Axolotl eggs, anyone?

[g1g5]

To compound to my pet problems, my axolotls have just laid a massive clutch of eggs.

Does anyone know a good guide on how to raise them?

Alternately does anyone in London want them?

 

[jeangenie149]

Hi.....Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander is a wonderful site for information. Read www.axolotl.org/embryo_series.htm and the rearinghttp://www.axolotl.org/rearing.htm section. I'm Sure you will find all the information you need. Kind regards...Jean

 

[Jennewt]

If you don't have plenty of spare time, extra space, and a desire to have hundreds of little axolotls, I would suggest that you consider NOT raising them. Or only raise a few. Have the adults eaten some of them?

 

[g1g5]

No, I seperated the egg into my spare aquarium immediately after they were discovered.

I agree that what you suggest is rational. However, I fear I am not capable of follow through this logical course of action. I have secured a dehydrated food source, and will try to use them to feed the neonates.

 

[melfly]

Hi,
Newly hatched larvae will probably not eat non-live food.
If you intend to raise these larvae you will need to obtain a live food source ie daphnia or baby brine shrimp.
To get the best nutrition out of brine shrimp you need freshly hatched, so will need to hatch them out yourself.
You need to be prepared, once they hatch you need a food source avaiable as they will need feeding once or twice a day,
If they are in an uncycled tank you need to change the water every day.
They will need seperating so they have enough space, and at one to two months will start eating each other if not kept in plenty of space and well fed.
You will also need to start seperating when they look like they could actually swallow each other.
You need to be confident you can find homes for them all or you will end up having to find space to keep them yourself.

As you can see it is very time consuming and takes up a lot of space.
You need to make sure you dont try and raise too many or they will starve to death, which is worse than the parents eating the eggs in my opinion.
It is far more humane for them to be culled/eaten before they develop into mini axies than for them to starve to death.

I have raised 3 batches of axies but in small amounts my largest and latest was 30 and i have struggled with food sources myself, for various reasons.

If you still decide to go ahead I wish you luck and we are here to help if you need us
Mel

 

[pace]

Perhaps it's worth giving away/selling some of the spawn as others are doing in the classifieds?

Better several people raising a few dozen than one person trying to cope with a few hundred. The hatchlings will need live food (daphnia or brine shrimp) initially, as they respond to movement.

If I were closer I would offer to take some on, but won't be able to make it to you before they hatch.

Failing that, feeding some back to your adults probably is the best course of action.

 

[arumanii]

I'll raise some if ur wanting rid - but I'm not in London so you would have to post them up -prob next day delivery if they're close to hatching!

Let me know by emailing law-student@hotmail.co.uk as I don't check the forum alot

 

[blueberlin]

I agree that what you suggest is rational. However, I fear I am not capable of follow through this logical course of action.

Please, g1g5, please think this through. Look at the parents and see how big they are. Think how much space they need, how much work it is to keep their tanks clean, how much food they need. Now multiply the tank space and work hours by the number of eggs you have. Then think that axolotls can live 20 years and longer! It is far crueler to doom an animal to a life of inadequate care then to let nature take its natural course.

Sooner or later you are going to have to reduce the number of larvae you have. Sooner is easier because the longer you wait, the more the larvae will start resembling your other pets - you start thinking of them as "babies", might start giving them names... What will you do with them all? Convert your entire living space into racks of aquaria? Give or sell them to a pet store, where you certainly can't ensure their safety?

Please, think about what you do before you give life to something you cannot nurture.

Sorry to be preachy but so very many people have made tis mistake before. (I had 240 larvae my first clutch. Listen to me! )

-Eva

 

[Heather at HMSG]

Hi Eva - I am presently rearing about 12 new hatchlings, & have a further 170 or so eggs from the same pairing, laid about 3 weeks later, & have been considering the options - thanks for the firm advice given above.

I intend to put the spare eggs in my rain-water butt beside my house & see what happens - survival of the fittest. This water butt is an open white plastic barrel with elodea & wild daphnia.

It is very cold here presently, & the spare eggs have been in a bucket in my porch. I assume that, rather like frog spawn, it will be fine in limbo until the weather thaws - any ideas anyone, what are the temperature ranges in Mexico City? Obviously, in their natural lake habitat there must have been deep water with a relatively constant temperature at depth.

I am considering an outdoor above-ground 'pond' next to my house for a number of axies - has anyone tried this? Any suggestions? I spend dark wet evenings with a torch, catching worms, so I'm already a bit strange! I have a small cottage, so space for indoor tanks is limited.

I have two decent sized tanks (4 & 5 foot) at the schhool where I am Biology Technician, & many of the students are fascinated.

Heather & Sparkle

 

[g1g5]

Please, g1g5, please think this through. Look at the parents and see how big they are. Think how much space they need, how much work it is to keep their tanks clean, how much food they need. Now multiply the tank space and work hours by the number of eggs you have. Then think that axolotls can live 20 years and longer! It is far crueler to doom an animal to a life of inadequate care then to let nature take its natural course.

