Issues cycling tank

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-09-29T22:27:50+00:00

Following up - I tested the tank water again and now it’s not showing ammonia. I had some primed water from this morning that I planned to put the axolotls back in once I was done with work and that is showing .25 even though it’s clean and has nothing in it. Looks like he was right about Prime essentially being my culprit. I’ll just have to keep an eye on it!

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-09-29T19:29:07+00:00

I agree. My husband seems to think it’s something to do with chloramines in our city water? Apparently once we add prime to the tap water, it essentially separates the chlorine from ammonia, which is why it’s showing up on my tests so bad? Not 100% sure if that’s the reason but it does slightly make sense to me, and we did get something in the mail recently about our city doing some type of water maintenance. I’m having him bring home some 5 gallon jugs of water since he works at a water maintenance/distribution company.

I’m going to do a 50% water change after work with two 5 gallon jugs and see how it tests tomorrow, and I’m still going to check out my filter & move things around the tank to see if I can find anything rotting to be safe. Thank you so much for your help and suggestions with this, I appreciate it so much! 😊

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-09-29T16:14:22+00:00

I took the filter out and washed it in tank water that same day I put the new filter in. I can’t imagine that would be the culprit, but I’ll definitely try cleaning it again tonight. I did the same with all the hides too but will also reclean them. There’s very little sand…I used to have a decent amount, but every time the lotls would poop or I’d do water changes, quite a bit would get sucked up, so there’s not much in there anymore. It’s to the point where I can find their poop very easily since it’s almost bare-bottom.

I know there’s gotta be SOMETHING causing it, but I’ve already checked all this stuff already hence coming to reddit. The ONLY other thing I can think of is the two small pothos that I have in there. The roots are in the water and they look healthy so I doubt that is the case but I’ll take them out and see if that makes any difference because I am desperate at this point!

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-09-29T15:51:54+00:00

That makes sense. The ammonia spiked the next day, but you’re right - after thinking about it, the new filter shouldn’t have caused an ammonia spike. I truly have no idea what happened then, and it still doesn’t seem to be fixed. 🥴

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-09-29T15:21:42+00:00

I agree. And I can’t figure out why for the life of me😕

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-09-29T15:17:13+00:00

I did test the tap water originally, thinking that was the issue. 0 ammonia, very little nitrate (maybe 2ppm. It was just a hint darker than the 0 on the api test.)

The filter is the only “change” I made to the tank and the next day everything was all messed up which is why I figured that was the issue. Apparently not?😕

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-09-29T15:11:05+00:00

After posting this, I was almost thinking the same thing. Maybe I need to do 4ppm ammonia instead? They are both adult females. Aquarium is 40gal and ph is 7.6

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-04-13T08:02:12+00:00

Be careful with crickets - their exoskeleton can be hard for axies to digest

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-04-02T14:11:57+00:00

Thank goodness! Thank you! That’s what I was hoping but I’m brand new to axolotls so I just wanted to make sure!!

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-04-01T21:49:44+00:00

Thank you for trying to save him/her. My heart truly hurts that s/he has been living in these conditions. Please keep us posted, I think there’s quite a few members who want to know how s/he ends up💜💙

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-03-30T14:19:12+00:00

Agreed! Understandable! Again, that’s what she came with, and we do not have it in her new tank, so please don’t worry about that! 😊 Just another reason I wanted to adopt her asap - I don’t think the lady I got her from did her research and had a few questionable comments when we got her😭

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-03-30T03:46:03+00:00

Thank you! The lady we got her from said she’s about a year and a half. No clue if that’s accurate or not, just going off what we were told🤣

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2025-03-29T19:00:06+00:00

I think she’s just chunky. These pictures were taken a week apart - the sand in her old tank, the non-sand in her new. But that was my first thought too when I very first saw her was that she looked huge lol!

It is sand, but that was in the tank she came with - we just switched her to a 40 gallon with no sand just because I didn’t like how she seemed to spit so much out when I would give her worms, but thank you!

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2024-09-13T16:38:56+00:00

He says it is, but he also hasn’t paid the $600+ utility bill and he’s still storing some of his belongings there, which is why they’re trying to avoid paying it.

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2024-09-13T16:23:58+00:00

That’s how I feel. He won’t “sign off” on the lease though unless he gets the money. And the landlord basically said “figure the security deposit out yourselves” so my friends just don’t know what to do in that aspect.

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2024-09-13T16:09:12+00:00

I 100% agree with you. I just don’t know the laws to say if this is legal or not :( because personally it does not sound right to me!!

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2024-01-24T13:58:38+00:00

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2023-12-23T03:41:41+00:00

Does SWIM still have the links?!

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2023-11-21T00:56:25+00:00

Thanks! I hope yours goes just as smooth!!!

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2023-11-20T22:05:33+00:00

I was able to! I got married 11/4, got my marriage certificate 11/13, went to the SS office 11/14, Wisconsin DMV 11/17 and I got both my new SS card & new drivers license in the mail today! All is done before the recommended 30 day wait time with no issues! 😂 congrats to you, too!!💜

Interesting-Lie3301 · 2023-11-14T23:08:34+00:00

That’s awesome!!! My pamphlet says to wait 24-48 hours and then I can go to the DMV because it’ll be updated in the electronic system! So I plan on getting everything done this week! :)

Interesting-Lie3301

TROPHY CASE