Keeping males & females together without breeding?

[HeavenlyCharmed]

Hey,

Is there any way of keeping male & female Axolotls together without them breeding? I am going to purchase two more juveniles soon and as you can't tell their sex from that age what do I do if they're male & female? I can't afford alot of tanks to be separating them so can you keep them together without the constant breeding or else I fear I might need to give one or more up if they're opposite sexes !
Thanks,

Matt

 

[Bellabelloo]

I personally would not keep different sexes together as they will most certainly reproduce. I initially kept two unsexed axolotl together, at approx. 6 months it was more apparent which one was male, but the other was a little younger and less obvious. When it reached 10 to 11 months it seemed to reach maturity ( it was a golden one and the toes tips went greyish). With in days she prooved that she was female and proceeded to lay eggs, she repeated this the following two months. I ended up rehoming her as I do not yet have the space for the ammount of tanks I want. I have raised some of the offspring and have kept only the obvious males.
I find keeping axolotl far more addictive than I ever thought possible! I would dearly love to have a leucistic ( white) male but I have to show some patience as I am not going to risk having another female. I have yet to hear of a way to keep the opposite sexes from breeding. I really would try to resist getting any more just yet if you can.

 

[oceanblue]

I've the same problem, three tanks, one with the small one and three others of as yet indeterminate sex, getting rather large but not obviously male or female. I don't want to breed before next winter but am not sure I have separated the sexes.

Since axolotls breed in the wild in winter and there is some suggestion they still respond to day length I'm keeping mine lit for 16 hours a day, longer than the high summer illumination of about 14 hours they will get in late June in their native north tropical lakes. The light is not very bright and they have lots of plants and hiding places.

I doubt this will be totally effective, but suspect that keeping axolotls in less than 12 Hours light (corresponding to Mexico City winter) encourages continuous breeding.