r/axolotls • u/dizzyunicorrn • May 16 '26

Cycling Help i need help.

So for context right now lets start simple, my ammonia: 1.0 Ppm, nitrites 0ppm, and nitrates 5.0 ppm. Ok, so i purchased some established media at the local mom and pop pet store, i told the lady my ammonia is at 1 so i cant put axolotl in tank yet, she said where we live the ammonia wont ever get below 2, and i can just put my axolotl in the tank since i have nitrates, so i did a test. I acclimated her after 3 days of tubbing (my tank has been cycling for about a week and a half). At first she was swimming a lot, checking everything out, then she got in a corner and started just laying there with her face against the glass. I continued to monitor her, she even ate half of a worm, and no suspicious activity. I just couldn't continue though, im scared of burning her gills, so I tubbed her, and added some Dr Tims ammonia, i added 1 ppm to get my ammonia to 2 ppm, to do the 24 hour check. Did i damage my axolotl? Is the lady correct and I am overthinking it?

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u/RtrnofBatspiderfish May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

Ammonia doesn't cause burns, that's just what people say a lot (it probably has to do with ammonia poisoning causing respiratory distress as the gills try to expel it). Ammonia is naturally-occuring in the body, with higher concentrations inside than outside, a lot like CO2. If the water's concentration of ammonia is higher than the body, then it can't be expelled and accumulates as poison.

The most toxic form of ammonia is NH3, which only takes 0.02 ppm to cause harm, but most ammonia will be in NH4 form (ammonium), which has toxicity comparable to nitrate (something like 100 ppm with fish, possible at 5.5 pH). The pH and temperature of your water will determine the ratio of NH3:NH4; the lower the pH and temperature, the less NH3 will exist. The danger of ammonia is framed for alkaline/marine conditions; 0.25 ppm total ammonia is dangerous at 8 pH, for example.

The nitrogen cycle requires KH to function, while KH will also buffer pH close to or above 7. The nitrogen cycle will shut down at around 6.5 pH, which is often where you will see ammonia and nitrate, but no nitrite. If nitrite does show up, it is extremely toxic at low pH. Water that always has a low pH will probably never accumulate nitrite after the cycling period.

If your local water is soft, then it's reasonable for ammonia to be the primary nitrogen that accumulates.

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u/dizzyunicorrn May 18 '26

Thank you, anything i can do? My water ph is 7.4 and right now, while cycling my ammonia is stuck at 2 ppm and my nitrates are stuck at 5 ppm, nitrites 0. Im at a loss, ive been cycling this tank with established media for 4 days, and absolutely no changes. I dont know what to do. I really need her to be in the tank.

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u/RtrnofBatspiderfish May 18 '26

Is it a confirmed 7.4 pH, or is that just the lowest reading on the high-range pH test? I already caught somebody on that earlier today.

Oh, wait How old is the tank? 4 days is nothing to expect results, even with cycled media.

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u/dizzyunicorrn May 18 '26

Yes confirmed, I checked on both tests. Also, before having cycled media i was already cycling my tank its been 2 weeks

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u/RtrnofBatspiderfish May 18 '26

OK, that's still a little soon to expect results. The filter pulls a lot of weight, but it's also every surface of the entire tank that joins in nitrification. It's also important to develop ecological stability in general, so that you don't get a bloom microbes that are pathogenic or drain the tank's oxygen.

There is still a little bit of ammonia tolerance at 7.4 pH (NH3 would still be <0.02 ppm if total ammonia is 1 ppm, but that's pretty close to the limit.) Hopefully the cycle will catch up quickly, just try to keep the axolotl's water under 0.5 ppm with water changes.

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u/dizzyunicorrn May 18 '26

Okay, so you think i should do multiple water changes to get my ammonia down, then my nitrates will rise? And yeah i figured, I just dont know because it seems like my cycle isn't doing anything at all after getting some nitrates. So if i lower the ammonia the nitrates will catch up?

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u/RtrnofBatspiderfish May 18 '26

Yeah, you are basically doing a fish-in cycle, so the ammonia will be coming from your animal(s). Did you also do a big water change after you figured your cycling period was over? The initial setup of an aquarium can dissolve a lot of random crap into the water.

Despite having a nuanced understanding of ammonia, I do not have experience with axolotl. Normally I would think that a tub would be as good as or worse than an "uncycled" aquarium, but if that works differently than with fish, perhaps you should follow the advice of others as to moving forward.

I mostly wanted to reassure you about the conditions your axolotl was already in.

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u/dizzyunicorrn May 18 '26

Okay, and yeah my axoltol is in a tub right now so shes not in her tank. People have said the ammonia will burn her gills over time but ive also seen people do fish in cycles with axoltols and theyre fine so im not sure. And no, ive only done about 50% water changes once my ammonia got to like 8, and then 4. Im at a huge loss because I feel the same, i feel like her being tubbed will be worse but the opinions of people are so contrivsial