Aquarium Sand

I am in the process of creating a 40 gallon aquarium upgrade for my Axolotl. I was wondering if anyone has experience in using reptile sand (repti-sand) or saltwater sand in their aquarium. they are the finest of the sands i could find, cheaper, very clean. Both types have no dyes or chemicals but i do not know if the general nature of their intended use makes it not the best choice. I figured if they were rinsed thoroughly then they would not be a problem? Thanks

The very name saltwater sand makes me think it wouldn't be suitable for axolotls.

Though I wonder why you are looking at these much more expensive types of sand anyway? Play sand (for childrens sand pits) is perfectly adequate and what the majority of sand substrate users ummm......use!

Play sand here. I have seen it in black somewhere once too! Or pool filter sand. WAY cheaper and no extra minerals or anything. Just put some in a bucket, hit it with the hose a million times [aka until the water runs clear] and then repeat until you have enough. Most people use about an inch to keep gas pockets and bacteria from forming.

Hi Spiro, here is some sand information


The best sand by far is silica based sand. Aquarium sand is ok but you may be creating issues if you use marine aquarium sand as it has a high limestone content you will be messing with the ph balance of your tank.

The most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings (e.g. deserts) and non-tropical coastal settings (e.g. beaches), is silica (silicon dioxide SiO2), often in the form of quartz.

Arkose is a sand or sandstone with a high content of feldspar (an Aluminum Silicate), usually derived from the weathering and erosion of nearby granite. "Aluminum is a protoplasmic poison and a pernicious and persistent neurotoxin". No living systems use aluminium as part of a biochemical process. It can have devastating accumulative effects in humans though I am unsure what it would do to an axolotl

Much of the fine white sand found in coral reef settings is ground-up coral (limestone) that has passed through the digestion system of the parrot fish.

Some places have sands that contain magnetite, clays, chlorite, glauconite, or gypsum. Sands rich in magnetite are dark to black in colour. The chlorite - glauconite bearing sands are typically a green colour. The gypsum sand dunes of the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico are famous for their white colour.

All commercial sand is washed as it is part of the extraction and preparation process. The problem with builders sand is that there are many different grades depending on the application ie: masonry, bricklaying, cement etc. It is also not as uniform as say pool filter sand which is why it appears to be unwashed.



Pool filter sand is the cleanest and most uniform variety and comes in several colours. Playsand is also very good and cheap but will likely need more rinsing.


Good Luck

If you plan on having light colored axolotls, you might want to consider a black sand. The nicest (but most expensive) is the Tahitian Moon Sand. I have that in my leucistic axie tank. It is just gorgeous with very shiny crystal-like grains.

For my wild type, I have play sand in one aquarium and play sand mixed with just a little bit of the black sand to give a little bit of depth and interest to the substrate.

i use beach sand off the beach

just make sure you flush it really good first to get the salt out of it

i find its best to get a second bucket put a few hand fuls of it in the buckets full the bucket up with water then stir the sand up really good then why the sands settling tip the water out

do it 3 or 4 times and then tip it into ur tank and then repeat

it takes a little while but well worth it

oh and dont let anyone see you as its illegal sort of