Low maintenance substrate?

Hi guys, just got my first axie and was intending on keeping my tank bare bottom for it, but it seems like it has a hard time getting a grip on the glass surface and I dont want it to have a hard time what's a good low maintenance substrate I can get that'll be safe? Preferably something I can get in a dark color

Everyone suggests sand (me included) and I personally plan on getting black sand pretty soon. Another possibility would be black tiles...now I'm not exactly sure if there is any kind of UNsafe tile/slate but I don't think there is.

Sand just seemed like it would be time consuming to clean properly, but tile I might be able to do. I should be able to get it fairly easily.

What about those like, sheets of tile like you can buy at lowes and stuff? Would the stuff on those that makes them stick be dangerous to put in the tank?

Kokiron said:

What about those like, sheets of tile like you can buy at lowes and stuff? Would the stuff on those that makes them stick be dangerous to put in the tank?

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I'd like to know this also. I'm making the switch to tiles when I get my next paycheck in about a week so trying to find all tile info so I don't get anything unsafe.

Idk about the sheets of tile but I do know you can use aquarium safe silicone to secure them down.


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I have had no substrate in my tank before and my axl didn't have a problem with gripping to it. You could use a very small amount of sand just enough for your axie to walk on.

If you like the look of sand but find it too difficult to keep clean then you could glue some sand on plastic or something and put that in your tank. I think Auntiejude or someone here does that.

keiko said:

If you like the look of sand but find it too difficult to keep clean then you could glue some sand on plastic or something and put that in your tank. I think Auntiejude or someone here does that.

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Indeed - I have sand embedded in silicone in both my adult tanks. Easy to keep clean, no cloudiness, good grip for axie feet.

If you want to do this you'll need to make sure your tank is completely clean and dry before you start. Use aquarium-safe silicone and work in small strips adding sand and pressing it in as you go. BEWARE - silicone uses acetic acid (vinegar) as a solvent and STINKS! You can even make patterns in the silicone/sand - I have and handprint in one and ripples in the other.

You'll need to leave it to cure for at least 48 hours, possibly longer. Rinse at least half a dozen times, then fill to 3" deep, leave for an hour and test the pH. If it's acidic (<7) you need to rinse some more, until the pH is around 7. The reconstruct your tank and put your axies back.

In answer to the earlier question - you can't use self adhesive tiles or tile adhesive, but if you get natural stone or slate tiles you can use aquarium silicone to secure them.

The tiles would be heavy so you wouldn't HAVE to secure them down and I think it'd probably be easier/better if you didn't because if you ever decide you want a different look they'd be stuck there. Not to mention it'd be easy to remove them to clean.

Sand doesn't require too much work, just rinse VERY thoroughly before you put it in and when you spot clean with the turkey baster or whatever just sift through it a little (if the sand is more than an inch thick a bad type of gas can build up if you don't stir it up occasionally, this really isn't as scary as it sounds), sand is also good because it allows the beneficial bacteria more living area than any other type of substrate. (and this is all what I've understood from this forum so if I'm wrong please correct me!

auntiejude said:

Rinse at least half a dozen times, then fill to 3" deep, leave for an hour and test the pH. If it's acidic (<7) you need to rinse some more, until the pH is around 7.
.

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Hi,

Just a precision :
Our waters can have a pH between 6,5 and 9.
I agree with your method providing you take your pH value into account.

If you have a water which pH is 6,5, then a mesured value of 6,5 is Ok.
Conversely, if your pH is usually 8, then a value of 7 is too low.

thanks for all the ideas everyone, i'll think about what to do. The little guy seems to be doing a little better with the bare bottom today, so maybe it'll just take some getting used to for it and I wont have to add anything at all

allied123 said:

The tiles would be heavy so you wouldn't HAVE to secure them down and I think it'd probably be easier/better if you didn't because if you ever decide you want a different look they'd be stuck there. Not to mention it'd be easy to remove them to clean.

Sand doesn't require too much work, just rinse VERY thoroughly before you put it in and when you spot clean with the turkey baster or whatever just sift through it a little (if the sand is more than an inch thick a bad type of gas can build up if you don't stir it up occasionally, this really isn't as scary as it sounds), sand is also good because it allows the beneficial bacteria more living area than any other type of substrate. (and this is all what I've understood from this forum so if I'm wrong please correct me!

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Tiles are secured down to prevent waste and uneaten food from building up under it

I realize that...I'm not stupid. But my point was that they wouldn't move around much without securing them. I was simply giving other options for something that wasn't so permanent incase they changed their mind about the tiles. And in my experience dirt and debris does get stuck to edges of things (especially things not perfectly smooth, as the sides of the tiles probably wouldn't be.) so if you wanted to clean them you could take them out and clean them.