Third time unlucky - why no eggs!?

[amy]

my axies are definately mature, i get s'phores but not eggs. i have the tank ready for the eggs and all the stuff i need to raise the babies but the closest i get is s'pores. this is the third, possibly fourth time ive found s'phores in the tank and yet i still have no eggs!!! is bailey just doing a bad job leading tia over the s'phores or is she missing the maternal instinct? help me! i want babies!!!

 

[jenny]

how old again did you say your axies are?

They might be mature - and with the male it is okay, but the female it is a lot of strain on her to have eggs if she has just matured. it says on axolotl.org that 18 months is the best time. my axolotl that had babies is 3 years old. and the male is at least a year (when i bought him the pet shop did not know the age but said they had him 7 months and he is the same size as when they got him) so i suppose really he is at least 17/18 months old.

I really wanted eggs a few months ago and was hoping all the time they would lay them then i gave up and forgot about the egg thing and they layed eggs - and the female with a different male than i thought she would.

Be patient. it is breeding season so if it is meant to happen it will.

are your parents okay with you trying to breed them?

 

[amy]

i dont know how old they are but id say about 15 months ish. my parents are fine with me breeding them. as long as they dont spew into any other rooms theyre fine! thanks jenny. ill just wait for it to happen then. i suppose ive got bettas that are just about to breed so ill deal with that first.

 

[mik]

Amy, you need to stand on a chair and shout "do it do it do it", at the top of your voice.

Seriously though, some just don't seem to want to. I put Tweak and Arwen in a breeder tank again last week and nothing doing. Pity really Arwens looking really foxy too ;-) Both I believe are about 3 years young now.

Only trick I can suggest is put them in a smaller container for mating so that when he has laid the s'phores and starts to "shove her about", she can't get away so easy. You could also try adding some elodea or weed to simulate an egg laying surface.

I will give Tweak and Arwen to the end of the week and will either put my goldens together or my melanoids for a week and see how they get on. But as Jenny says sometimes you just gotta wait and see.

 

[amy]

thanks for the tip, mik! ill drop the temperature tonight and put them in a tub. if nothing happens ill give up. looks like ive picked up a gay betta too! lol.

 

[elisheba]

amy, it is my goal to eventually produce and market the first-ever internet axolotl porn. seriously, i think "axolotl porn" is possibly the only two-word search term including porn to turn up no hits! anyway sometime i'll catch them in the act and publish it far and wide, hopefully with a great soundtrack, to encourage axos everywhere, lol!

 

[cynthia]

:::seriously, i think "axolotl porn" is possibly the only two-word search term including porn to turn up no hits! :::


I think I am afraid to check lol

 

[mik]

Elisheba, can't help you with the porn but i did post a piccy some time ago in the gallery of my young wildtype laying.

 

[amy]

whats the name of the topic, mik?

 

[mik]

Hi AMy sorry I can't remember but here's a couple of piccys or Ariel laying.

This last ones is of Cobweb and Saphy (M&F) cos they're cute.

 

[amy]

thanks mik. ariel looks just like my tia! bless her. ive given up on the babies for the time being (so by sods law ill get some pretty soon or while i dont have a tank free!). im waiting to make sure 100% the anchor worms are gone cos i dont really want the babies getting them too. 3 sick axies is quite enough for me, thank you very much!

 

[amy]

just to clarify, is it 24 hours you have to wait after the s'phores are deposited or 48 hours cos ive heard both. and if it is 24 hours then ive just had another false alarm to add to my collection.... i tried forgetting about it! i really did! but then the s'phores came and im back on the wagon again. ho hum...

 

[mik]

lol amy typically the male lays s'phores and gets the female to pick them up same night. So the ones you see in the tank are normally leftovers. But if he can convince a female to pick some up later, next evening say then that's ok too.

However, the female wil normally start laying eggs 24-48 hours after mating. My experience leans towards the 24 hours but Ariel layed all her eggs over a two day period last time.

Energetic weekend for her that one...