Upgrading axolotl from 125L to 240L - safe move + seeded cycle advice?
Hi all,
I’ve just picked up a new tank upgrade for my axolotl, Squidge - going from a 125 litre (~33 US gallons) to a 240 litre (~63 US gallons).
This should be a much better setup overall - a significantly larger footprint, a more powerful filtration system, and (most importantly) a chiller. Even in the UK we get the occasional heatwave, and I’ve had to resort to using ice in the past, which I’d really like to avoid going forward for Squidge’s sake.
I’m looking for a bit of advice/reassurance on two things:
1. Moving Squidge safely
My plan is to gently transfer them into a plastic tub with a lid (with air holes - not attempting an axolotl escape speedrun), then move them across once everything is ready.
- Does that sound like the best approach?
- Any tips for minimising stress or keeping temperature stable during the move?
2. Setting up the new tank with seeded media
I won’t be able to fully cycle the new tank over several weeks, but I will be transferring:
- Established filter media
- Decor
- Around 100 litres (~26 US gallons) of water from the current tank
The new tank will be bare-bottom, so no substrate is being moved over.
I’m hoping this effectively carries over the cycle, but I want to make sure I’m not missing anything obvious. I’ll have Prime and axo safe water conditioner on hand and a backup tub ready just in case anything spikes.
- Does this sound like a solid plan?
- Anything else I should be doing to keep things stable?
I want to keep Squidge as safe and stress-free as possible, so any advice or “watch out for this” tips would be really appreciated.
Thanks in advance from me - Squidge is, of course, blissfully unaware of the logistical operation being planned.