Question: Tank Not Cycled Yet

[watertiger21]

I'm getting my axolotl tomorrow, but my tank hasn't been cycled yet! Will my new little friend be okay?

 

[Ed]

The honest answer is maybe. Has the cycle started?
If so where it in the cycle?
If not do you have alternate housing?

Ed

 

[watertiger21]

I do have several extra empty tanks lying around... the problem is that this "alternate housing" won't be cycled either.

No, it hasn't started cycling at all yet. I do currently have a fish tank that's been going for quite awhile, and I'm thinking I could take some filter media from it and put it into my axie's tank to help jump start the process ... However, I'm worried about what that'll do to my fish tank. (This tank is a tropical one and waaaaaay too warm to temporarily put my axie in.)

I'm prepared to do daily water changes to keep the ammonia levels down until some nitrite and nitrate start showing up in the readings.

I hate to start off with an uncycled tank, but the breeder I'm getting my axie from is down to one and basically told me that, if I don't buy him tomorrow, he'll be given to someone else.

 

[esn]

It'll be fine, honestly. If you take care of the tank, it will be perfectly fine. If you choose not to put it in the tank, you can keep it in a tub until it is cycled and change the water more frequently.

But really, I can't keep a cycle going on my tanks. I have to take them down and refill them every 3 months since I'm at college and have to move back and forth a bit. My axolotls are perfectly fine and in great health. I have juvies and adults. Plus fish, frog, and fire belly newt tanks that also go through this. Everything is fine. Just watch for the ammonia spike.

 

[millerj76]

I would say if you are going to do water changes daily you will be fine adding your axolotl. I have previously added axolotls to uncycled tanks that have been freshly set up and had no problems, as long as the water is at a good temperature for the axolotl, and you have used the water conditioner to make the tap water safe. I would do partial water changes for the first couple of days and then every other day for upto 2 weeks, do you have a filter in the tank?

 

[carsona246]

Just take a little tank media from you're cycled filter and throw it in your axie tank. Should be just fine. You don't need to use all the tank media, and if you have a HOB filter with just 1 cartridge, you're tropical tank would probably be ok if you switched the catridge out, bb lives on more than just the filter. Just keep a close eye on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.
Oh, and Elena if you keep your filter media wet while you move the tanks over breaks the filter should stay cycled. I used to have to move my tanks for college as well, and I always through my filter media in a cup of tank water, and my tanks usually stayed cycled

 

[watertiger21]

Thanks everyone!

To answer the question: yes, I do have a filter.

Thanks for your advice! Helps make me not so nervous... And I'm super excited to pick the little guy up today!!!

 

[Coldnorthtoy]

In all the research I did, it seems that it'll be just fine - but do ake sure you do daily water changes and monitor the parameters to make sure your water changes are big enough to keep the ammonia levels down.

Could you perhaps take some of the gravel from your fish tank and add it to the tank to seed it? Maybe stick it in a (never washed, but very rinsed) piece of ladies' stocking, so it doesn't get lost/mixed in with whatever substrate you're using?