I accept that the task is daunting. However I believe be able to look after them for long enough to find viable adopters, we have already had some good responses, and I know a reliable pet shop at worst. Since I am unwilling to feed the eggs to my horned frog might I ask if any of my plans listed below are so impractical/harebrained that they should be abandoned, and which should be kept?

I will use an old pastic tray (16 gallons) to hold the hatchlings, which should prevent problems of overpopulation until the neonates reach young adult size (assuming 20% or so of the eggs actualy hatch).

I am using a high power waterfall filter to keep the water clean and oxygenated, thus allowing benign aerobics to be dominant microbiological flora. Food will be a problem for the live-eating neonates.

I have disassembled one of my lab's old sonicator discs, and plan to use the gyration effect to simulate prey movement in dead food. We have prepared dried brine shrimps just in case my plan fails.

 

[melfly]

I actually think you are over complicating things. Freshly hatched brine shrimp are the best nutrition, anything freeze dried or frozen is lacking in nutrition. You expect 20per cent to hatch. One hundred per cent of my 30 hatched alive. I know this is a smaller amount but the death rate if looked after correctly is not a high percentage. Basically we have given you advice to the best of our knowledge. If you choose to ignore the advice then thats totally up to you. But i would heed experienced people. Also i think you will struggle to find homes for all of them even if the initial interest appears good . 5mel

 

[gary123]

Are you still looking to rehome some of your eggs, if so i would be intrested in taking some of your hands, if you are willing to send to Scotland

 

[OldTimer]

I made the mistake this year of trying to raise hundreds of eggs...

it took an enormous amount of time raising live food for the little uns, cleaning their living quarters etc etc on a daily basis...I managed to sell about 30 babies, give away another 180 or so, and kept 14 for friends and relatives to raise.....

nine months on and I still have 11 juveniles that I need to find homes for....or alternatively build an outside pond for them, as Mrs Oldtimer wants her kitchen worktop space returned to her....where the sixty litre plastic tank housing the babies is presently kept.....

do yourself a favour and follow the wise advice that you have been given....do not raise a large amount of axies.....unless you have time and money to spare

 

[floosy]

Hi there, was just reading the forum and noticed you are speaking of a waterfall filter and gyrating the water for the young. Reading the information on caudata.org has taught me that axolotls hate much movement in the water. they will stress and become ill if their habitat is not relatively calm.

just a thought. there is so much info it is hard to take it all in, but i found that if i read up on one topic at a time, deal with that then move on to the next it is easier to digest it all.

good luck with whatever you do.

PS hundreds of juvies in a 16 gallon tray? ooh, a bit squishy. maybe your students can come up with some spare tanks?

 

[gary123]

I would be interested in either taken on some eggs, or some babies to raise, if anyone is looking to home them

 

[michaelaf]

i would take a few but i live in the us. i have been looking for some but no one in us has replied back to me.

 

[g1g5]

I would be interested in either taken on some eggs, or some babies to raise, if anyone is looking to home them

Eggs have hatched. If you still wan them and you could collect them at Ealing, tey are yours

 

[MelPlant]

Hi All,
I am new to this forum and Axolotls. I have recently purchased some Axolotl eggs. The eggs are starting to show development and look to be about 50% fertile. Some of the eggs seemed dammaged in the post but I should be able to hatch about 8 to10. The live food is also doing well. Providing I can manage to raise the young, I will be looking for some wild type eggs to get some Axolotls from a different gene pool. Any advice will be welcome.
Kindest regards to all
Mel P

 

[melfly]

Hi Mel P, i'm Mel T lol. Welcome. If you have a browse through the site there is a wanted section. You could put a little ad in there for eggs and also look at the for sale section there might be some on offer in there. Good luck. Mel.

 

[chuckieee]

Hi,
Newly hatched larvae will probably not eat non-live food.
If you intend to raise these larvae you will need to obtain a live food source ie daphnia or baby brine shrimp.
To get the best nutrition out of brine shrimp you need freshly hatched, so will need to hatch them out yourself.
You need to be prepared, once they hatch you need a food source avaiable as they will need feeding once or twice a day,
If they are in an uncycled tank you need to change the water every day.
They will need seperating so they have enough space, and at one to two months will start eating each other if not kept in plenty of space and well fed.
You will also need to start seperating when they look like they could actually swallow each other.
You need to be confident you can find homes for them all or you will end up having to find space to keep them yourself.

As you can see it is very time consuming and takes up a lot of space.
You need to make sure you dont try and raise too many or they will starve to death, which is worse than the parents eating the eggs in my opinion.
It is far more humane for them to be culled/eaten before they develop into mini axies than for them to starve to death.

I have raised 3 batches of axies but in small amounts my largest and latest was 30 and i have struggled with food sources myself, for various reasons.

If you still decide to go ahead I wish you luck and we are here to help if you need us
Mel

If i leave most of the fry in my adult axol tank, will the parents eat ALL or most of them?
if not, do you they would be dangerous to feed my fish?.. i would liek to breed, but dont want to be taking care of more than 40 fry.