Substrate question. New to axies.

I just purchased 2 axies yesterday, I been doing tons of homework on these creatures the past week to make sure I am well educated on caring for them.

Today I created my substrate setup for them which is about 10ibs of very fine aquarium sand from a pet store. Also I got 3 small bags of river rocks to create a hybrid setup from a decor/hobby store.

Was this set up a good choice health wise? Should I add a thin layer of "live" sand? What steps should I take to keep the tank in good living conditions.

Its a 10ib tank, I so far have a power filter, food is taken care of, and now flooring.

I want to get into decorations next which I am pointing towards fake plants, and rock constructions. Would live plants be better?

I more or less just need pro tips on finishing their living environment.

Only add live sand from a trusted source - and make sure it's freshwater sand.

It will help your tank to cycle faster if you have not already cycled it.

How big are the river rocks ? They should be much bigger than the axolotls' heads - you'd be surprised what they can swallow !

How big is the tank ? If 10 gallons, that's a big small for two and will be more work for you than a bigger tank. They produce a lot of waste and you'll really need a water test kit.

I had one axolotl in a 10 gallon tank and have moved her to a 20. I think that's minimum for two, and I'd prefer 30-40.

Fake plants are fine, just make sure they're not sharp. Live plants will help filter waste if you have a good amount, and I like how they look - but that's taste. I've observed my axolotl "interacts" with the live plants, whereas she did not like the fake ones and wouldn't want to touch them.

If you go for live plants, they're about the same price as fake - but you have the initial investment of lighting + light timer, et cetera to think about.

The river rocks are much larger then them, I made sure of that.

I was unsure of live sand incase there was some component that harmed them, but I want to look into it.

And yes its a 10 gallon tank, I dont know why I put 10 pounds.

I think I plan my next step as adding a thing layer of live sand over the sand already there, I needed more sand anyway.

And going with live plants, because I want my aquarium to have a good healthy cycle rather then me cleaning up every couple weeks.

Generally speaking, live sand is used in SW aquariums and made from crushed coral. It's calcium carbonate and will raise your gh, kh. I'd nix the live sand and stick with an inert one (silica). That way your water parameters won't fluctuate so much. If your water is too soft, add an oyster shell in the filter

Yea, I actually went purchase live sand today, and could not figure out if it was SW specific only. When I came back I researched it and I am very glad I did not add it in for that reason.

In place I just added more aquarium sand. I also went with a few live plants.

Will the plants in hand with the aquarium just start "cycling" on its own?