HELP! I have a 1 inch Axolotl and I don't know what to do!

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rheann

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Ok, I am now the proud parent of a 1 inch axolotl baby! I ordered him online from Ward's Natural Science. The Indiana Axolotl colony sold all of their babies to Ward's, so I was able to order one and will order some more if I can get the hang of caring for this one. He is about an inch long and has tiny little legs> I thought he would be more around 2 inches, so I am at a loss what to do! What should I feed him? How often should I feed him and how do I go about changing his water with out hurting him? He is so small! Can I feed him black worms if I cut them up? I never had to raise a baby axolotl before so I have no idea what to do. I just got him and he arrived safely and cool in a huge package all by his lonesome. Thanks guys! Any help will be most appreciated!
 
I read on several posts that black worms are ok to give. I am really grossed out by live black worms, they make my skin crawl and make me want to vommit, but if I have to i will use live. I was wondering if Frozen would be ok to use? I can get some tomorrow and cut them up really small. As long as they are dead they won't bother me. I think I can also get some live Daphnia. my Axolotl is about an inch long and has a really big head and a small body. He looks like a pale yellow color and he has gold eye rings. Tomorrow when there is light flooding my kitchen I will take some pictures of him and I hope they will come out good. Ward's Natural science did a wonderful job of shipping him! He wasn't packed in ice, but a sealed plastic container that looks like a small bucket with lots of packing peanuts surrounding it. He was placed in a big bag with little aquatic plants and when I got the box the outside of the box was hot but the inside was nice and cool. They did a great job
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If anyone wants any Axolotls, Ward's has a lot right now from the Colony. The Indiana University Colony sold all their babies to Ward's because they were moving. Thanks Eric for relaying that information to me!
 
Will Ward's send me some of their babies, even though I live in Australia?? and can you choose what colours you want??
 
I think to ship out of the country you have to have a permit or something. I don't know what the procedure is, maybe someone here can answer that for you. Ward's have every color available as far as I know. What I did in the comment section of the web page when I was making my order, I mentioned I wanted a gold Axolotl or any color they had available, so they sent me a very cute pale gold baby. I might order another white with black eyes if I can get all the info I need to raise the little guy. Right now I am reading in the breeding and rearing section of axolotls.org.
 
Oks. Thanks anyway. Does Ward's have a website I could check out??
I think I'm going to have to get the one I want imported, because you just can't find harlequin or piebald axolotls in Australia.
 
I am not sure if they will have those color types. I know though that they have all the other color types, wild type, gold, albino, white with black eyes, black and some other colors like white with gold spots. Here is a link to the Ward's axolotl page http://www.wardsci.com/Product.asp_Q_pn_E_878252 You can call them or email them to ask about the Halriguin and pie balds.
 
Ok, I think I got things somewhat figured out for my new little baby Axolotl from reading different posts. Here is what I got so far. Any Advice would be very helpful.

He has all four legs and all his toes so he can eat black worms and Daphnia, and I read I should feed him 3 times a day? Is that right or should it only be once a day or twice a day? he seems really healthy and very active and he is so cute! I can see his insides so I know when he eats. I think the people at Wards must have put a bit of food in his water bag because he ate tonight, he had dark spots in his belly. his head is really big so my husband dubbed him "Big head" until he gets bigger and we can give him a better name lol. I don't see any spots on him at all or any pigment other than a big of pale yellow. I might order another axolotl from the Colony on Monday. Also going to be upgrading my tank but won't have to worry about it for a while since the babies are so small and can't go in with my bigger ones for a long time. Tomorrow I will go pick up the black worms and Daphnia and see also if I can find some Brine Shrimp that are alive. As for the water changes, is there a safe way that I can change his water with out moving him out of the little container I have him in and with out stirring the water up too much? he seems really fragile and I don't want to hurt him. I will post pics of him up soon. It's really hard to get pictures at night when our apartment is already poorly lit lol. This is so exciting for me! he's so cute!
 
oh, is there a place online where i can order live Daphnia, or is he too big now for Daphnia? He's about an inch long, and all of his legs and toes are developed.
 
Rheann - Since it came from the colony it has probably been started on the small axolotl pellets.

It should be able to eat black worms if you have them available it would also would probably eat frozen bloodworms and frozen brineshrimp.

I feed juveniles twice a day.

It sounds cute I am looking forward to pictures.
 
Thanks so much Cynthia
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I put in a pellet today, I think I bought the medium sized pellets, can't remember because I bought the bag a while ago, and I put one pellet in the water last night hoping he would eat it and this morning he did and his belly was big, but he couldn't eat it all, he is so cute! I hope I can get some good pictures of him. Today while I'm out I will look for all three bloodworms, black worms and frozen brineshrimp. He's doing really great and I feel so lucky to have such a tiny little creature to look after ^_^ I will also feed him twice a day. once in the morning and once in the evening. Is there a way to change the water with out taking him out of the container and with out slushing the water too much? I worry I might hurt him if i take him out he is so small.
 
I ordered another one from Ward's this morning and he will be shipped off Monday and arrive Wednesday. i look so forward to getting him
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He will be a white one with black eyes.
 
I have extra containers and I fill an empty container up with water and mix in dechlorinator, then I take the container with the axolotl in it and I tilt it to one corner and keep my fingers over where the water will be pouring (so the water goes through my fingers). I pour the water into the sink (with stopper in place) slowly until there is just enough water left to cover the axolotl.

I then position the container with the axolotl over the container of fresh water and tilt the container and wait for the axolotl to turn face toward the corner I am going to pour from and then I pour the axolotl into the new container. Its important they are facing the right way so they just "flow into the fresh container of water" with no fighting.


That way I don't have to touch or net them. It takes a little bit of practice but the axolotls actually get to the point where they know whats happening and as soon as they are in their new container they come to the front to be fed, as I always feed them right after changing their water.
 
Thanks so much Cynthia
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Being as he is so small, he doesn't really dirty up the water much, but he does need his water changed and now I know how to do it. Thanks again so much ^_^
 
Congratulations - receiving your babies Rheann.
I'm looking forward to seeing pics as well.
When we tranfer our babies - clean water we use a spoon.
 
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