Cannibalism

[Walkebra000]

When is it safe to put the juveniles together? once the back legs come in i separated but when can i put them all back together?

 

[Boomsloth]

Mine have been together since I bought them when they were about 2"
Even though they arrived with some missing limbs, they have never injured or bitten each other. I make sure they are fed and have clean water. Now they are all around 6" or more. If axolotls are hungry they will try to eat anything that moves and can fit in their mouths. This includes limbs and gills. Keeping them fed prevents them from attacking each other out of hunger, but also remember that sometimes it still won't work out between axolotls.

 

[Sassafras]

Mine are about a month apart in age, but the breeder I got them from kept them together after they were both about 1.5" and Peut had a missing foot when I got him, but after I put them in their 40 gal they have now, they have not had any problems.

But I know that's not the case with everyone's lotls! Especially if they have smaller tanks and less hiding places. I think that's a big factor of it.

 

[auntiejude]

If axies are well fed they shouldn't nip too much. I don't separate mine at all, I keep them in community groups of about 20 and thin them out as they get bigger, I have very few problems with nipping.

There is no 'safe' point when you can keep them together, as there is no 'unsafe' point when they need to be separated!

 

[michael]

I keep mine together from hatching. If fed enough and properly housed they will not eat other axolotls of the same size.

 

[Mevv]

Just curious, but do axolotls intentionally go out of their way to attack tanks mates or is the aggression only based on movement and relating that to a food source?

 

[xxianxx]

Just curious, but do axolotls intentionally go out of their way to attack tanks mates or is the aggression only based on movement and relating that to a food source?

With similar sized adults its generally accidental. Small juvies will predate each other if the food source is inadequate or the batch isn't split by size, missing limbs are more common in smaller axolotls than adults.

 

[bugdozer]

With similar sized adults its generally accidental. Small juvies will predate each other if the food source is inadequate or the batch isn't split by size, missing limbs are more common in smaller axolotls than adults.

I believe the higher incidence in missing limbs in juvies is simply because it requires hardly any force for the limb to come off. The ratio of jaw strength to limb attachment strength in young axies is higher than in adults. Combine that with the bigger appetite of juvies compared to adults and you have a higher chance of a limb going missing.

But I do agree that the predation at any age is usually accidental rather than a deliberate choice of food source.