Replanting and rescaping tank

[emmyk]

I need ideas! I'm heavily planting and hoping it goes better this time (I had a run in with brown algae because I didn't have adequate lighting) anyways, I'm trying to figure out a way I can have a more natural looking hide. He has this lean - to type deal rock but it looks sort of fake and I like to keep my tanks more natural. Any ideas?
Also, I've been using a feeding dish because my pool filter sand cap is course enough that I'm afraid it could be hurting stanleys tummy as he rummages for the food he missed. Any ideas for a more natural feeding area? He's too big for a feeding jar, and I was thinking slate but the pellets will probably just slide off it...

One more question, sorry. Can an axolotl tank be carpeted? With moss or sag? Is that possible? Or do you think he'd just rip it up? Thanks!

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[HayleyK]

The other thing I can think of that's slightly natural looking for a feeding jar are those reptile feeding bowls that are rock. But it still looks kind of fake... Or perhaps making a square bowl out of slate with smoothed edges.

I've seen on ebay some meshy wire that you can thread moss through and stuff you can lay it on the ground or against the glass to make a moss wall.

 

[Boomsloth]

I have the reptile exo terra feeding dish, I agree with hayley its not the most natural looking. It is also pretty shallow which means the food can still be kicked out. Besides using silicone to glue rocks together I can't think of anything that would really look natural and still be functional. I don't know how difficult that would be to make.

I put java moss around my dish but found all it did was collect food and made it a pain to clean.

 

[Boomsloth]

Here's why I don't recommend the reptile dish.
As you can see its really easy to kick out food.

 

[jAfFa CaKe]

This is regarding the moss carpet thing, I'd say that he'd just rip is up, poo would get stuck in it and it would just be an overall pain. Also can't you just hand feed?

 

[EmbryH]

Here's why I don't recommend the reptile dish.View attachment 35597
As you can see its really easy to kick out food.

that image looks hilariously dramatic if you don't realize it's in water

 

[Boomsloth]

Its only the big leucistic that causes that. He/she flicks its tail when it eats kicking everything out. I always try to feed everyone else while the leucistic is on the other side of the tank but it only takes a few seconds before it smells the food and then its right in the middle of the dish.

 

[emmyk]

This is regarding the moss carpet thing, I'd say that he'd just rip is up, poo would get stuck in it and it would just be an overall pain. Also can't you just hand feed?

I do hand feed but he always misses some and then when I go to pick it up he rumages through the sand and I do this kind of slow motion 'nooooooOoooo' and he spits some sand out. Lol.

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[auntiejude]

Here's why I don't recommend the reptile dish.View attachment 35597
As you can see its really easy to kick out food.

Which is why a lot of people use jars instead! I have my juvies in a bare bottom tank at the moment because of the mess they make with bloodowrms.

There have been several threads about creating bottoms for tank by siliconing down sand or rocks - that could easily be an option with weighted or potted plants.

 

[emmyk]

Which is why a lot of people use jars instead! I have my juvies in a bare bottom tank at the moment because of the mess they make with bloodowrms.

There have been several threads about creating bottoms for tank by siliconing down sand or rocks - that could easily be an option with weighted or potted plants.

Yeah but I have a dirted tank and Stanley is too big for a jar. I'm thinking of maybe a piece of slate in the corner? Or would it be too sharp?

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[Boomsloth]

I had tried a mason jar but found they all tried to cram in at once and the big guy would end up eating most of the food and then blocking the rest. Even though it looks really messy I have a barebottom to make clean up easy. Once I move out of dormitory I'll have the opportunity to really set up their tanks.

If you go look at those silicone made bottoms auntiejude is talking about they might be a cool option where you won't really need a feeding spot.

 

[HayleyK]

The guy I bought my two younger ones off had an actual fish bowl kind of thing with a bigger opening so many juniors could fit in. But with just one lotl it could work although I don't know how small/big your tank is

 

[Boomsloth]

The guy I bought my two younger ones off had an actual fish bowl kind of thing with a bigger opening so many juniors could fit in. But with just one lotl it could work although I don't know how small/big your tank is

I'll definitely do the fishbowl idea if I move mine to the 120g.

 

[bugdozer]

Someone posted a picture where they had a pretty shell to feed the axolotls from. Like a scallop type shell.

 

[Boomsloth]

Yeah but I have a dirted tank and Stanley is too big for a jar. I'm thinking of maybe a piece of slate in the corner? Or would it be too sharp?

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What about using small pavers stones? they are not as natural looking as river rocks but will be easier to piece together into a square area. Maybe over time with some strategically placed plants it will look very awesome.