New to axolotls have got some eggs

[melfly]

Ok
I have some eggs which i am gonna keep in a container til they are hatched.
The main tank is not quite ready.
I am gonna use play sand - is this ok?
I have ordered the microworms and brine shrimp eggs.

I have read that once hatched you need to do a 100% water change daily for 2 weeks, i dont have a parent tank so can i use tap water that has been dechlorinated?

do i need to moniter the temp of my eggs?

Thanks
Mel

 

[blueberlin]

Hi Mel,

You do not need any sand or other substrate in the hatchery. Most people keep hatchlings in small containers (ice cream tubs, etc.), separating them as they grow to give the larvae enough space to eat without accidentally biting their siblings. The water in these containers needs to be changed daily for the entire time the larvae occupy the containers. Dechlorinated water is fine, just try to avoid drastic temperature changes - i.e., let the water sit overnight for the water change the next day, so that it is the same temp as the water in the containers.

You can read up on breeding and rearing on the following pages of axolotl.org:
http://www.axolotl.org/breeding.htm
http://www.axolotl.org/rearing.htm

Good luck to you and congratulations on the eggs - it is so much fun to watch them develop!

-Eva

 

[melfly]

Thanks for your reply

So how long will i keep them in the hatching containers?
Thanks

Mel

 

[melfly]

Also
A few of the eggs are cloudy, is this normal or are they dead?

Thanks
Mel

 

[blueberlin]

The nice thing about small containers is that they make it possible to keep food concentrated around the larvae. Young larvae find their food by its movement and so they need to be literally swimming in food for the first couple of weeks. This is much easier to ensure in a small container than in a bigger tank. Other than that, you can keep them in anything you want. I kept mine in net baskets hung around the edges of the parents' tank, which was established by then. That saved me from having to do the water changes, and having little conbtainers all over the house.

Assuming that you raise the larvae in little containers, I guess you could put them into a "big aquarium" once they have their hind legs, because at this point they can also hunt by smell as well as movement and are able to seek food, not just to snap at something moving in front of their noses. If I remember correctly, that will take about 2 months.

The cloudy eggs could be duds, yes. The embryos develop very quickly, though, so within a couple of days you will see which are growing and which are not.

-Eva

 

[melfly]

Thank you
I'll keep everyone posted on the eggs!
I'm so excited hope it all goes well!

Mel

 

[blueberlin]

Don't suppose you have a camera handy, hmmmm?

-Eva

 

[melfly]

I have a camera without batteries at the mo
I'll pick some up tonight and get a few shots

Mel