Question: Setting up my tank with substrate?

[Jawdoss]

Hi everyone.

I have two Axolotls (Wanita and Lo). I have a 28 Gallon tank that they both share and they move around comfortably. The tank that i am using now (28 Gallon, 107 Litres) has a bare bottom floor. I just purchased a 91 Gallon (418 Litres), both Wanita and Lo will share it. There is plenty of room for them to walk around (41cm W x124.4cm L).

I was just wondering if is hold put standard fish gravel into my tank. Will my Axies eat it? Is it a good idea?
Pros and cons?

Regards,
Jawdoss

 

[Jawdoss]

Also, what could type of cleaning fish can i put in the tank? Can i put in little cleaning snails and things like that? Whats a good way to keep the tank clean as far as glass walls go?

 

[HayleyK]

A big NO to gravel - every. Use play sand or very fine sand.

Gravel pros - NONE. Cons - impaction.

Sand pros - makes the tank look beautiful, easy to root plants into, my axolotl likes to dig in it cons - some sands can be sharp and leads to internal organ problems if ingested to avoid this you can hand feed or feed from a jar.


As for the fish, do not house any suckers with them, some people use snails but I never have. You can always get a magnet glass cleaner or a scraper thing. My partner uses one on his reef tank and it's like a razor blade on a long stick and cleans it good and fast

 

[Jawdoss]

A big NO to gravel - every. Use play sand or very fine sand.

Gravel pros - NONE. Cons - impaction.

Sand pros - makes the tank look beautiful, easy to root plants into, my axolotl likes to dig in it cons - some sands can be sharp and leads to internal organ problems if ingested to avoid this you can hand feed or feed from a jar.


As for the fish, do not house any suckers with them, some people use snails but I never have. You can always get a magnet glass cleaner or a scraper thing. My partner uses one on his reef tank and it's like a razor blade on a long stick and cleans it good and fast

Ok, i used to have gravel, but i removed it due to people telling me about what it does. With sand, could i get it from a standard pet store (pet barn) and do i have to soak it or attach it to something so i doesn't make a mess?

Essentially, how did you set your tank up with sand?

 

[ChristianV]

You can get pool filter sand or play sand from A hardware store. You only need to rinse the sand out in a bucket with water until the water taint is clear. Then you can lay the sand Down in the tank. 24 hours later the water will not be cloudy anymore. I recommend to put only a inch of sand so anaerobic gas does not build up in tiny holes in the sand. If you are planning to use more than an inch, every water change move the sand around to prevent build up.

 

[HayleyK]

Yeah I got my sand from pet barn, I have used Pisces natural products quartz sand before and worked perfectly fine. I then switched to another sand, I forgot the name but it comes in 5 or 10 kg packs with a black label and I think a white/ red gold fish on it?

Wash it out throughly, I poured bit by bit in a small bucket, rinsed and rinsed and rinsed it. And then rinsed it.. And then put it in the other clean bucket and repeat. I scooped it out of the bucket with a cup and placed it gently on the floor, you can just plonk it in but it makes the water extremely cloudy at first, the cup kind of keeps it at the bottom. After a day the fine sand particles will settle and just siphon it out. Happy days!

You can also used play sand from bunnings or mitre 10 but requires more washing and rinsing and only comes in one colour. You can also silicon the sand down but I don't .. It's easier to rearrange things, I make little dips and hills for my axolotl to play in and can always reroot plants elsewhere when they get dug up.

 

[Jawdoss]

Cool. i will try and get some from pet barn, and i will rinse it out. Ill just 'plonk' it in the tank before i add water to the new one. So the water won't get as cloudy . I am going to let the water settle down and I'm going to run a water test before putting my Axies in it!!
I just need to find a filter
Don't have much money so i have to either wait a while or ask around.
This is the tank that i bought
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mudgeeraba/miscellaneous-goods/fish-tank-stand/1032097955

 

[HayleyK]

Bargain!!

It's pretty much the same as plonking in water and plonking sand in then adding water. When you pour the water in it'll disturb the sand anyways, but if you aren't going to put your babies in, either way is fine!

If you're strapped for cash there are many hang on back filter than will work, my one has worked fine for my 3 ft tank and cost be $60.00.

Canisters are probably better but are like double the price.

 

[Jawdoss]

Bargain!!

It's pretty much the same as plonking in water and plonking sand in then adding water. When you pour the water in it'll disturb the sand anyways, but if you aren't going to put your babies in, either way is fine!

If you're strapped for cash there are many hang on back filter than will work, my one has worked fine for my 3 ft tank and cost be $60.00.

Canisters are probably better but are like double the price.

I have a 200L/h hang on filter, that is in my other tank. But if i take that out and put it in this one, it will probably not be big enough, and will leave my other tank with no filter.

In theory i could make a PVC canister filter and just hook up my 400L/H pump to it. Couldn't i?

 

[HayleyK]

I have a 200L/h hang on filter, that is in my other tank. But if i take that out and put it in this one, it will probably not be big enough, and will leave my other tank with no filter.

In theory i could make a PVC canister filter and just hook up my 400L/H pump to it. Couldn't i?

I wouldn't have a clue how to make a filter but I'm sure there's plenty of YouTube videos on how to make one