Question: Feeding hatchlings frozen food?

[piaalexa]

Hi, I am struggling to find anywhere in Joburg that sells live food (daphnia, brine shrimp) or brine shrimp eggs. I have some axolotl eggs that will hatch soon and I only have frozen food to feed them. I am hoping that using a syringe and squirting small batches of defrosted brine shrimp will mimic live food.

Has anyone else been in a similar predicament? I hope that they will not starve

 

[Kerry M]

You will have great difficulty getting them to eat that way. You really need to buy some eggs from eBay ASAP. Or gumtree. Also search online and buy from suppliers. You will need a few sources of eggs, I found that some hatched better than others. When you have the eggs make two hatcheries so you can ensure a food supply. I'm sure you'll be able to source them. You could get them delivered from overseas if there are issues. It took one week for a postcard of mine to arrive from Cape Town to Sydney through regular post. I bought them online through eBay here in Australia. I suppose that could happen if you got desperate.

 

[piaalexa]

Ok I managed to find some brine shrimp eggs online (brineshrimp.co.za), yay :happy: I will do some experiments with the frozen food too though.

 

[Kaysie]

Some folks have had marginal luck using an air stone to move the water. The frozen food will kind of float in the current. Hatchlings feed by movement, they wait for something to swim by and gulp it.

 

[piaalexa]

Thank you for the tip. I am aware they only eat things that move so at least now I will have live food as backup. Out of interest have you had better survival rates feeding hatchlings with brine shrimp or daphnia? How long is it until they accept defrosted food?

 

[Kaysie]

I've fed both and noticed little difference in growth rates. I actually think they do slightly better on daphnia.

They'll usually start taking frozen food by the time their back legs start budding.

 

[piaalexa]

That's interesting because I have heard that from a breeder I met here. She only uses daphnia that she cultivates in a lake on her property. Cool thanks for the info, I was reading up on another post that you can start weaning the larvae onto defrosted food after about 2 weeks.

 

[Sirwhiskers]

Hi, I am struggling to find anywhere in Joburg that sells live food (daphnia, brine shrimp) or brine shrimp eggs. I have some axolotl eggs that will hatch soon and I only have frozen food to feed them. I am hoping that using a syringe and squirting small batches of defrosted brine shrimp will mimic live food.

Has anyone else been in a similar predicament? I hope that they will not starve

Yes it works

 

[Sirwhiskers]

Hi, I am struggling to find anywhere in Joburg that sells live food (daphnia, brine shrimp) or brine shrimp eggs. I have some axolotl eggs that will hatch soon and I only have frozen food to feed them. I am hoping that using a syringe and squirting small batches of defrosted brine shrimp will mimic live food.

Has anyone else been in a similar predicament? I hope that they will not starve

I have succeeded doing this, a mix of 1 cube frozen daphnia and 1 cub of frozen baby brine shrimp, I have small live plants that they can hide or perch on along with alder cones and 2 water changes daily using water from my mature adult tank (the water they were born in). Good luck on your quest my friend!