so the procedure would be to collect water, take a fine net through it, isolate the micro-organisms (idk what they’re called i’m only 17) in clean, dechlorinated water, then introduce them to the axolotl larve?Hi,
I live in an area where there are few pet shops and they have all stopped selling bbs eggs.
When I finished my bbs eggs stock (10 years in the fridge), I decided to do like many of my friends : feeding my hatchlings (axolotls and other caudates) with plancton (cylops, daphnias) from a healthy pond.
I turn between 3 ponds 2 miles away from my home.
Direct use of pond water would be possible if it was plancton rich enough. Most of the time, a fine net is necessary.
I've been doing like this for about 15 years. Everything is fine for me
your english is fantastic, for the record, and until now i thought it was your first languageWell, I follow this procedure :
- I go to the pond with a container (a cleaned marmelade pot) and a small landing net.
- I fill the container with water from the pond.
- I immerse the net in the pond and move it below the surface.
- I put the harvested animals in my container.
- Back home, I pour the pond water containing the plankton into a dish to observe what I have caught.
- I search for dragonfly larvae, beetle larvae and water bugs. They must be removed since they are dangerous for baby axolotls.
- Then I can pour the water and the plankton into the aquarium of the young axolotls.
Hatchlings aged of 2-3 days can swallow cyclops or newborn daphnias. Bigger daphnias cannot be eaten but they will survive several days, filtering the water and producing baby daphnias.
It's important not to give to much at the beginning because the hatchling is not yet formed when they begin to eat. Moreover, zooplankton consume oxygen.
(excuse me for this bad english...)
Thanks very muchyour english is fantastic, for the record, and until now i thought it was your first language
Yes, that's what I doso;
a mason jar,
add water,
scoop up micro-organisms and place them in the jar,
go home,
pour water into dish,
observe,
separate harmful organisms,
pour water* into the hatchlings enclosure
That's the delicate point.* would i add prime to the water with the micro-organisms in it? i’m assuming yes
thank you! you’ve been wonderfully informative and i appreciate it a great dealThanks very much
Yes, that's what I do
That's the delicate point.
If you pour directly the pond water (with good plankton but without harmful organisms) in the hatching enclosure, then you don't need a water conditioner since this water is not chlorinated.
I know some people will be reluctant to directly use pond water.
If you prefer not to use this pond water, you can use the net, at home, to get rid of this water, scoop up the plankton and put it in dechlorinated water (tap water with conditioner) but I sincerely don't know how these little animals will react to that. Make a test first.