Sand substrate

[bryce]

Hi,
I went to my fish shop today and i asked about buying some sand for the bottom of my axolotl tank. They said that the oxygen doesn't flow through the sand and my axolotl could die of sufication. So they told me just to use very fine gravel. I said okay i don't wanna buy and i got some at home about 2-3mm in diameter. So can u tell me whether to keep my gravel or get sand.

 

[jay]

It get sand its a safer option. It doesn't matter if no oxygen flows through the sand cause it flows through the water anyway. Even better if you have an airstone or bubbler or both like i have.

Yeah so i'd choose sand so your axie doesn't get any digestive problems. How would you feel if you ate a rock and had to digest it. YOU COULDN'T

 

[kapo]

you can use a turkey baster or siphon and drag it through the sand weekly or every few days to stop the gas pockets building up.

Yes our axies had problems from being on gravel with previous owners , 12 months on and they still poo out gravel. Not a comfortable thing to watch! It can if it doesn't come out block them up and cause a prolapse.

Here is another alternative for substrate using either the gravel you have or sand. You silicon it down to the tank floor and works really well and is easy to clean.. http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/793/77098.html?1170154180

You can get cheap bags of playsand at Bunnings or Mitre 10 or somewhere similar.