Almost ready to go on getting animals.

[Mac Myers]

Greetings.
Since I have never kept Axolotls before how crazy would it be to get a mixed sex group of Axolotls.
If they breed... how badly will I feel leaving the eggs to their own devices and/or trying to raise them and failing? :uhoh:

 

[Azhael]

Personally i think letting the parents eat the eggs when there is excess egg production or breeding is unwanted, is the best way to deal with them (other than distributing them among other keepers). It may sound cruel, but nature is nature, if they eat their offspring, there is a very good reason for them to do so. That way, the females get some of that energy back.

They are pretty easy to raise anyway, i doubt you´d be heartbroken because of failure, this is not a delicate species.

If you get juveniles, it will be a while until the mature and that gives you time to come to terms with the idea.

 

[blueberlin]

I think that letting the female breed pointlessly is cruel. It is a lot of work and drains a lot of her resources. If you get a female that breeds constantly instead of once or twice a year, like I did, it will kill her, like it did mine. Let's try to remember that we are talking about lives here, both of the mother and of the larvae. I think the best idea is to keep them separated by sex and only put them together to breed intentionally.

-Eva

 

[Shizeric]

Eva, I don't think Mac intends to let them breed pointlessly. I think he was purely looking for the exact advise you are giving him.

I think all Eva is recommending (with a little softer tone) is that it may be a better idea to get animals of the same sex, or if you do get a mixed group, separate them.

May I ask why you would want to get a mixed group if there was no intention of breeding?

 

[blueberlin]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound hard! I thought Mac was asking about some sort of ethical consideration, "Would it be naughty of me to let all those little babies be eaten?" I simply meant to emphasize two points: that laying is draining on the female, and that allowing life to be created just to be destroyed is perhaps worth ethical consideration.

Ah but Mac knows I like him and wouldn't slap his fingers, right? :happy:

-Eva

 

[Mac Myers]

Heheh Eva. No worries. I was briefly thinking about the 1.3 Group of Golden Adults in the FS section. But the breeding aspect of it was a problem for me......ethically, practically, and from a competence standpoint.
I should have realized and remembered the stress aspect from my Old World Chameleon keeping days. Totally didn't connect it with Axolotls for some reason so I'm glad you told me.

I'm going to get 3 (or 4) soon... hopefully well started and hopefully sexed. I think up until now I was assuming that they would be too young to be sexed... and it wasn't until I saw the word "breeding" in the breeding group for sale that I actually realized that the issue was one of some importance (apparently I'm not as smart as I used to be)
I'm glad I asked before I stepped into that little mess. I don't think I'm Axolotl daddy material.

Oh... and Eric... I was considering it because the Goldens are pretty cool, adults scares me less, and I was being impulsive... which I've managed not to do yet!

 

[Shizeric]

I know exactly what you mean! I impulsively got 3 Golden Babies, in addition to my wild type and albino, and hope to 1 day put them all together. I just hope they don't go crazy laying eggs. But that is a ways away, so no point worrying about it now .

 

[shoegal]

My pair of axies have never eaten any of their eggs, and they have had 4-5 batches. After raising one batch of about 100 baby axies, I realized how expensive and labor intensive it is, and now I ship out eggs to people who have the time/passion to raise them.

Eventually, when my juveniles are a bit bigger, I am going to separate my axies by gender. As Eva mentioned earlier, I do not want my female's health to be compromised by excessive breeding. So far she has laid eggs every month since January. : (

 

[blueberlin]

Axolotls do not necessarily eat eggs. Once they figure out that they can, they will forever after, but they have to figure that out first and some never do. They will, however, eat the larvae.

-Eva

 

[Mac Myers]

Well... I chickened out on the adults. In the process of buying 4 juveniles From the Illustrious Michael Shrom.

 

[blueberlin]

How is that chickening out? I shuld think juveniles are more difficult because they require feeding more often, and you don't know their sex.

-Eva

 

[dragonlady]

I agree with Eva, Mac, that I don't see the "chickening out" part on the adults, but think you will be pleased with these you have chosen.

Eva, don't scare Mac! lol These from Michael should be well established, 3-4" long at least and hopefully, little eating machines, like the ones I got from him.

Mac, Eva has a point about the sexing so you will want to keep that in mind. You may need to prepare the wife that another tank may be necessary in your future.

Can't wait for pics!

 

[Mac Myers]

Yes... I'm already preparing her. She isn't exactly on board.... and now with the cooler next to the tank she's a tad bit tense and cranky.

In April I moved from a 3200 Sq Ft house into a 1350 Sq Ft Condo so things are a "bit" crowded. I've got Room for more tanks on some bedroom furniture and a GREAT spot on the bar between two rooms... but currently she has suggested that if I get anymore tanks she will terminate with prejudice and throw my lifeless corpse off the balcony.
But she always says stuff like that and I'm still alive and kicking (though she did throw me off the balcony a couple of times).

 

[lea]

hehehehe...you should have bought a ground floor condo.....it doesnt hurt as ,much then