Can i keep larvae together?

[Wild TONY appeared!]

I'm going to be getting a 150 gallon tank soon and was wondering if I'd be able to keep my larvae together in it after my axies breed? And if so, how many?

 

[Minniechild]

Nice size!
The problem you're going to have is separating out the adults from the larvae- axies use their lateral lines to snap up their dinner, so any babies that get in range of an adult are automatic dinner (Unlike the Giant Salamanders, axies aren't really good mummies and daddies...). Additionally, the babies are VERY good at getting into small places, so if you use a separator, it'll need to be a very good one! Not to mention considering how you're going to feed them (?). A different option is to take all the eggs out, raise them in tupperware containers until they're 2-3 inches long (So they can't sneak around so easily!) and then move them into a well divided tank.

 

[Wild TONY appeared!]

Nice size!
The problem you're going to have is separating out the adults from the larvae- axies use their lateral lines to snap up their dinner, so any babies that get in range of an adult are automatic dinner (Unlike the Giant Salamanders, axies aren't really good mummies and daddies...). Additionally, the babies are VERY good at getting into small places, so if you use a separator, it'll need to be a very good one! Not to mention considering how you're going to feed them (?). A different option is to take all the eggs out, raise them in tupperware containers until they're 2-3 inches long (So they can't sneak around so easily!) and then move them into a well divided tank.

Well I have a pond for fridging purposes and a tank for my adults, but I was just wondering if the 150 gallon would be enough for the larvae. I might get seperators to have the wildtypes and color morphs seperate. The tupperware is a good idea.

 

[Minniechild]

Going from the experiences of Molly's siblings (not the ones I raised), they were brought up (200 of them) in a 4ft/ 50gal tank with massive amounts of blackworms.
The things I guess you'd have to look out for are how you're going to get food to them- baby brine shrimp die and decay very quickly, so something like blackworms or daphnia would most likely be your best bet (so your water doesn't start swinging crazily), but you still need to have a good concentration of food for them to find with ease-something I fret about for my new hatchlings (so far 4 of them- three more still in their eggs!), and they're on gut loaded microworms (which stay alive for at least 24 hours) in a 30 by 30cm square container only 3cm of water deep...

Hopefully someone who's raised dozens of times will now chime in with some further info on how to best do it

 

[Wild TONY appeared!]

Going from the experiences of Molly's siblings (not the ones I raised), they were brought up (200 of them) in a 4ft/ 50gal tank with massive amounts of blackworms.
The things I guess you'd have to look out for are how you're going to get food to them- baby brine shrimp die and decay very quickly, so something like blackworms or daphnia would most likely be your best bet (so your water doesn't start swinging crazily), but you still need to have a good concentration of food for them to find with ease-something I fret about for my new hatchlings (so far 4 of them- three more still in their eggs!), and they're on gut loaded microworms (which stay alive for at least 24 hours) in a 30 by 30cm square container only 3cm of water deep...

Hopefully someone who's raised dozens of times will now chime in with some further info on how to best do it

If the tank was heavily planted and had daphnia in it long before the eggs so that there'd be many of them, would that work? I'm planning on getting other things as treats also.

 

[Minniechild]

With my own babies (Molly, her kids (the first batch sadly all gone), and the new bunch I suspect are Bertie's kids), they've all loved hiding in the java moss I keep in with them, though it does make keeping an eye on them a bit more difficult...
Also the planting will help minimise the number of cannibalistic losses- another big factor, and you've got a few months to let it all grow before breeding season begins