luckywood
New member
So, I've messed up and could really use some advice as I'm very worried I'm about to kill my axolotl. I've had him/her for two days.
I was cycling my tank before collecting hir - I thought the cycle had finished (ammonia 0, nitrites had dropped below 1ppm, very high nitrates) and did a big water change to remove the nitrates. Then I went and collected the axolotl even though nitrites hadn't gone down to 0 as the seller only had one left and had suggested he might sell it to someone else.
Since then I've been testing the water every day and the nitrites have shot back up. I have been doing 20% water changes every day but the nitrites have not dropped. Today I did two 40% water changes, trying to get the levels down, but it still hasn't reduced the nitrite level noticeably. Nitrites are consistently at 2-5ppm (I find it hard to tell the difference between the two colours on the sheet - I think it's closer to 2ppm but they look very similar). Ammonia is 0 and nitrates are 40ppm.
I appreciate I should have cycled the tank fully before putting anyone in it but now that I'm in this situation, what should I do? Some things I've been thinking:
Should I do a 100% water change? (The guy I bought from said this was a bad idea as it could well crash my cycle and I'd have to start again)
Should I take the axolotl out of the tank and keep hir in a smaller container, doing regular full water changes? Or even in the fridge?
Should I do 50% water changes every day? More, less?
Please advise, I'm constantly worried I'm going to wake up or come home from work to find hir dead.
I was cycling my tank before collecting hir - I thought the cycle had finished (ammonia 0, nitrites had dropped below 1ppm, very high nitrates) and did a big water change to remove the nitrates. Then I went and collected the axolotl even though nitrites hadn't gone down to 0 as the seller only had one left and had suggested he might sell it to someone else.
Since then I've been testing the water every day and the nitrites have shot back up. I have been doing 20% water changes every day but the nitrites have not dropped. Today I did two 40% water changes, trying to get the levels down, but it still hasn't reduced the nitrite level noticeably. Nitrites are consistently at 2-5ppm (I find it hard to tell the difference between the two colours on the sheet - I think it's closer to 2ppm but they look very similar). Ammonia is 0 and nitrates are 40ppm.
I appreciate I should have cycled the tank fully before putting anyone in it but now that I'm in this situation, what should I do? Some things I've been thinking:
Should I do a 100% water change? (The guy I bought from said this was a bad idea as it could well crash my cycle and I'd have to start again)
Should I take the axolotl out of the tank and keep hir in a smaller container, doing regular full water changes? Or even in the fridge?
Should I do 50% water changes every day? More, less?
Please advise, I'm constantly worried I'm going to wake up or come home from work to find hir dead.