My Totally Unexpected Eggs Hatch

[Otterwoman]

Here's an update on my T. alpestris eggs. They are hatching, while more continue to be laid!
There must be about ten, but I can't always see them.

[Cameron Cheri]

Good Luck raising them.(^.^)

[jody fabre]

wow thats great good luck with them =)

[Charles Napier]

How are the larvae doing Dawn?

[Otterwoman]

Thank you for asking! They seem to be doing very well. They always look the same to me but my neighbor sees them about once a week and says they look larger. I was actually thinking of trying cut up blackworms today, though that might be a little ambitious for their size still. Just a few because I don't want to foul the tank/cause an imbalance since it's going really nicely. I have them in a natural sort of tank, with pond water and pond vegetation, and it's impossible to see them all, but I'm thinking there must be about 25-30.
(Edit)
Why does this always happen? I'm supposed to be doing chores and instead I start taking newt pics and posting them.
So here are some pics I decided to take instead of cleaning up around here.
The first pic is of a larva in the "pond" tank, and the second the same pic so you can see a little better the conditions of the tank.
The third pic is of some stray hatchlings that are from eggs I missed in the parents' tank. There's about 5+ in there. I'm going to leave them in there to see if they can find enough food in that type of tank to get big enough to eat cut up blackworms and also I don't think the parents will eat them because I spoiled them on worms-in-a-jar and these babies move too fast for those lazy sluggards.

[Cameron Cheri]

Looks GREAT!

[Charles Napier]

Looks like your doing a great job Dawn, keep up the good work. I know how hard it is raising larvae.
My marm's are just starting to come out of the water, so now I have to setup a new tank for them this weekend.

[Otterwoman]

Here's pictures today of my Alplings.
The first two are pictures from the main larvae tank,
the last is a larva from the parents' tank, which again, I'm leaving
in to see how they do in there. To be honest, I don't think they look any different than
the previous pictures, they don't even look bigger to me. But no matter, as long as they're
doing OK. Also I have no real count of how many are in the main larvae tank. I'll just wait until they
morph and count then (isn't there a phrase, "Don't count your newts till they morph")?

[Otterwoman]

Here they are again, about a week later. They vary in size, some seem very large (gigantic at 3/4 inch or so!) and some look like they've just hatched. See? there are three in this picture of different sizes.

[Chris Gagnon]

I would recommend seperating the different size larvae before the smaller ones begin to mysteriously disappear.

[Heather Jewett]

I would second what Chris said - my 3 very small Maa larvae were eating poorly and not growing until I moved them to their own container. Now they are growing well, but still not as large as their 7 other siblings. But lookin' good, and keep us posted!
Heather

[Otterwoman]

Here's one of the Alplings before I go on vacation tomorrow for two weeks...(of course I'm supposed to be packing and that's why I'm taking newt photos). I think they're so large now, they'll be biting my fingers off when I come home! You can't see so well, but there are arms and legs.
The first is an Alpling, the second pic is of a Taricha granulosa larva. A woman that CBs them sent me a bunch of eggs about a month ago, and I finally got one in the lens (albeit somewhat blurry). As they get larger, I can get better photos plus I'm thinking of getting a new camera with a 12x zoom.
And so no one worries, I'm having someone from the petstore, who is a pro at cutting up worms, come and feed them while I'm away.
Not the guy who thinks "what do newt people know about eggs," someone else that works there.

[Otterwoman]

Here are my alplings today. They are catching up in size to the others!
I thought I posted these pics earlier today. I guess I didn't?

[Otterwoman]

I just decided today to make their landing pads. I have a question about the morphs...these alpestris newts seem to be the most aquatic of anything I have, they never haul out. When the larvae morph, will they, and if so for how long, want to be terrestrial? How moist should I make it? I was thinking of doing the moist paper towel routine, or I also have cotton flannel that I have used in the past (well rinsed out before using for newts).
Thanks

[Otterwoman]

It's like, overnight, they just became orange! They grow so quickly! But none have morphed yet.

I'm giving four of the larvae to my friend today, the pet store owner who says "what do newt people know about eggs?", and the rest I'll keep for a while longer. If I have more than 4 that make it to adults, though, I'll be posting in the Give Away section...
Though, like I made up, "don't count your newts before they morph."

Good thing I can see how many people have looked at my pictures, otherwise I'd be wondering if anyone is reading this thread...

[John Clare]

Keep up the good work.

[Heather Jewett]

Dawn, I have been wondering the same thing about the morphs set up. So far I only have two morphs and they are hanging out on my java moss island (styrafoam covered with the java). They still look to me like they have good body condition, but I have yet to see them in the water since morphing. I only offer blackworms and small chunks of earthworm, but these food items are both in the water. I would think that they will go back in the water to eat, but in case they don't should I be offering them other food items? I have tried feeding some worm on the end of a toothpick, but they both shy away from this and I have not been succesful so far. So any input from you experienced Maa keepers would be great!
Heather

[Otterwoman]

I was wanting to post these pictures a few days ago, but my computer inexplicably woudn't let me upload pics to the site. But it seems to have fixed itself!
I had spent a long time with my camera trying to take nice shots of my BABIES to post. Here are my best shots I've been trying to post for about 3 days.

[Heather Jewett]

So how many morphs do you have now, Dawn? And how many more to go? Good luck with them, I am looking forward to mine growing up, but its ok by me it they want to wait another year or so before becoming parents! I have 7 moprhs, one near morph with just stumps for gills, and 2 more larvae that don't appear to be losing their gills at all. Oh, and how many adults did you start with? Good luck with them all, and I have enjoyed your updates.
Heather

[Otterwoman]

I started with three adults, a male and two females, that were only born last year! I got them in Feb. from M. Shrom. I thought it would be another year at least before they were old enough to breed. I have already given away 8 of the larvae, a couple of which have morphed since I gave them away. I have at least that many left, and as the larger ones go off, the smaller ones can start growing more.
The ones I have left vary in terms of development, some still brown with complete gills, some closer to morphing, as the pictures show. In two weeks, I decided, I'm going to redo the tank, and the parents' tank, and put them all together. They're all too big to get eaten now, and if I clean the tanks of debris, I can see them better. Debris has accumulated since they were eggs, leaves and such that have decayed. I've done small partial water changes on the larvae, but it's about time they get a better cleaning.

p.s. thanks for the positive feedback, Heather!

p.p.s. I just checked on them and see one of the ones I have left HAS morphed, and is hanging out on a piece of floating cork.