Question: My first ever axolotls and there embryos!

[robbrown]

Well I have wanted an axolotl for ages but had spent the past month trying to find some in pet shops and none of them have any. So i bought some embryos of eBay stuck them in a small 1 foot tank and wedged the plant under a ornament, I've currently got both vinegar eels and daphnia cultures running both are good food sources i understand, anyway
TODAY they started hatching, I've had two hatch so far. out of about 20.

couple of things.

1 - i know they dont like too much water movement so if i put a biofoam air powered filter in the tank would that be ok??
2 - They are just lying on the bottom of the tank,, are they supposed to be swimming?
3 - My water seems to be quite cold recently around 14-16c should i get a heater ?
4 - How old do they need to be before i can move them into a new tank and how do i go about moving them without damaging them?

Thanks for the help guys really excited

 

[yellowpebble]

hey! congrats on your babies! best of luck with them.

If they are newly hatched its best not to use a filter yet because they are so small. keep pairs/triplets of them in separate containers (some people keep singles but it shouldn't matter) with a low water level. Change this every day and they will not need a filter. When they grow to a few inches you can transfer them to a tank with a filter. Just keep them topped up with food and they will be fine.

14c is a bit cool, 16 is fine. It shouldn't harm them at all, they might develop a bit slower though, but no issue. They might not be moving much because of this.

moving can be done with a spoon, cup or tea strainer. I have heard putting your thumb over a straw will suck up the baby without harm. a turkey baster can be used too, but is not recommended.

 

[robbrown]

Ahhh yeah my water is about 4 inches high at the moment as the plant the eggs are all attatched to stands that high and i didnt want any of the eggs to be out of the water, so they need to be in seperate containers even before they grow, is this due to canabilism or just space? because it would be much easier to clean and definately feed them if they were in one tank but i spose i better go and get a few tupperware tubs. i cant see a spoon getting them very easily they dart around very quickly when the tank is nudged i just found out as i stubbed my toe. im hoping that my bbs emergency arrives tommorow as my cultures have not been doing very well, and the axolotls dont seem to be interested in the tiny vinegar worms.
When i do water changes for the little ones do i need to put them in a seperate container and change all the water or wha???

 

[Johan]

Hi! Congrats on the little ones!

Also good food for axolotls from 0 to 3 cm is Artemia Nauplii (brine shrimp).
On this link it says: "Very young larvae can be kept together without much risk of cannibalism since this really only begins once the front legs develop. When very young they should be fed frequently (once or twice daily)." I hope this helps a bit.