Question: Sand types?

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Lovely Axies

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Hey everyone.
I'm planning on changing the large gravel in my tank for sand because they are REALLY hard to keep clean and my axies keep freaking out if they accidentally move them. I was just wondering what sort of sand is safe to use because I went to the aquarium shop a while ago and I saw they had coral sand. I was wondering if that was very different from normal sand and if so, what type of sand is safest/best to use?

Thanks in advance, Alex ;)

P.S. Please don't have a go at me for using gravel, it's HUGE! Way too big for an axolotl to swallow.
 
I have childrens play sand. It is cheap and looks great.:D
 
Awesome, thanks I will look out for it. Where did you get yours? Do garden centre type places have it?
 
I got mine from city farmers but you can get it from bunnings. Do you have bunnings in NZ??? You can get it online as well but I havent done it that way. Im sure others on here will be able to help if you need links.
 
Coral sand will greatly affect the ph so you don't want to use it. You want sand that won't affect water quality and playsand looks like the way to go :)
 
i agree, play sand is what i use in all of my tanks and it's super cheap. but be sure you wash it thoroughly before adding it in your tank. i recently bought some black sand and mixed my own batch of white and black sand. turned out good.
 
Okay, thanks. We do have Bunnings in NZ. I will try to get it all sorted out ASAP. Do you know what sort of plants are useful or able to grow in an axolotl home?
 
I have sand in one tank.. it's specifically for Aquariums and is a pale tan color.

Don't buy coral sand it is for cichlids and saltwater tanks.

Make sure you rinse playsand VERY well if you use it. It's a nice alternative to more expensive aquarium sands.
 
I got black sand for my tank :) but i know what I'm looking for and was able to find the right kind of sand at a pet shop. It can be hard to find aquarium sand that won't affect your ph :( I had to go to a few places.

yes! Rinse your sand well. And add it to your tank little by little while it has some water in it. Someone on here tried to carefully pour the wet sand into their tank but the whole lot slipped and cracked their tank :(
 
most plants will get uprooted - - I really like moss balls and floating plants like water wisteria - it grows like crazy, disperse the tank light which is helpful because axies have no eye lids, and my axie loves playing in it :p
 
Java moss, java fern, hairgrass, anubias, amazon swords. I have all of these in my tank which is 16 degrees.
 
Haha, awesome. Thanks you guys =] I will try to find some of those when I redo the tank. I was searching around all the hardware/garden type store yesterday and I couldn't find ANY appropriate sand! Oh well, there's always today after school =P
 
Pool filter sand is also adequate for adults. I like it because it looks more natural than play sand. Although I do love the look of play sand and a bunch of lovely green plants... Maybe I'll redo my tank now.
 
Is sand really easy to remove waste from?? How do _you_ remove the axolotl 'waste'?
 
yes using play sand is probably the easiest way to see and remove axolotl waste. The easiest way that most of us do it is using a turkey baster. I got a big one about 10 inches long for about 6 u.s. dollars and it works splendid. You should invest in one and just remove the waste into a bucket or pitcher and dump it out as you see it on the sand.

I will admit that using dark colored sand loses the ability to see axolotl waste easily. now I have to hunt for the poo and it's a task lol.

As far as plants go, I have in my tank:
-Water wisteria
-Narrow leaf java fern
-Java moss
-cryptocoryne wendtii
-aponogeton bulbs (I'm debating taking these out because my axolotl loves chomping them lol..
They are really beautiful if they have a chance to grow though and grow fast and easily)

i leave my lights on for about 10-12 hours a day but if you leave them on this long just watch out for algae as it can develop if you leave your lights on longer. All these plants are growing well/good in 68-70 temperature water when planted in sand. Which sand is also a great thing because a lot of plants love to root in sand and develop roots easily. good luck :]
 
Do you have to have lights above the water in your tank for ALL plants to grow or are there some that will be okay in sunlight only?
 
do you not have a light on for your tank? You can also use a Compact florescent bulb in a desk lamp but just make sure it is the correct wattage or you could risk a fire. I don't use any natural sunlight but others on here have. The reason I don't is that I don't want the sun to heat up my tank at all because it's a task just for me to keep it cool as it is. I'm not sure if the sun would be adequate lighting unless you can face it in a window that it gets around 8 or so hours of sun. I have a compact florescent light bulb in a desk lamp for my fire belly newt tank and so far it's working well. it is the "6500k daylight" cfl bulb that i'm using.
 
My tank is in shade all day but my room has big windows that let in a LOT of light. I don't think I'd be able to set up a light for my tank very easliy because the lid is home made. (It's a wooden frame with wire mesh originally designed to roof my rat's tank)
 
Hi Alex, I have playsand in my tank that I got from a garden centre. Only cost me $4 for 20 kilos. I did have to wash the sand several times to make sure it was clean. I like the sand cause I can see my axies footprints & he doesn't/hasn't dug up any plants - so maybe the weight of the sand holds down the plants?
 
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