Speckles26
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- Feb 28, 2013
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Hello everyone,
I've kept axolotls for about 2 years now and while I like to think that their aquariums are good homes I would really like to give them GREAT homes instead. I think it would be more natural to convert their tanks into ripariums so that they have a lot more plant coverage and just generally have as natural an environment as possible.
A search of this forum has already answered most of my questions but I'm hoping someone might be able to clarify a few last points for me-
1) A lot of people seem to use peace lilies in their ripariums (for axolotls, newts and assorted fish), but lilies are actually toxic to both humans and animals if ingested, can anyone confirm if there is a danger this toxicity will leach into the water if their roots are submerged?
2) Almost every riparium I've found on the internet so far uses house plants like peace lilies and pothos rather than pond marginals like water mint or zebra rush, is there a good reason for this? Marginals are frequently used in fish and nature ponds outside so why do people seem so keen to avoid them indoors? What have I missed?
3) Depending on how much coverage I can get with marginals I may also build an above water background using expanding foam. This background will not be touching the waterline and at it's lowest point will be 4 inches above the waterline. The idea of this feature is to create a holding wall for terrestrial plants to overhang and, if safe to do so, trail into the water. What is the most suitable sealant for something like this- waterproof varnish, aquarium safe silicone or epoxy resin?
Apologies for being a noob and any help is greatly appreciated.
I've kept axolotls for about 2 years now and while I like to think that their aquariums are good homes I would really like to give them GREAT homes instead. I think it would be more natural to convert their tanks into ripariums so that they have a lot more plant coverage and just generally have as natural an environment as possible.
A search of this forum has already answered most of my questions but I'm hoping someone might be able to clarify a few last points for me-
1) A lot of people seem to use peace lilies in their ripariums (for axolotls, newts and assorted fish), but lilies are actually toxic to both humans and animals if ingested, can anyone confirm if there is a danger this toxicity will leach into the water if their roots are submerged?
2) Almost every riparium I've found on the internet so far uses house plants like peace lilies and pothos rather than pond marginals like water mint or zebra rush, is there a good reason for this? Marginals are frequently used in fish and nature ponds outside so why do people seem so keen to avoid them indoors? What have I missed?
3) Depending on how much coverage I can get with marginals I may also build an above water background using expanding foam. This background will not be touching the waterline and at it's lowest point will be 4 inches above the waterline. The idea of this feature is to create a holding wall for terrestrial plants to overhang and, if safe to do so, trail into the water. What is the most suitable sealant for something like this- waterproof varnish, aquarium safe silicone or epoxy resin?
Apologies for being a noob and any help is greatly appreciated.