Some questions about sand

Hi everyone. I was wondering what your guys' opinions were on different substrates. Currently I am using large pond pebbles, which seem to be working out okay. But i was wondering if sand would be better? I've never used sand before so I'm not too sure how one should go about to maintain it. After cleaning it and putting it in the tank, does it stay clean-looking for a while? And when it does start to look dirty, do you have to take most of it out and reclean it or is there a way to clean the sand without having to take it out now and then? I'm guessing you can't use a siphon to take out food matter and debris...

Like I said, the pond pebble seems to do the job and Slider seems content with it. But I really like the look of sand and it seems that a lot of you guys have it. So I was just wondering what the pros and cons were.

If your pebbles are big enough that the Axolotls can't swallow it, then it would be fine to leave it the way it is since it would have good bacteria stored up in it which is important in an aquarium ecosystem. But if it is small enough that your Axies could possibly eat it then sand is by far the better choice. When you get a bag of sand from the Pet store/home improvement center, make sure to wash it really well before you put it into your tank. all you need is a pillow slip cover, cloth rice bag or a large beach towel to put the sand in, wash a little at a time until the sand runs clear. Or you can put a little at a time in a large bucket and stir it around as the water is flowing into it from the tap. After the sand is clean put it in your tank and fill it with water and plants and let the tank re-cycle again so that the good bacteria forms in the sand substrate. To clean it just use a turkey baster to clean up any uneaten food/axie waste that you find, clean out any uneaten food about 15 minutes after you put it in if the Axolotls haven't eaten it, and make sure axie waste is removed right away to keep good water quality. I use this nifty little device to clean my tank sand. Here is the link. http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19139;category_id=2001;pcid1=3347;pcid2=
This little item cleans my sand, but I have to be careful with it or it will suck the sand up through it. To avoid that problem I usually stir the very top layer of the substrate first before I use the vacuum. This particular vacuum can also be used with a siphon hose and will suck out water for water changes. When it cleans the waste out it can be used to only clean out waste and not water. It's a great little item. I haven't had any problems with it. When you vacuum the sand, only do the top layer so that the good bacteria isn't disturbed.

thanks a bunch Does sand cloud up your tank at all or does it settle fairly quickly if disturbed? And do you have a lot of problems with your axies swallowing too much of it?

My axie just spits it right back out, but its really rare that she swallows any because of the way she is fed.

The sand at first will take days and days to settle, but once it has, if disturbed it will settle immediately.

I have no problems with my sand at all - its easier to keep clean than gravel also.

Just make sure you wash you sand thoroughly when you bring it home. Put it in a bucket and rinse it until the water runs clear. You may have to do several small batches, depending on how much sand you need. It takes ages, but its worth it. If you wash thoroughly your tank should settle in under 12 hrs. Some sands are finer than others and need to be washed a bit more.
Also, add the water to the sand, not the sand to the water. Sand will take much less time to settle if you slowly pour the water in, using a plate or plastic container to baffle the flow.
I too switched to sand after using river pebbles. I found the pebbles were too hard to clean, there was stuff I couldnt get at. But now with sand, any waste just sits on top, and can be sucked up with a turkey baster.
One of my axies likes to eat sand, I haven't seen her do it recently. But she always passed it without too much trouble.

Wow everyone, thanks for all the great info!!! You all have been very helpful. I'm not planning on switching my substrate just yet, but it sure seems that sand is the way to go when I do.

Thanks again!