Prevent Burrowing sals from accessing drainage layer.

[JaceW/Lifer-Log]

I am beginning to plan a bioactive setup for my tiger sal, I want a drainage layer. (I feel it will increase the longevity of the setup)
I'm making it drainable via a PVC pipe and a siphon. I am worried about my salamander accessing it, how can I prevent this as much as possible?

1. my idea is to line the barrier with largeish rocks, is there a more practical way?

 

[AMurry24537]

I'm not sure if I fully understand your goal, since I've never done anything like this myself and am having some issues picturing the situation, but do you think some sort of screen might help? In my area, we have screens over all the windows to prevent bugs from flying in. It's a kind of netting that shouldn't cause any kind of flow problems, but should definitely keep any animals larger than an insect out. I've bought replacement screens from hardware stores for not too much money before for exactly this kind of purpose. Hope that helps!

 

[JaceW/Lifer-Log]

I know about substrate barriers, and yes its a little weird but I've heard stories of animals accessing drainage and drowning, its probably semi-false (exaggerated story)

 

[minorhero]

For dart frogs it is not uncommon to use fiberglass window screen siliconed all the way around the entire edge of the tank, to keep out burrowing frogs. Never tried it with anything as big as an adult tiger salamander. The main reason to do it for dart frogs is to keep them from laying eggs in the drainage layer.

 

[JaceW/Lifer-Log]

I'm doing some thinking, I'm going to make an egg-crate light fixture frame that is filled with hydroton. drainable with a PVC tube I can siphon water from. this would make a solid barrier around the water, he wouldn't be able to enter. this also enables the stream feature I planned on making, since as long as the water is under the fixture height it won't affect the soil.