Help with baby axolotl BBS feedings.

[axolotl2016]

I have 200 baby axolotls that have hatched. They are all currently in a 10 gallon tank. I will be getting plastic cups to house them each on their own. But cant get the cups for a week. Will the cups be on to keep them in for a while? Also i have to hatcherys set up. I drained it this morning at 9:30am and they have been eating all morning it is now 12:30noon. and they are still eating. how long should i leave the BBS in the tank before doing a water change? they are currently still alive and there is a lot of BBS in the tank. I put as much as the pack said but seems to be a lot. So also should i only feed them once a day seeing as there is so many BBS hatching?

My questions:
A: Is plastic cups ok to house baby axies
B: How long is it ok to leave BBS in with baby axies
C: How long after feeding BBS do i wait to do a water change
D: Should I only feed once a day due to high number of BBS hatching

 

[xxianxx]

Be prepared to spend hours everyday for the next three months doing water changes if your going to raise them individually. The link should help you http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...sing-baby-axolotls-baby-brine-shrimp-bbs.html

 

[axolotl2016]

Yes i know how to hatch the BBS and to do a water change. But i put the BBS in the tank this morning at 9:30am its now 6:30pm the BBS are still swimming around in there do i need to remove them? or leave them until 9:30am when i feed them again? and do a water change before i put the fresh BBS in? Will they be ok in the 10 gallon tank then if the cups are going to be harder? right now there is 200 babies

 

[LSuzuki]

I change the water in the evening even if the bbs are still swimming, since they are likely to die overnight.

My personal experience: you can raise them together as long as you have constant access to food that is more appealing than their siblings limbs. The only food I know of that meets that criteria is black worms. (Evil Ian probably knows other foods - he is very experienced.) And since you are in the US, you can get black worms shipped to you fairly easily.

However, black worms need as much care as the baby axolotls, and require refrigeration. (Some people keep them in a tank at room temps, but I have not tried that myself.)

In my opinion, a 10-gal doesn't have enough "floor space" for 200 babies, plus it is hard to do 100% water changes with a real tank. Shallow zip-lock containers can house several larger babies and are easy to do water changes on. And you can use the 10 gal to hold the dechlorinated fresh water.

 

[axolotl2016]

Ok sounds good i will change the water at 9:30pm so they have had a food supply for a good 12 hours. Will the 10 gallon be ok for about a week? i can get plastic cups the 28th when i get paid but am broke until then. the BBS has been working really good with my set up they hatch in 20 hours thanks for all the help!

 

[LSuzuki]

My 100 or so are going to be in less floor-space than a 10 gal for at least a few weeks, so as long as you can do the water changes on the 10 gal (I'm sure I would mess it up), they should be fine. :happy:

 

[axolotl2016]

i did the water change and got almost all the stuff out of it but found it very hard to put water back in it without it make the babies go everywhere poor little guys are probably dizzy

 

[Nina Willis]

I have found that plastic shoe boxes work well. You can keep more than one baby in them ( i cuttently have 65 in one contaner) and it is easier to change. I drain most of the water out, then carefully dump the babies into a contaner with fresh water. I change once a day, and have been using a coffe strainer for the bbs. Seems to be workung so far.? Mine are a month old and are developing some nice front legs. Good luck with yours!

Nina

 

[axolotl2016]

I have found that plastic shoe boxes work well. You can keep more than one baby in them ( i cuttently have 65 in one contaner) and it is easier to change. I drain most of the water out, then carefully dump the babies into a contaner with fresh water. I change once a day, and have been using a coffe strainer for the bbs. Seems to be workung so far.? Mine are a month old and are developing some nice front legs. Good luck with yours!

Nina

hopefully they do ok until next Thursday when i get paid i will have to get some!

 

[xxianxx]

You can keep small axolotls at surprisingly high concentrations as long as you maintain water quality, when they first hatch they are too similar a size to predate each other and have no legs to bite off, apart from the stubby front legs, so it doesn't impact them. The two pics shows 200 newly hatched axolotls in a 15 liter tub, the other a couple hundred at four weeks old in 45 liters, both are on twice daily water changes and feeds. The bigger ones will be separated into two batches this weekend to reduce stocking density and are being transferred onto chopped whiteworm for one of their daily feeds.