New Zealand members question please

[MrsFrog]

Hi fellow Kiwis

I'm wondering this...if my Axies breed is there a high enough demand in NZ for Axolotls for it to be worth me keeping eggs and raising them...or would I end up with too many Axies and no homes for them?? (Which by the way I would refuse to do). I only have 3 pet shops around my region which I could approach and I know people sell Axies on Trade Me...but are their any other outlets available around NZ? Maybe Axolotl groups that take babies or something lol?? Have any of you breed Axies and successfully found homes for them all and if so how difficult was this? Sorry about all the questions but I just want to have more knowledge before I end up with eggs to hatch....or not. Thanks.

 

[Daniel]

Hey MrsFrog,

I am not a Kiwi but I have to admit that this is a really thoughtful and farseeing question you put here. Better this way around than the other way - "...got 50 juveniles and don't know what to do with them..."

My respect for this, seriously!

 

[MrsFrog]

Hey MrsFrog,

I am not a Kiwi but I have to admit that this is a really thoughtful and farseeing question you put here. Better this way around than the other way - "...got 50 juveniles and don't know what to do with them..."

My respect for this, seriously!

Thanks , I love my Axies so much and I just couldn't bear the thought of having unwanted ones so better to play safe I think.

 

[mary_kate]

Hi Carley

I bred about 50 axies last year (to be honest I only wanted a few but more survived than I anticipated). I kept 5, my local petshop, which seems to treat axies intelligently, bought about 30 of them and I sold the rest on Trade Me. But it isn't as easy as that may sound. Pet shops will only take them if it suits them.... so ask before you turn up with a bucket load of the wee things. There was reasonable interest from the local area on Trade Me but I wouldn't like to depend on that source if I had dozens of hungry, snapping little juveniles to find homes for.

Have you raised axies before? My experience is that it was hugely satisfying but very time-consuming. The small payment from the petstore - in store credit - did not cover my costs in raising them. I'd raise only a dozen or so in future....

All the best with your plans. Cheers.

 

[DantezGirl]

Hawau

Hi as im new to the axolotl's i was wondering the same thing about breeding one day in a few years when im more settled and have the knowledge and funds to breed axolotls.

Im guessing you would need the time money space and buyers also may be control how many you will let servive then as you become well known and your customers increase allow more to surviive

also have a breeding set up say a few cycled tanks one with breeding adults one for quarantine one for the babies and maybe one for those that dont seem to sell is what i would do.

Ive noticed a little demand but if your in the south not sure how much demand there is down there may be some advertizeing to see how demand is your way? up north is a lilttle demand but not many breeders up here.

So yea thats my little two cents worth on what i would do also check into courier and priceing as you may have to courier them from time to time depending.

DantezGirl Axolotl Breeder For The Central North Island In Training

 

[Bellabelloo]

You really need to talk to the pet shop managers/ owners. In my case I spoke to the owner of an aquatic centre ( situated in the countryside next to a garden center) when I was looking for fresh water shrimp. I mentioned I had axolotl and was he intersted in seeing them ..which he did. I then had my suprise batch of eggs and the owner offered to take them on when they started happily eating bloodworm etc. I instead decided to raise them on further my self as my children and their friends where interested. Yesterday I took 6 of the juveniles to him..which where eating live food and pellets , and he near enough begged me to raise more. In my case I won't for the time being as we do not have very much space. Maybe raise a small batch and first and then see what they might like to do.

 

[kapo]

There is a market if you breed and ship golden albino or white albino axolotls, not so much the wildtypes or leucistics. These axolotls, goldens and white albino, are hard to come by in some areas of NZ, hence the price difference when breeders sell them compared to wildtypes/leucs.

I agree with Deb regarding time and money spent raising them and the petshop comment. Very few petshops will actually pay you enough money per axolotl, so you may be left with a few. One young guy in our area had 30 to get rid of and the petshop knew he was desperate and only offered him $3 per axolotl, and took 3 (they had initially said they'd take all of them). He eventualy sold them in groups of 5, but still didn't make up the money he spent buying things like water ager, brineshrimp eggs, daphnia cultures etc...

There are quite a few experienced and well known breeders in the North Island that do regularly ship their axolotls and trade quite well on Trademe, some will singly or in groups of 8 or more (which draws more buyers obviously) - very few of them sell their juveniles through the petshops. There are some breeders down in the South Island but very few ship as they aren't confident enough to ship them. I've shippped eggs round the country but a bit wary about shipping juveniles. All mine were sold locally. By selling locally you can glut your local area and will end up with competition if you intend breeding, especially if they too decide to "breed" them in the hopes of making money (which believe me most do try at least once or twice!)

 

[Murray]

I'm raising my first batch of 50. In my effort to learn about and get food/equipment for raising these youngsters all the pet shops I went into showed interest in taking them when they are big enough but they dont pay much, about $5 each. This will barely cover costs. I didnt discuss how many they are prepared to take so I'm yet to find out.Next time I wont raise so many. I am interested in a previous comment that wild types aren't in demand. I like the look of wild types and would be keen to get some eggs or a juvenile in the future. If any kiwi breeders can put me onto some I would appreciate it.

 

[kapo]

Hi Murray, don't you have a black one? Chances are that is a wildtype rather than a melanoid - NZers tend to call them black or brown. From a wildtype you can get varied shades of grey and dark brown, almost black looking, brown spotty looking ones. Ours range in colour from dark brown to almost black, others are dark on top and their faces then grey sides and underbelly.

 

[ianclick]

Hi Carley I agree with Kapo,
Two hamilton petshops have axolotls only leucistic and dark coloured wild types $20 for 10cm juveniles.
If you had Goldens, Melanoids or Albinos i'd say you would be in the money I have seen them forsale for $60 an adult.

I guess the hardest bit of selective breeding is the selective bit.

All this having been said, What the world needs is more axies.

Good Luck

 

[Murray]

Thanks guys, I didnt know the blacks were a wildtype however I have not seen any variation in the colour as adults, they all seen to go very dark i.e. black. I've seen photos of some that are greens and light browns but haven't seen then in the pet shops. I havent been looking long though so I'll be patient and see what crops up.

 

[kapo]

Ours were initially green and light brown, but as they matured they went varying shades I mentioned above. You should check out the photo gallery as the Australians seem to have a very nice blend of light wildtype colours (some almost look like a caramel or mocha chocolate in colour!)

 

[MrsFrog]

I do have 2 golden albino axies, unsure of sex yet as they are juvies, my other 3 are wildtypes and one white with black eyes. My female, bella, has a very swollen tummy at the moment and she seems to be waddling almost...i'm worried that it might be a stone, i had to have her in a stone floor tank for 2 days, i have put her in the fridge hoping if its a stone she will pass it...but could she be full of eggs and then eek should i get her out of the fridge asap??