Substrate Issues...

[fishcakey]

I just bought this substrate online because I can't find good non CaCO3 black sand ANYWHERE. I spent a good bit of money on it but it doesn't look too fine. It looked like sand in the picture on the internet, and it SAYS sand, but this looks awfully large to be sand

Will it be ok, and if not is there anyway I can make it better by crushing it? I'm so tired of throwing out (literally) money on substrate!!
Also, there is a bit leaking out the bag, and it seems like sand that is leaking out so maybe the bigger rocks are just part of the outside (I'm hoping)

 

[SludgeMunkey]

It may be okay, but there is no reference of scale in the pictures for us here! (Put a penny or a quarter on top of the bag, then take a shot.)

Personally, I find that with axolotls no substrate at all in the tank is the best, safest way to go.

 

[Linus]

That's definitely gravel, not sand. :\

 

[fishcakey]

There's a dime on it. See, it's very small gravel, but I don't feel comfortable using it honestly. And yeah I get it, it's not fine sand. Still, is there anything I can do about it? I'm seriously frustrated with the way things are going. I've thrown out like 24 dollars in sand and it's extremely annoying. I thought I was doing the right thing throwing out the CaCO3 sand and buying online for my axolotl, and now everything just sucks. Ugh.

 

[Kaysie]

I think that would be marginal at best with adult axolotls. I've got a couple of pieces of 'gravel' that size mixed in with my sand (pool filter sand), and never had much of a problem.

Have you looked into CaribSea sand? Maybe your local fish shop can order it. Wherever you got this might take it back on return or exchange.

 

[fishcakey]

I got it online, so it's a little hard to return. I might try to find a way to crush it up into fine pieces if I can. My axie I'm getting tomorrow a juvenile so it doesn't need a huge proper tank right now. If push comes to shove I'll just get regular not black sand. This has caused me so much stress!!

 

[ZoeT94]

I use crazy sand, it's like £2 a kilo bag, you need 2 bags to a 2 footer, it's coloured, and axie friendly!

Order online, direct from the website. Comes in about 2 days...

 

[e23ho]

I got it online, so it's a little hard to return. I might try to find a way to crush it up into fine pieces if I can. My axie I'm getting tomorrow a juvenile so it doesn't need a huge proper tank right now. If push comes to shove I'll just get regular not black sand. This has caused me so much stress!!

I'm a little concerned that if you crush up the pieces there would be sharp pieces that would likely not be 'soft-belly safe'... unless you could somehow tumble them for a long while and they'd wear themselves down against each other....

I don't know, just though this might be something to consider . Having substrate issues myself - bought 'sand' that was course and had a lot of gravel in it, so removed it all (didn't see it until dumped it in), now I have to remove all of the Fluval stratum because it's literally for shrimps only (anything big enough to stir it up - and it's light - will have permanently BLACK water)!