Semi-cycling. Can someone explain to a thicko please!

[littlelegs83]

Hi All
I've just bought a second hand 130L tank for my axie Sid. The tank came with a used external filter which the guy that I bought it off didn't clean out so hopefully it should be full of nice bacteria (he assures me his fish were healthy). The tank that Sid is currently in is a 70L tank.

I was prepared to cycle the tank for a month, but when I visited my local aquatics shop to get some stuff today, the owner said that if I put all of Sid's current tank water in, and then filled it up with fresh dechlorinated water, then I should be able to put Sid straight in.

But they she said something about still needing to cycle it, testing for ammonia and nitrite and doing water changes. But to be honest I was quite hungover so didn't take it all in. I've came away with a nitrite kit, an ammonia kit and some bacteria stuff (Nutrafin Cycle).

So can someone explain to me in idiots terms what I need to do? I will have a 130L tank with 50% fresh new water, 50% old tank water, and a nice old bacteria filled filter.
How often do I need to add the Nutrafin Cycle stuff, how often should I test for ammonia and nitrite and how often should I do water changes?

Thanks
Claire and Sid

 

[carsona246]

was the old external filter wet the whole time? If it's dried out then you have no beneficial bacteria on it anymore. The petstore lady was incorrect in thinking that old water contains beneficial bacteria. Very little beneficial bacteria is in the water column. It will all be in the substrate, on objects in the tank, or in the filter. It needs a surface to grow on. That is why bio balls, or ceramic rings have as much surface area as possible, or in the ceramic rings case why they're so porous. you need an ammonia test, a nitrite test, and a nitrate test. If you have no fish in the tank, which is the proper way to cycle because ammonia is poisonous to fish, I reccomend a fishless cycle.(or in this case salamanderless cycle) Put a dead shrimp or some food in the tank, and measure the ammonia. Eventually beneficial bacteria that eats ammonia will start to grow and turn the ammonia into nitrite. Keep adding fish food, to the tank if your going the fish food route because you want to continually add ammonia to feed the bacteria. After you're nitrite spike some new bacteria will form that converts nitrite to nitrate, which is less harmless and you can do a water change and add your axolotl once you have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite.

Or if the filter you have was wet you can just start using that, or stick the filter pad from your old tank into the water and put some food in the tank and wait for a few days to see if it all gets converted to nitrate. You will probably have a mini-cycle in the tank if you go this route, but it will take much less time.

 

[littlelegs83]

Thanks for your reply.
The filter was wet and the pet shop lady also said to use my current filter in the new tank, which I will. I have also moved all of the objects from his old tank (logs, stones etc) which should have healthy bacteria on. I'm not planning on using the current substrate as I am switching from gravel to sand.
Claire

 

[Jennewt]

The other problem with the old filter is this: in addition to staying wet, the good bacteria would also need oxygen to survive. If a canister filter is shut down for more than a few hours, it goes anaerobic (oxygen deprivation) and the crud inside starts to stink like swamp gas. Was the tank and filter set back up right away at your house, or is the filter sitting around waiting?

I think you got decent advice from the pet shop. Do what they said. Carsona has also explained things well. In addition, move all of the axolotls tank ornaments (whatever rocks, fake plants, etc) to the new tank without cleaning them.

Good luck, and enjoy the new tank!

 

[carsona246]

Sounds like you're on your way to having a quick cycle. I have to say Jennewt gives a good warning about canister filters. When I got my first one used the previous owner left water inside, and I was unaware that leftover water had gotten in the impellor area. After cleaning everything but the impellor area I turned the filter on and released the old water in the canister filter into my tank on accident and it had enough hydrogen sulfide to wipe out my entire tank's inhabitants.

 

[littlelegs83]

Eeeek, ok thanks for the advice I will clean out the new filter and use my current one for 2 months, alongside the new one whilst it gets the bacteria growth.
Thanks all