Tank cycling help

[Missyhm]

Hi all, I'm new around here and also new to aquatic pets so please be gentle with me!

So..... I purchased an axolotl from a local pet store just over a week ago. I'd had the tank set up with the sand substrate, filter etc for just over a week before we bought her home and put her in the tank as that's what they had advised.

I hadn't heard of tank cycling at the time but have since been trying to do an 'axolotl in' cycle.

I've been testing the water regularly, doing part water changes and adding prime and the fast start stuff when seeing nitrites etc.
I've been really worried that the levels of nitrites and nitrates have been too high, but when I tested today they were virtually zero.
Is this a good thing? Or bad? What now? please help?

I'm literally worrying about her 24/7, I didn't realise having an axolotl would be so stressful!

Thanks in advance for any advice, and sorry for the long post

 

[minorhero]

You want the ammonia and nitrite to be zero. Keep doing daily big water changes up to 100% until ammonia and nitrite is zero and stays there for at least a week.

 

[Missyhm]

You want the ammonia and nitrite to be zero. Keep doing daily big water changes up to 100% until ammonia and nitrite is zero and stays there for at least OK

You want the ammonia and nitrite to be zero. Keep doing daily big water changes up to 100% until ammonia and nitrite is zero and stays there for at least a week.

OK thanks. So the fact it's showing no ammonia, nitrites and nitrates (albeit only for 2 days so far) means im going in the right direction?

 

[minorhero]

OK thanks. So the fact it's showing no ammonia, nitrites and nitrates (albeit only for 2 days so far) means im going in the right direction?

Yep, if that's a liquid test kits (not strips which are not accurate enough) then you are in a very good place.

 

[wolfen]

cycling the tank whilst your axolotl is in situ isn't advisable, until your axolotl is fully grown the parameters will need to be closely monitored as the amount of ammonia etc.. will increase with your axolotls growth.
ensure your filter is twice size for tank, ensure adequate/good level of water oxygenation, ensure good/high level of bio-media.
only change 50% max water per time to reduce damage to biological filtration from any residual chlorine, use only dechlorinator not conditioner (conditioners that reduce/restrict ammonia etc... lock it into ammonium preventing bacterial break down), use of low level salinity can help protect against ammonia and nitrite spikes.
ensure sand is turned over regularly to prevent build up of debris and gases, note.. sand isn't advisable for axolotls under five inches.
preferably your axolotl needs to be tubbed and the tank cycled to 4ppm ammonia.