answers - Tropical Fish Forums
This article might explain it a little better than I can, do your Axolotl seem to be okay? The bloom might clear up on its own in a few days.
I wouldn't restart your whole tank because your cycling bacteria live in the filter, on any substrate (sand, stones) and tank decor! If you empty the water and wash everything you might kill off the bacteria and your cycle would start from the beginning again!

Just read the article and that does sound like whats going on.

The lotls seem fine and happy, eating and doing their normal routine, I haven't noticed any issues or behavior changes in them.

 

[SammyTheLotus]

Just read the article and that does sound like whats going on.



The lotls seem fine and happy, eating and doing their normal routine, I haven't noticed any issues or behavior changes in them.

That's good! Hopefully the bloom will clear up on its own, I know it doesn't look the nicest but just make sure you keep a close eye on your Axies for any signs of stress or discomfort.
I think it'll all be fine with some time!

 

[Cattlemedic]

Also wondering if accu clear is safe for axolotls?

 

[SammyTheLotus]

Also wondering if accu clear is safe for axolotls?

I'm honestly not sure! I've seen opinions here from both sides, some people think it's perfectly safe and others think it's an unnecessary chemical additive!
Maybe someone with a little more experience will reply and answer that one for you!

 

[Cattlemedic]

That's good! Hopefully the bloom will clear up on its own, I know it doesn't look the nicest but just make sure you keep a close eye on your Axies for any signs of stress or discomfort.
I think it'll all be fine with some time!

Thanks so much for the help and advice! Im very new to owning them, my first was a gift and ive gotten nothing but poor advice from the pet stores here

 

[SammyTheLotus]

Thanks so much for the help and advice! Im very new to owning them, my first was a gift and ive gotten nothing but poor advice from the pet stores here

That sucks, don't even worry about it! I'm a new owner as well and the store I bought my smallest in had him in a filthy tank, on small rocks he easily could have ingested. I find many pet stores are uninformed about the specific needs that Axolotls have and a forum like this is full of Axolotl nerds like myself who have good information!
The fact that you're here asking questions and looking for advice shows how much you love your little Lotls!

 

[Cattlemedic]

That sucks, don't even worry about it! I'm a new owner as well and the store I bought my smallest in had him in a filthy tank, on small rocks he easily could have ingested. I find many pet stores are uninformed about the specific needs that Axolotls have and a forum like this is full of Axolotl nerds like myself who have good information!
The fact that you're here asking questions and looking for advice shows how much you love your little Lotls!

Thanks! lol makes me feel better, actually one of the kids at the pet store recommended i find a forum because nobody in the pet stores really knows a whole lot about them.

 

[Donna001]

We've all been in the same situation at the beginning.
I was lucky that I also keep fish and had joined a fish forum, so already had information on tanks, nitrogen cycle, water parameters, etc. When I went to view some axolotls prior to purchase I was told just to put tap water in a tank and leave it for a week. These were people who worked in a pet store and one said that his girlfriend kept axolotls. :shocked: