Axolotl-in Cycle?

[ellena]

Story so far-2 axolotls living without filter for a year. Ammonia high. Been offered larger tank with filter, not cycled.
So, do I do a 'fish-in' cycle in the new tank? How is this affected by the fact you can't turn the heat up?
Will there be any adverse affects from the nitrites which they have so far not encountered?
They are at the school where I work so can only be checked during the day and not at all over the weekend-is it even possible to do a fish-in cycle under those circumstances?
Thanks for any help with this

 

[3ndl3r]

please DO NOT do a fish in cycle, read up on fishless cycling.

 

[ellena]

Yes, I know about fishless-doing one now with my own tank. If I do fishless with these, they'll still be sat in their small filterless tank while I cycle the other. Surely being in a fish in can't be any worse?

 

[nickelplates]

Story so far-2 axolotls living without filter for a year. Ammonia high. Been offered larger tank with filter, not cycled.
So, do I do a 'fish-in' cycle in the new tank? How is this affected by the fact you can't turn the heat up?
Will there be any adverse affects from the nitrites which they have so far not encountered?
They are at the school where I work so can only be checked during the day and not at all over the weekend-is it even possible to do a fish-in cycle under those circumstances?
Thanks for any help with this

I understand where you are coming from, animals that are currently living long term with no filtration should find even fish (axolotl) in cycling better than what they are currently experiencing and the end point will be a properly cycled filter and a much better environment for them. As you say the unknown is the probable nitrite spike and what that will do to them. People often forget that nitrifying bacteria and the nitrogen cycle exist even in a mature tank with no filter, it is just that without a large surface area of filter media for them to live on the population is too small to deal with the levels of ammonia produced but what this should mean is that a filter put into this tank will be seeded by the existing nitrifying bacteria and so will cycle relatively quickly, in fact that suggests a possible approach, depending on the design of the filter maybe you could cycle it in the existing tank and then move the filter and the axolotls over to the new tank once it is mature which should be quick because of the bacteria already present to seed the process.

No definitive answers I'm afraid, just a few thoughts to add to your own, also I felt you deserved a more constructive and considered response.

 

[Truck]

fish in cycles are totally acceptable if done properly, theyre all ive ever done and ive never had a casualty or shortened ill health fish from it. all of my fish have been very healthy actually, just keep on top of those 90% water changes and youll be fine.

its only up until recently that people have started doing fishless cycles.

if you go for fish in, add some mature media to kick start it

 

[ellena]

Thanks for your thoughts guys. I'll see if the filter wil fit the current tank once I get it.
Nitrite and nitrate readings were 0 or v.low, so I was thinking maybe not a lot of nitrogen cycle going on in there at all.
Truck, when you say keep on top of the 90% water changes, that's what I'm worried about. I can do nothing from 4pm friday to 8am monday. All sorts of things could go wrong in that time.

 

[nickelplates]

Thanks for your thoughts guys. I'll see if the filter wil fit the current tank once I get it.
Nitrite and nitrate readings were 0 or v.low, so I was thinking maybe not a lot of nitrogen cycle going on in there at all.
Truck, when you say keep on top of the 90% water changes, that's what I'm worried about. I can do nothing from 4pm friday to 8am monday. All sorts of things could go wrong in that time.

Won't be much nitrogen cycle as you say but as the 'normal' cycle starts with a trace of bacteria contaminating your chlorinated tap water or perhaps getting into the tank from the air, even your filterless axolotl tank will have a bacterial population millions or maybe even billions of times higher than the relatively sterile starting point of a brand new factory fresh tank full of tap water. Can't do any harm!

 

[Truck]

cant you get hold of mature media?

 

[ellena]

I have got some from a LFS for my tank at home, although it's made very little difference
Would media from a tropical tank be OK, or would you need it from a coldwater setup?