Tank Parameters

[oliviavandev]

I got my Axy (Walter) about two weeks ago and have been dealing with spikes in ammonia and nitrites. I have a 20 gallon long tank with a Fluval U2 for filtration. I have added pothos and java moss, as well as Fluval Bio Booster. I have been doing 30% ish water changes a couple times/week. I have tested my tap water and all of the levels are noraml. The levels do not seem to be dropping. Walter seems to be doing fine (no odd activity, gill deterioration, or anything like that). What else should I try?

 

[professorfluffygills]

Is your tank cycled, or are you cycling it with Walter in it? Have you cycled a tank before? Not meaning to be condescending just trying to gauge how much help you might need. In the meantime, are you using anything like Prime to detoxify the ammonia/nitrites to minimize the impact on Walter as much as possible? If levels get too high you might consider tubbing him to keep him safe while sorting out the tank.

 

[JM29]

Pothos (Scindapsus sp.) is not at all an aquatic plant, but if only roots are in the water, it's a reputed good in uptaking nitrogen compounds.

 

[wolfen]

the fluval u2 is rated at 12-40 gallon so unless you have lots of substrate or ornaments in the tank it is to small, 12 being empty tank ie.. axolotl tank, 40 being full substrate etc. ie.. shrimp tank.
there is no way the tank was cycled with such a small filter in the tank. though you could add a sponge filter to take up the slack then remove the sponge pads and put ceramic/resin bio media in it's place.

 

[oliviavandev]

Is your tank cycled, or are you cycling it with Walter in it? Have you cycled a tank before? Not meaning to be condescending just trying to gauge how much help you might need. In the meantime, are you using anything like Prime to detoxify the ammonia/nitrites to minimize the impact on Walter as much as possible? If levels get too high you might consider tubbing him to keep him safe while sorting out the tank.

I got him from my friend who bred and hatched him. WhenI picked him up, I took 7ish gallons of the water from the tank that she had him in, and filled the rest of his new tank with well water that I treated with Prime. I have minimal experience with cycling a tank (I kept freshwater fish for about 2 years), but have done a lot of research on it. However, I would love to know anything you would be willing to share about it, as it is still somewhat new to me regarding axolotls. I have been considering tubbing him, but have been trying to do some research on it, before I do. Do you have any advice on how I should go about it? (e.g. tub size, does it need the filter in it, etc.)

 

[oliviavandev]

Pothos (Scindapsus sp.) is not at all an aquatic plant, but if only roots are in the water, it's a reputed good in uptaking nitrogen compounds.

I've got the roots in the water, and the leaves sticking out of the top of the tank.

 

[oliviavandev]

the fluval u2 is rated at 12-40 gallon so unless you have lots of substrate or ornaments in the tank it is to small, 12 being empty tank ie.. axolotl tank, 40 being full substrate etc. ie.. shrimp tank.
there is no way the tank was cycled with such a small filter in the tank. though you could add a sponge filter to take up the slack then remove the sponge pads and put ceramic/resin bio media in it's place.

I got him from my friend who bred and hatched him. WhenI picked him up, I took 7ish gallons of the water from the tank that she had him in, and filled the rest of his new tank with well water that I treated with Prime. I have minimal experience with cycling a tank (I kept freshwater fish for about 2 years), but have done a lot of research on it. However, I would love to know anything you would be willing to share about it, as it is still somewhat new to me regarding axolotls. I have been considering tubbing him, but have been trying to do some research on it, before I do. Do you have any advice on how I should go about it? (e.g. tub size, does it need the filter in it, etc.)

Thank you so much for your feedback!

 

[oliviavandev]

the fluval u2 is rated at 12-40 gallon so unless you have lots of substrate or ornaments in the tank it is to small, 12 being empty tank ie.. axolotl tank, 40 being full substrate etc. ie.. shrimp tank.
there is no way the tank was cycled with such a small filter in the tank. though you could add a sponge filter to take up the slack then remove the sponge pads and put ceramic/resin bio media in it's place.

Thank you for your help! I am a little confused. If the Fluval U2 is rated at 12-40 US gallons and I have it in a 20 gallon long tank with a fair amount of ornaments (3 large fake plants, 1/2 inch thick ceramic tiles as substrate, a medium sized piece of Mopani wood, a faux rock hide, and a couple of medium sized (4-5 inch diameter) rocks, and an axolotl hammock). Should I still be concerned about the productivity of my filter. Everywhere I've read says the Fluval U2 will filter up to 30 US gallons, but I know axolotls produce large quantities of ammonia. As of right now, Walter's filer has two of the bio foam pads (mechanical), two poly-carb cartridges (chemical), as well as some fluval bio max (biological). I can attach pictures if it would help, but I'm just a little confused as why you think the filter is too small. Not trying to say you're wrong, just trying to understand

 

[wolfen]

bacteria will colonise surface areas of ornaments and internal surface areas of porous media, the more surface area the better. in a normal aquarium there is a large amount of substrate which means a large surface area for bacteria to colonise, this means that the main function for the filter is to remove debris and clean the water.
in a axolotl tank even with ornaments etc.. the surface area is greatly reduce without substrate meaning that the biological function falls to the filter to perform. that filter has to then be able to contain enough bacteria to cope with a overstocked fish tank, which is the amount of waste a adult axolotl can produce.

 

[oliviavandev]

bacteria will colonise surface areas of ornaments and internal surface areas of porous media, the more surface area the better. in a normal aquarium there is a large amount of substrate which means a large surface area for bacteria to colonise, this means that the main function for the filter is to remove debris and clean the water.
in a axolotl tank even with ornaments etc.. the surface area is greatly reduce without substrate meaning that the biological function falls to the filter to perform. that filter has to then be able to contain enough bacteria to cope with a overstocked fish tank, which is the amount of waste a adult axolotl can produce.

Thank you!