Sand questions

[Buckshot]

Hey New member here and as the title says I have some questions about using fine sand in my setups. Right now I have an albino Spanish ribbed newt, two golden albino axolotls, two lucy axolotls, two wild type axolotls, and a wild type gfp axolotl. When I got my first two axies I used river rocks but the amount of waste and uneaten food under the rocks was unacceptable to me so I took them out and left the tank bottom bare. I've read on quite a few posts that fine sand is fine, but how do you keep it from clouding up? I use filters that either hang or suction cup to the side of the take and I'd assume the flowing water from them would cause continuous clouding. Just looking for some input here, thanks guys.

 

[Asevernnnn]

If you rinse it very good, it shouldn't be cloudy after a few days-a week, and if you ever disturb the sand after that, it should settle down after that, and to clean up waste just hoover the siphon over the sand. With heavier planted tanks, I remove all waste with a turkey baster and do water changes with the water in the feeding section so I don't have to tear the tank to pieces doing water changes. As for filter flow, you should have much of that either, axolotls and a lot of newts hate the flow and it will cause stress, plants and a sponge filter in addition to water changes and spot cleaning should be all you need.

 

[Buckshot]

I've got the flow on all filters set on the lowest settings but I'm still noticing the "current" is hitting the bottom on the tank, especially in the Spanish ribbed newts setup so that's what I was talking about when I said continous clouding. I've never used sand in an aquarium.

 

[Asevernnnn]

Is it a spraybar? If it is just aim it at the glass at a little upward angle.
Elaborate filters aren't really completely necessary in newt setups, all you really need is a lot of live plants, weekly water changes, daily spot cleaning, and maybe an airstone/sponge filter.
None of my caudate tanks have anything more than a sponge filter and plants, and they do just fine

 

[Buckshot]

No, it's a tetra filter, for fish or turtles. I'm just gonna add more water and it should be fine. As of now I have a more important situation to deal with. One of my golden albinos and the gfp aren't getting along after being tank mates for 2-3 months. I went down to feed them and the gfp was missing pretty much it's whole left front arms and the tips of some gills and I seen the golden albino latch on to its right front arm and messed that one up too. They're the exact same size and they're fed regularly so I'm a little stumped as to the sudden aggression. I grabbed the closed thing I could which is a gallon ice cream tub I use for quarantine and put him in it until I can setup another tank tomorrow.