Question: Sooo many questions!! New axie eggs on there way!

[DigitalSkin]

Hi

I have 5 axolotl eggs on there way to me and am deciding what to feed them when they hatch.

My questions are:

* what can u feed them once they hatch, can i feed rgem live bloodworms?

* how much live food do they need per feeding (so i can make sure i have the right stock!)

* when (in weeks) can i put them onto frozen food and when onto pellets?*

* at what age do i have to separate them so that they dont eat each other and when can they go back together!!

Thanks very much*
=DS=

 

[Shizeric]

Young daphnia, micro worm, and newly-hatched brine shrimp (minus the cyst shells) are ideal first foods. Once the larvae are 3 cm (just over 1 inch) in length, they can take larger foods, such as frozen bloodworm, chopped earthworms, chopped tubifex and white worms. Most bloodlines of axolotl are quite cannibalistic, so don't keep many in one tank. At 24°C (75°F), they should be fed twice a day as much as they will eat in 20-30 minutes, until they measure 10 cm (4 inches). Less frequent feedings will result in lots of lost limbs, gills and deaths. At lower temperatures they can be fed less frequently. Once past 15 cm (6 inches), they become more docile. Well fed and kept at 24°C (75°F) it is possible for them to reach 25 cm (10 inches) and sexual maturity in less than 6 months.

From Caudata Culture's Axolotl page.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_mexicanum.shtml

 

[DigitalSkin]

Thanx for the info.

So how long (on average) does it take for them to get to 3cm? And whilst on live food if i order daphnia how much would i expect to need per day? They seem to sell them in 100ml bags on ebay - would that do 5 babies a day/week?

Thanks for any and all help given!

 

[Shizeric]

Daphnia are fairly easy to raise/breed, so if you order them on ebay, and setup a tank for them you'd have an unlimited supply.

The speed of a baby's growth depends on a lot of factors...temperature, feeding schedule, genetics...even babies from the same batch of eggs won't grow at exactly the same speed.

 

[DigitalSkin]

So do i need a full tank setup ie filter heater and all to breed daphnia or can i just chuck them in a bucket of water?

Also can i feed them microworms? As they are easy to culture.

Thanks

 

[Kaysie]

With daphnia, just chuck 'em into a bucket. I've found that the less you fuss with daphnia cultures, the better they do.

Microworms will only be a relevant size for a short while. Your axolotls will quickly grow too big to recognize them as food. Daphnia are a more appropriate size for longer. The babies are good for small larvae, while the adults will be appropriate for older larvae.