New babies!

K

Kathleen Frank

New member
Joined
Nov 25, 2014
Messages
17
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
Colorado
Country
United States
Hello--I'm new to this forum but have kept axies for about a year now and love them. I have a youngish copper, two adult melanoids, and an adult leucocytic.
Anyway, they've laid eggs before, but the whole batch was duds. This time, I noticed one little group from the larger group of eggs developing. And now I have a bowl of tiny axies! They're about 36-48 hours old.
I have bbs in there with them, but can't determine whether they're eating or not.
Oh--and some have pointy, misfired heads with no visible eyes--rather than the round, normal looking axie head. Anyone experienced this?
a6b0b447bcba78ecf928504fee2f7021.jpg
b263bdd0560918697a3cf4f776babfc9.jpg
d61de3c86e4d7278e139ce742ad84eda.jpg
ce9d6507334d4e4203890434333e5ba7.jpg
d7d4c028d1829bda9ff25f7f5bf2c285.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
There is an eyeless mutation, I believe the pinhead babies don't generally have very high survival rates. Also, those look like adult brine shrimp to me, which will be way to big for your hatchlings to eat. You need to find live food for them that is about the size of their eye. You should see them "jump" when they are eating, and the bellies will turn the color of their food item. You might be able to get away with very finely chopped blackworms, though mine weren't taking them well until about 2 weeks after hatching.
 
Oh no! Those are brine shrimp I got at the fish store--too big? Dammit. Ok I have black worms but now I am worried.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thank you for this advice--will try to do something before it's too late


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
BBS = baby brine shrimp. You hatch them at home - they don't sell them live anywhere I know of. The local fish store should have BBS eggs (and aquarium salt).

You can get a hatchery or just hatch them in a handy container. Get this started ASAP, since it takes, like, 24 hrs before you get a noticeable hatch from them.

You will need some sort of fine net to strain the BBS from the salt water, but if you have scraps of very finely woven fabric (like a thin woven polyester), you can line a regular net with that and use it. A regular brine shrimp net tends to let too many BBS through.

You can google lots of hatching set-ups for the BBS, but the important thing now is to get some hatching so your babies don't starve. The package of eggs will have basic instructions.

Perhaps some other people have other suggestions for readily available live food?

Good luck! :happy:
 
Yes after reading that last advice I immediately got a brine shrimp hatchery going. Hope it works ( have had poor luck in the past)
Oy I hope they make it. Mom and dad are awesome, hearty axies and I have any good homes lined up.
Hope I've not screwed the poor things out of nice lives! Fingers crossed


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I ran 2 hatcheries at a time - 24 hrs apart so I had a constant supply ready. Also you might find a coffee filter paper just the thing for separating your BBS and salt water, I sucked them up with a turkey baster, then into a coffee filter paper & rinsed them with clean de chlorinated water before feeding to my babies.

Good luck :)
 
You can also order live daphnia on eBay or Aquabid, but it will probably be a couple days before it arrives. I separate out the smallest ones with a plastic pipette to feed hatchlings. I had trouble with my brine shrimp also- I think it was probably old/low quality eggs. You can try collecting pond water to feed, though it's not the best time of year there may still be microorganisms hanging out in the leaf litter and under the ice. Also, lowering the temp of your babies water will slow their metabolism and may buy you a couple days in an emergency. I have heard they will take grindal worms, and also microworms. If you snip the thinnest blackworms up into 1/4" pieces or smaller with scissors, they might be able to snap them up. Good luck!
 
Thank you! I have a pond out back I could try. I am hope my bbs are hatched when I get home from work. All good ideas. Will update.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OK--thanks again for the advice everyone! So last night if chiffonaded (cook skills coming in handy) some live black worms (sorry, blackworms) then put the teeny, still-pulsating wormy chunks into the bowl with the babies. I also put in some more of the adult brine shrimp, which I now recognize are clearly way too big, bigger than their heads. They are clearly TRYING to eat, but I cannot tell if they're getting anything.
This morning there were definetly some live baby brine shrimp jiggling about in my hatchery, but still a great many unhatched eggs. I'm hoping that by tonight a good number more will have hatched and I can give the babies a big load of appropriate food.
A few of mine have died--mostly the "pinheads." How many typically don't make it? With a good food setup, is it ususally most?
Anyway, really hoping they don't all die. I'd feel like a genuine ****e.
 
I've had pretty good survival rates in my hatchlings once you get the feeding ironed out. According to the ambystoma.org mutation descriptions, you should expect pretty high mortality in the ones showing the pinhead mutation. It might be in their best interest to consider culling the deformed babies. I have had up to 100% survive when raising small clutches (20 or less), but it's also not uncommon for stuff to come up and kill off large numbers even when you're doing everything right. My advice is to just do the best you can and hope they make it. If you have a breeding pair, it is likely you will have more eggs to work with in the near future. You should be able to see their bellies expand when they have eaten, but it's easier to notice the difference when you've seen it before. The babies in your first pic look like they had not eaten yet.
 
Hello! I am delighted to relay the news that all the bbs were hatched when it got home, I filtered them out and rinsed them using paper towels, then put them in the bowl with the babies, who were still alive. All the little axies are currently busy snapping them up! I am sooo relieved. My group is down to about 25, including 2 pinheads who're still kicking.
Thanks so much for the sage and timely advice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Pinhead axies don't survive, so I agree you'd do better culling those rather than let them starve to death, then you can focus your attention on the healthy ones.
 
Well done. They have nice fat little bellies now! Good luck with your little ones, and have fun!
 
Good call--I fed the pinheads to my water frog, so at least someone benefited from their brief mouth less lives.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hello Rachel and Jude! I just wanted to give an update and say thanks again for the help a couple weeks ago. 26 of my babies are alive (all the non pinheads survived) and are now eating black worms.
6eaa14e8a313c0b2442d8526496bd4f3.jpg
d06a23a745e934ece0741fb4abe4b99b.jpg

I am going to give them away to homes when they're a bit bigger and eating more easily (they really fight the worms to get them down).
Unfortunately, my big female is laying eggs this very moment! I am not ready for another batch, at all. I think I will just dispose of the eggs this time.
Anyhow, this "litter" is happy, safe, and growing! Glad for your support!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
AW: New babies!

Congrats! They look great. Glad to hear they're doing well, and best of luck finding them nice new homes when they get a little bigger.?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
     +1
    Unlike
  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
     +1
    Unlike
  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
     +1
    Unlike
  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
     +1
    Unlike
    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
    Back
    Top