0.5-1.5cm gravel??

[Dittany]

I've just been reading the posts on here about how bad gravel is...I had no idea. THe guy in the pet shop and lots of internet sites says you need to have big gravel and it's fine - they never mentioned river sand or pebbles or anything.

I have gravels/pebbles which are about 0.5cm at the smallest, to about 1cm/1.5cm. Is that ok??? I'm a bit confused. Stupid pet shop man!!!

Also if i do need to change it, how do i do it without disturbing Lucy my axolotl??? I don't want to stress her out

Thanks heaps for your help!

 

[chrissy]

i didnt relise either until id already put the gravel and mambo in my tank. i think that the gravel you have is too small and it would be a good idea to change it. when i changed mine i took mambo out of my tank and put him in an old fish bowl with some of his water and took out half the water from the tank. from there i was able to get out the gravel and it in large pebbles. i then filled the rest of the tank with water and left it for half an hour so it adjusted to the room temperature. finally i slowly tipped mambo and the water into the tank. ive found that it has been a lot better and im glad that i decided to change from gravel to pebbles, but i still think that sand would be a better option. it would be easier to clean and i think it would look better. im definelty going to get sand when i get my new tank on the weekend(so excited!!)
so if i was you, i would definelty change from gravel to someting like large pebbles or sand, so you will have a happier and safer axie!

 

[Dittany]

Thanks heaps Chrissy,
i definitely think I will change it now - i keep stressing that she's swallowed something. I hope she can hold on a week though because I have exams on at the moment and can't do it until after then

Also I bought one of those siphon 'vacuum cleaner' things that's supposed to be for gravel - do you think it will work Ok for sand? or will i just end up sucking all the sand out? Does sand need cleaning?...

 

[kapo]

You can remove the gravel as chrissy says and just leave a bare substrate (bare tank floor) which is easy for feeding and cleaning, or until you can get sand.

We use the gravel cleaners on our sand. You need to angle it slightly, when you're waterchanging, just have it hovering above the sand when you "vacuum". Another thing you do have to do with sand, is every so often so once a week or fortnight, make sure you run the gravel cleaner (or turkey baster) through the sand (like long rows) and just gently shake the sand as you siphon. This stirs the sand up slightly and gets rid of any nasty gas pockets which can build up in your sand.

If you have any water parameter problems and can't seem to find out where as the sand looks clean, stirring it using the siphon/gravel cleaner and/or turkey baster will usually stir up any waste hidden beneath the sand, under their caves and decos (I generally remove the decos/caves once a month - place them in the bucket of tankwater - and siphon the areas they usually sit just to make sure nothings hidden).

Any sand siphoned out of the tank and into the bucket I pour back into the tank, after tossing all water into the garden.