Choosing ornaments: tiger salamander tank setup

[Harly]

Hi friends!
I'm new, so this may be a dumb question... I'm setting up a tiger salamander tank and wanting to add large, smooth, river rocks. How selective should I be when choosing rocks in terms of safety? Are any old rocks off Amazon safe or are there pH/toxin/whatever precautions I should be aware of, and if so, is there a way to prepare them & make them safe, like soaking? I've had an axolotl for a while and learned a lot about what is and isn't safe through past mistakes, so I'd like to take all precautions this time around haha.
Thanks

 

[jewett]

I don't know if you will find this helpful, but here is a link that includes rocks that are safe in an aquatic application (I believe they will also be safe in a terrestrial set up).

Axolotl Sanctuary Scroll about a third of the way down the page and you'll see the rock info.

I personally have not used rocks in with my terrestrial caudates - I prefer cork bark because it is light weight and, though I don't think it likely, I worry that salamander burrowing could make a surface rock unstable and then fall on the sal. But I am sure others have used rocks in their salamander set ups with no ill effects. As you have pointed out, I would recommend only using smooth rocks to protect delicate skin.

If you have not already seen it, here is the CC care sheet on Ambystoma mavortium/ Ambystoma tigrinum.

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Tiger salamander

Good luck!

HJ

 

[Tiger mom Tammy]

HI! Sorry I'm a little late on this thread, but I will chime in anyway I'm the same as jewett, I have not used rocks in my setup because one of my Tiger Salamanders is a very persistent digger. I mean REALLY persistent. He would most definitely get himself in a pickle with rocks no matter where I positioned them. Plus, depending on your tank size, and how many you use, might be a hassle during tank cleaning. But that being said, I've seen nice setups with smooth rock/ stones. Seems to work for some, looking forward to what works for you.

 

[Sith the turtle]

I used fake rocks (Ones that didn't have sharp edges) and fake plants for the tiger I had

 

[Harly]

Thank you for the suggestions! As it stands, I have the rocks (ended up going with craft river rocks from Michael's at the suggestion of the website provided) around my water dish as a kind of ramp. They seem to like it!