Tile or slate rock substrate has an easy-to-clean hard surface and also open cracks that may trap aquarium waste. Fine-grain sand doesn’t mix well with a powerful filter and will cloud up your tank water but a slow current shouldn’t disturb it too much. Because you’ll need to clean your tank regularly physically with a siphon, sand tends to do the best job of keeping waste on the surface of the substrate for easy removal. Axolotls will become stressed with anything faster than a slow current, so your filter might not work as effectively.Ĭhoosing aquarium sand for your substrate can help because of the live bacteria it contains to help purify the water. However, filters create at least a mild current in any tank they’re cleaning. Most fish tanks use a filter to help keep the water clear and that’s an option for your axolotl as well. Image Credit: Tinwe, Pixabay How Are You Going to Keep Your Tank Clean?Īxolotls are messy little creatures and keeping their tank clean is essential, as it is for any aquatic animal. The size of your tank should be a consideration as you choose a substrate and decide on a budget for your habitat setup. So, 20 pounds of sand for a 20-gallon tank filled with a substrate depth of 1 inch. You can usually figure on needing about 1 pound per gallon of tank per inch depth of substrate. Some of the substrate options we reviewed are more expensive and may be less desirable with a large tank. Obviously, the amount of substrate you need will depend on how big your tank is. What Size Is Your Tank?Īxolotls should live by themselves, and consequently don’t need a large tank. Other substrates you should avoid are colored sand, construction sand, reptile mats, and any substance that might change your water pH or other parameters. Play it safe and avoid any kind of rock other than flat slate. Not to mention it’s hard to be 100% certain that your axolotl won’t still try to swallow one. However, large rocks can be hard to keep clean and difficult for the salamander to walk on. It’s possible that you could get away with using larger rocks for a substrate as long as they are bigger than the axolotl’s head. These are almost certain to be swallowed at some point by a hungry axolotl and cause a dangerous blockage. We talked about safe substrate options already, but what about substrate choices that are definite no-nos? The number one substrate to avoid with axolotls is small gravel or pebbles. Image Credit: uthlas, Pixabay What Substrate Should Never Be Used? In general, it’s best to choose a safe substrate, such as one of the ones we reviewed, rather than leave your axolotl on bare floors. These salamanders also aren’t big fans of light, and reflections on the bare glass of the tank floor could stress them out. To completely avoid any risk of your axolotl injuring themself or swallowing a dangerous amount of substrate, should you leave it out of the tank entirely?īare tank floors aren’t the best choice for several reasons, one being that they just don’t look very nice! Axolotls may find bare tank floors too slippery and stressful to walk on. As you prepare your axolotl’s new tank, there are some key things to consider before you decide which substrate will work best for you.
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