Question: Suitable for substrate?

I originally had a fine gravel like this one.

It was supposed to be 2 mm or smaller, but i found it to be bigger. It also had sharp edges and odd shapes - i was always concerned about ingestion, it just didn't seem small enough.

I changed over to tahitian moon sand - http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...ate/71202-suitability-tahitian-moon-sand.html

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...rate/68000-good-brand-tahitian-moon-sand.html

I bought it from here - Age of Aquariums - CaribSea Tahitian Moon Sand 9.2kg

Great stuff, i'm very pleased with it. No water parameter issues, it's really fine, settles well, doesnt cloud up the water if it gets stirred up by the axies, easy to keep clean.

I'd take it over any fine gravel any day

Bren
 
I saw this stuff in my local aquarium store and thought it looked awesome. Such a deep color and shiny as well but then I felt it. It was very sharp and abrasive to my fingers and could only imagine what it would feel like to an axies soft under belly. Quite a few of the granules were also larger than I was comfortable with so despite how amazing it would have looked and how much I wanted to use it I elected to leave it for the sake of their skin. It may have been fine I just wasn't going to risk it. I can't imagine I would like to walk around on it all day... ouch.
 
Yeah thats where i saw it. :( and yeah thats what i thought.... looks scratchy.
I just rang the local aquarium place and they told me off for even thinking about putting any substrate down let alone sand! :( Told me that Axolotls like bare bottom and sand breed to much bacteria and if i really loved my Axoltol and its best interests at heart i would sacrifice aesthetics for the sake of their health. :( bare bottom is sooooooo ummmmm BARE :/
What should i do? i am really wanting to aquascape but i am moving house in 4 weeks or so... which means taking down the whole tank anyway.
 
Like bare bottom? Considering the bottom of a lake is not glass, i find this a bit hard to see how they would "prefer" a bare tank floor.

But a bare tank does them no harm, go for it if you are ok with how it looks.

Sand isnt a problem if you keep it clean, stirred, and not too deep.

Telling you off for "any" substrate is a little over the top

Bren
 
Thanks Bren. I was thinking that same thing.
My relationships with my aquarium and pet shops aren't going to well hey? :p
I don't like the look of the bare bottom, the sand looks really nice with the plants and the hides.
But for now i may just run bare bottom until we move. Gives me some time to think!
i would really like red sand... that would be awesome!!
Anyway lol thanks again Bren! :)
 
blackdog said:
Like bare bottom? Considering the bottom of a lake is not glass, i find this a bit hard to see how they would "prefer" a bare tank floor.
Click to expand...
Exactly what I was going to say :happy: it never seases to amaze me the twoddle some supposed "experts" will spout at the unsuspecting customer :mad: More bacteria... ummm well duh it's the same bacteria that lives in your filter for the most part and more nitrifying bacteria can NOT be a bad thing. Sure you risk the anaerobic bacterias but as Bren said as long as you keep it fairly shallow and stir it up when you vacuum the tank it's kept to a minimum.
Personally I would have thought an environment that mimics the one they come from would be best :rolleyes: I've never liked to look to bare bottom tanks and wonder if the slippery shiny surface under their feet could even be a little stressing to them :confused:
 
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