Eggies :S

[Caitie]

After a year off the site, I'm back online!
Quick updates-4ft Tank's back installed, my babies have grown up, and my Elder Lotls survived a summer outside (Thanks heavens for La Nina), and the babies I set up in the class are much loved by their owners.

However, thanks to my (other) tank cracking during installation, I wasn't able to my female wild-type (Or so I thought...) Molly out of the family grouping before she began popping out eggs this morning...33 of which I've moved to my backup 1/12ft tank. I'm rather dissappointed I wasn't able to stop the brother-sister genetic cross, but I'll see how they go, and definitely not breeding from the babies.
Looking at the pics, anyone got any thoughts to what would cause the white eggs (e.g, would Molls be a copper even though she is quite dark?)? Or are they just infertile?
Many thanks, Minnie.

[Rachel]

they look very healthy. Axolotl genetics can be a mixed bag of thigs if your going of the phenotype, or the look alone of the parents. I had exacly the same sort of supprise, I have a dark choccolate covered female who i assumed was a light melanoid, turn out to be some form of albino when she layed white eggs just like yours. I never kept any larvae, it will be interesting to see what colours come out, and you should be better able to tell what the mother really is. Good luck!


*EDIT!

dark chocolate COLOURED female.... i do not cover my axolotls in chocolate! wow fail

[Caitie]

Thanks, Rachel! I honestly can't bring myself to NOT raise them- it wasn't their fault their mum wasn't out in time to change their dad (more accurately, it was the fault of one teeny tiny little pebble...) So crossing my fingers for the best

[Caitie]

Pic I just took of the babies- any thoughts to what they may be? (Considering I'm still not 100% sure what Molls and Pablo (A possible candidate for dad) are, I'm looking for advice )

[Caitie]

They hatched!! So far it looks like a real mixed bag- some golden albinos, some wild types, some darker melanoids, some leucistics...Not sure yet if I'll end up getting my melanoid albino, but I'm just happy that so many have survived (Only one dead- I accidentally got his tail with the turkey baster )

And if you happen to be in NSW, PLEASE come and take some of them off me!!!

[Vanessa Joy]

They look cute :) if I wasn't in Perth but Sydney instead I'd have taken some leucistics of your hands cause my larvae are only a few weeks older but that's the only colour I think I may not have produced in this clutch. The lecustics are so cute as babies haha

[Caitie]

Quick update- sadly lost 5 today That's out of 50, but i'm still devastated. They all ate really well this afternoon (baby brine shrimp), but thinking I may not have got all the egg casings out... I think I'll be refining my method of catching bbs for breakfast

[Caitie]

Officially two weeks old :) Currently they're at 1.6-1.8cm, not sure how that is on average compared to other broods :)

[(Dee)]

LOL ... i'm in the same boat. My 1st ever eggs & so far they have ALL survived (that is apart from the few I have squished) i guess we don't have enough Axie lovers in Sydney ...

[Caitie]

Perhaps talk to your local fish shop or pet shop if you think they'll take good care of them? That's what I'm doing with however many of mine don't find homes (though quite a few look like they have !) Now it's just keeping a close eye on them and doing everything I can to keep them happy and healthy :)

[samreid84]

Myself and a worker at our local petstore are the only ones interested in trying to breed axolotls and after an accident at his house with his children i now have his blue melenoid female and he lost all of his males.