Question: New axolotl cycling help!

[Little Monster]

Hello Everyone

So I just got my first axolotl on Saturday (it’s now Monday). He’s about a year old, and around 7 inches long. My tank is about 20 inches long and is filled with about 18 litres of water. Up till very recently I hadn’t actually heard of cycling so I just put him straight into a new tank with dechlorinated water. There isn’t much in the way of decoration yet, just a hide. I have some sand, rocks and artificial plants coming for him in the post.

He was doing well on Saturday and yesterday. I fed him for the first time last night on frozen brine shrimp and he seemed to enjoy them. However, throughout the day yesterday I noticed a really strong smell of ammonia from the tank; by nighttime it was even worse. I did some reading here on Caudata and concluded that yes, I was stupid and should have cycled my tank before letting him into it.

I don’t yet have a tester kit, but it’s on the way in the post. Given that I couldn’t test the water last night and was worried about the ammonia levels, I decided to put him in a separate tub. I know I should do fairly major water changes on said tub while he’s in there; how much should I take out? What’s the best way to do that without stressing him out every day? Would it be better to leave him in the cycling tank rather than putting him through that stress every day for 6 weeks (or however long it takes to cycle)?

In the meantime, how should I make sure that my tank cycles properly? At the moment I’ve just left it with everything running, and there are some brine shrimp left in there from his feed yesterday. Do I need to do a water change on the cycling tank too, even with no axolotl in there?

The other thing I wondered- is my tank big enough? Is there anything else I should do?

I know these are somewhat rudimentary questions but I feel terrible for not cycling this tank first and want to get it fixed asap. There was so much information out there online so I thought it might be better to ask a question here.

Thanks!

 

[Kaysie]

Your tank definitely isn't big enough. You'll want to have at least 10 gallons, but more is always better. Many people prefer a 2 foot tank for an individual axolotl.

You did right by putting him in a tub of new water. Had you left him in water like that, you could have poisoned him.

When you get your test kit, you'll test daily, give or take. This will tell you when and how much to change the water. You'll need to do a water change whenever your ammonia gets high, and you'll need to change enough that it brings your ammonia back to a safe level. Usually this is about 20% every day or two. There are thousands of threads on cycling here in this forum. I trust you're intelligent enough to go forth and research!

You can cycle with an axolotl in the tank given that you are diligent about water changes. If you do choose to cycle with no axolotl in the tank, you don't HAVE to do water changes, but it helps keep the smell down by at least lowering the chemical concentration.

Brine shrimp aren't an acceptable food for adult axolotls. As you can see, they really mess up the tank. Plus, they're too small to be seen as food. Live earthworms are a much better source of nutrition.

 

[Little Monster]

Thanks for replying, Kaysie.

I will get him a bigger tank. Obviously that will need cycling too. Will it be better to keep him in the small tank (while it is cycling) rather than the tub/bucket he is in now? I was thinking that once I've got my tester kit and siphon/hoover I could put him back into the smaller tank and just keep doing regular (daily?) water changes to keep it safe for him. In the meantime I would work on getting a bigger tank and getting it set up and cycled. How does that sound?

Alternatively I could leave him in the bucket (doing water changes) till I get the big tank established, but I don't think it's much fun for him in there.

Thanks again for your help

 

[Kaysie]

For now, keep him in whatever container provides the most floor space. Try to maximize your water volume by filling it almost all the way (leave a 2 inch lip to prevent jumping). Your best bet is to get him into a bigger tank ASAP. Cycling with an axie in the bigger tank will be no different than keeping him in the smaller tank in regards to water changes; you'll still have to do a lot of them. But with the bigger tank, you'll have a lot bigger buffer against poor water quality.

 

[Little Monster]

Thanks, Kaysie.