Cleaning Tips?

[women158]

Hello just wondering if anyone could give us a few tips on the best way to clean the bottom of our tank. We've recently replaced the gravel the petshop sold us as we quickly realized it was way too small and could easily present a big problem when she got old enough to swallow it. So now we have largish sized pebbles (approx. 3-6cm) but we're a bit concerned about food/poop debris getting beneath the rocks and us not being able to scoop them out (with the old gravel we just used a net because it sat neatly on the top of it) between the gaps in the rocks. We have an aquarium "hoover" but it doesn't seem to do much good! Has anyone else had this problem?

We've already decided when we upgrade to a larger tank in 6 months/1 years time we will definatly be putting sand on the bottom but for now we don't want to uproot her too much and only have a teeny back up tank to put her in for major cleaning and we wouldn't want to leave her in there for more than a few hours time.

 

[Kerry1968]

As you've discovered larger stones are a pain for tank cleaning! I think the best way would be to try to stir up the muck while hoovering with your vacuum. Perhaps an extra pair of hands to squirt with a turkey baster while you use the syphon? Other than that all I can think of is to move the stones to one end of the tank, syphon up the debris then repeat with the other side. Sorry, I don't think there's an easy solution, unless it's go with sand or a bare-bottomed tank.

 

[ianclick]

Hi

If you have a substrate you are going to have issues with food and waste getting trapped in it. The only reliable way to deal with it is to move your substrate when you are cleaning.

Or have no substrate. I have two tanks at present with none and they are very easy to clean and maintain.

Good Luck

 

[Darkmaverick]

Hi women158,

If you prefer having substrate over a bare tank. Sand or fine gravel of less than 2 mm diameter are safe for axolotls. The pebbles you described (3-6cm), can actually pose more of an impaction risk, especially to full grown adult axies.

Cheers.

 

[women158]

Thanks for the advice guys! Think we're just going to have to churn up the gunk and deal with it at cleaning time for now.
She's only teeny at the moment so the pebbles seem more than big enough for now but when she gets bigger we're going to move her to a bigger tank with a sand bottom - wish we'd known about sand when we were initially setting up the tank before we got her though! Our tank is 60cm long which we were told is big enough and she's only about 11cm long at the minute but we'll definatly be getting her a deluxe enormous tank in a few months time so she has loads of room to swim and play in