Bottom of tank?

[leo_axie]

So my axolotl has a bare bottom of his tank, I’ve been watching him move around and he has trouble walking around should I add sand ive read that sand can cause impaction in smaller axolotls so that’s why I just decided to leave it bare I figured it would also be easier to clean the bottom? So what do you guys recommend I should do? Should I add some sort of substrate to the bottom?

 

[axie owner]

put in pebbles that are bigger than your axies head. that will give him something to grip.

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

So my axolotl has a bare bottom of his tank, I’ve been watching him move around and he has trouble walking around should I add sand ive read that sand can cause impaction in smaller axolotls so that’s why I just decided to leave it bare I figured it would also be easier to clean the bottom? So what do you guys recommend I should do? Should I add some sort of substrate to the bottom?

Very fine sand is ok after they are about 6 inches in length. Generally if you are still feeding bloodworms, I do not recommend sand because they can accidentally inget it while looking for food and it can easily trap food debris. Once you axolotl has been transitioned to eating earthworms, sand wont pose as much of a problem. Bare bottom tanks are definitely easier to clean in the sense that you can easily see all the debris in the tank. I do recommend stirring up the sand now and then when you do a larger water change just to make sure you don't end up with any pockets of ammonia/waste. You can also use tiles or very large stones/slate as an alternative. Never use gravel or smaller rocks.

 

[EasternRomioi3]

Yeah, unless your axolotl is full grown, don't use anything. When they're fully grown, ultra fine sand works well. Be VERY careful with rocks, they can swallow them and that's a death sentence usually. I've seen people use like huge rocks, like the size of a baseball, that their axolotl could NEVER swallow but I'd be worried about them pinching their toes in between the rocks!