Question: Is my rearing tank set up okay?

[KardeAxol]

I am new to breeding axolotl but I have done a lot of reading to make sure I know what to do each step.

The tank is 30cm long, width 13cm, water depth is 14cm and temperatures will stay between 21-24°C (70-75°F) but I will buy a temperature strip to keep record. I´m using a small filter which isn´t very strong and doesn't case the eggs to move around.

Here are some pictures of the tank, please let me know if I am doing anything wrong, thanks in advance :happy:

 

[sde]

The filter looks to strong to me.....

 

[KardeAxol]

The filter looks to strong to me.....

Then would you be able to suggest what I could do instead of just what I shouldn´t be doing?

 

[sde]

It might just look stronger in the picture that it actually is in real life, hard to tell. But if you can find out how many gallons/liters it pumps a hour, and how many gallons/liter the tank holds i should be able to tell you if its too strong -Seth

 

[soberish]

Turn the filter off, eggs do not give off waste. Once they hatch you will need to lower the water level so they are not searching for food, I normally only have an inch of wtaer with hatchlings and do daily water changes.

Albino mother, what's the father ?

 

[KardeAxol]

Turn the filter off, eggs do not give off waste. Once they hatch you will need to lower the water level so they are not searching for food, I normally only have an inch of wtaer with hatchlings and do daily water changes.

Albino mother, what's the father ?

I have taken the filter out and will eventually adjust the water. The mother is spotted golden albino and the father is a black melanoid. Do you know what the babies colours will be?

 

[AnimlEnthusiast]

I would really love to see what the babies look like when they hatch, especially their coloration. Please post pictures.

I have taken the filter out and will eventually adjust the water. The mother is spotted golden albino and the father is a black melanoid. Do you know what the babies colours will be?

 

[HannahMarie]

The peak temperature seems a bit high. Aim for 65-70F or 18-21C. The cooler the better.
It looks like a lot of eggs! If all the eggs hatch that tank might be a bit too crowded. That can be adjusted as they develop of course. The numbers I've heard are 5 per sandwich sized container or 10-15 per shoebox sized container. I would suggest getting a few plastic tubs since the eggs will hatch at different times (I found a set of 4 shoebox sized ones for $8 and it was a worthy investment). Put the hatchlings into the tub(s) as they hatch with 100% dechlorinated water changes daily and transfer to a new tub a bare minumum of once per week to prevent bacteria/waste/other nasties building up. Then once all the eggs hatch you can judge how many will fit in that tank and transfer them.
There is another post about food going now too that I just posted to if you want tips on that.
Hope that all makes sense and helps! Good luck!

 

[EmbryH]

The tank looks great for eggs, but you're probably going to be wanting more space once everyone hatches.

I've kept my little ones in 6 and 12 quart tubs, starting with an inch of water, and 2.5-3 inches of water now that they're older. The shallow water makes it easier for them to feed, and also makes it easier to ensure that everyone is eating enough.

You'll want multiple containers after a few weeks, because you'll want to separate them according to size. The biggest ones are also the most voracious eaters, and sometimes they'll pick on the smaller babies when they're feeling peckish.

How many are you intending to raise? I've got around 70 now. I have four 6 quart tubs and two 12 quart tubs, but once the babies started to get a lot bigger, I had to get a 10gal tub and I've recently put my ten largest juveniles in my spare 20gal, so if you're wanting to raise a lot, you'll need a lot of containers. Overestimate the amount of space you'll need, and you won't regret it.

(I should mention that for the 10gal tub, which is only filled about 4-5 inches, I use a small filter that used to go on my betta's tank similar to this. It has a weak flow, so it doesn't disturb them with the current. For the 20gal, I'm using an aqueon filter, but I have a tank divider positioned in front of the flow to block the current, and that seems to be working. I'm still doing the daily water changes on these containers, but the filters have drastically helped the water quality.)