Hello hello!
So it's been about a week or so since I've last posted. I feel as if I've made little progress but am not getting very far with it.
I believe last week I had no nitrites and 2ppm of ammonia. The beginning of this week, I decided to take a bio-media bag out of my cycled tanks filter and plopped it into this newer tank. Everyday for the past week, I've tested for ammonia and nitrite. I've had the same numbers all week. 2ppm ammonia and around 0.50ppm of nitrite. I thought that it would have cycled the ammonia but it did not. I don't know why but I thought if I dosed in some more ammonia is would cycle. Don't ask. Sometimes I just do things. It clearly did not work. So now I'm back to having this same issue.
Why won't my tank cycle?
I've taken out the hide I had in it because I thought maybe it was effecting the cycle. Again I don't know why I thought that. I have 3 Java ferns and 3 lucky bamboos. I think in my previous post I was told to get more plants but my biggest concern is that this tank is for an axolotl. I fear that he will dig up the bottom substrate (very fine sand) and eat the fluval stratum I have in one spot under the sand. I did this on purpose for the fact that I'm anticipating him to dig around in the area I plan to feed him. I'm sure many know they're very messy altogether so I'm also trying to keep it easy to clean.
Anyways, I guess I'm asking again as to what I should do. I want to use the "more plants" situation as a last resort. I hope this all makes sense. Thank you in advance for helping out.