>>26710028That means jack shit. Sand can cause impaction. What do you consider a long time?
Sand is the no no of axolotls, unless it is really fine sand, which yours doesn't seem to be,
http://www.axolotl.org/housing.htm"Gravel-swallowing can be avoided by using gravel that is very large (larger than the animal's head). If you use an external filter like me, stones tend to let debris accumulate in the tank, and so the filter has a hard time keeping the the bottom clear of solids. Since axolotls are messy, the filter may difficulty dealing with the excrement and waste food that accumulate in gravel. If you do use gravel, it's advisable to siphon the waste out of it - a "gravel cleaner" is ideal for this purpose.
As another alternative, fine sand is also a good substrate, as it will not clog the digestive tract if ingested. It has been my experience that axolotls can't "grip" the bottom of a glass tank. Some people feel that this is stressful for the animal. Plastic tanks don't suffer from this problem so much because no plastic is as smooth as glass. Other alternatives for substrate include flat pieces of slate covering a large portion of the tank bottom, gravel that is glued into the bottom of the tank using aquarium sealant, or a simple layer of dark-colored aquarium sealant in the bottom of the tank. Aquarium sealant should always be allowed to cure thoroughly before water is added to the tank."
