Cycling an axolotl tank?

Meganolvt

Active Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2015
Messages
235
Location (City and/or State)
Michigan
I want to get an axolotl. I have a 20 gallon tank and want to know if I have to cycle it before I get the axolotl. To be clear, I know nothing about cycling or aquariums. I have read a bunch of stuff online, that's the extent of my knowledge. I've read that the tank had to be cycled and that it doesn't. Any axolotl owners out there? Of course I don't want to wait weeks for a tank to cycle, I want to make this impulse but now (lol). I've grasped the concept of a filter, substrate concerns, water temps, diet. Just not sure about this whole cycling thing.
 

domagoj

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Messages
119
Location (City and/or State)
Croatia
IMO any tank that is going to house an aquatic animal should be cycled. You could speed up the cycling process by adding filter media that's already cycled. If you have any friends with aquariums they might be able to borrow you some filter media. I personally always keep a peace of sponge in one of my aquariums so I can cycle a new system in the matter of days. If I were you I'd just set up the tank and put in some fish food or anything that can decompose rather quickly. You could even get some pure amonia from your local pharmacy to jump start the cycle. Then you just need to wait a couple of weeks and it's done. There are some really good videos about cycling a tank on YouTube.
 

kingsley

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
191
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Try Bio Spira, it is a cultured bacteria , and is one of the best products on the market. It is better to have many strains of denytrifying bacteria , I beleve 7 stgrains all together, and this product has all of them. you can keep dosing the tank every few days for the first month .
 
Top