New Axolotl Owner

Hi there, I recently bought 2 axolotl eggs, which I am delighted to say arrived today!
I just have a few questions regarding the conditions of their water and supplements to use etc.
(Please note I am based in the UK and so preferably need links to shops/treatments etc in the UK! unless easily accessible from elsewhere)
I believe the water in my area to be "soft" and know that my new axolotls need slightly harder water, but I don't know what to use or add to the water to bring it up to the required standards, I've been look at mineral/mineral air stones, just wondering if something like this would suffice?
I know a heavy flow from a filter can distress axolotls so also want to avoid that as much as possible.
I also need to know what are the right type of "oxygenating" plants to put in with my new babies?
I've read all the axolotl websites and help/faqs etc so I know basically everything I need to know it's now a question of sourcing the right things and getting the names of products!
I also read about some form of water conditioner that has aloe vera in it and was looking on Dobbies (garden centres) website earlier and seen they had a few multi purpose water treatment solutions, but unsure if it will do the job for everything needed?

Also, the eggs are currently unhatched, I trust that they have been sold to me in good faith that they are developing well, is there anyway of telling if/when they are going to hatch?
And should I be able to see them moving at all?

Thanks for any help you can give me!
I'm so excited for them to hatch and watch them grow

Limestone and crushed coral are both often used to harden water, which means you're adding dissolved minerals to it. In this case, calcium carbonate.

As for water conditioner, use the simplest one you can. Use one that removes chlorine/chloramines, and perhaps also detoxifies heavy metal (although I question their abilities to do this). Stay away from anything that claims to lock/remove/detoxify ammonia.

You'll see the eggs start to change shape, and look like little axolotls. They grow fast, and usually hatch within 2-3 weeks of being laid. They'll start wiggling around in the egg shortly before they hatch. If you watch them, they'll flip back and forth occasionally.

Hey Claire!

Welcome, whereabouts in Scotland are you based?

Congrats on the axie eggs - hope you post photos for us when they hatch ^_^

Hiya!
I'm from Livingston, just outside Edinburgh don't know if you know it?
Thanks! I'm so excited but being probably so over cautious because I want everything to go smoothly.

Thanks for the tip on limestone and crushed coral! Helps a lot!

Also, how much brine shrimp roughly should I be feeding them when they hatch?
And how long before they can eat sinking pellets

ClaireBear said:

Hi there, I recently bought 2 axolotl eggs, which I am delighted to say arrived today!

Thanks for any help you can give me!
I'm so excited for them to hatch and watch them grow

Click to expand...

I got some eggs too, they hatched five days ago, you can follow the adventure on my blog from egg to hatchling

http://axolotlstank.blogspot.com/

For the babies, most of that you won't need to worry about, except the water conditioner. Make sure it removes at least chlorine/chloramine. They need daily water changes and to be kept in a shallow container. Especially at first, you want them to be surrounded by lots of food so that there is a good chance some will dart out in front of them to eat. They won't seek out food initially. Offer food at least once a day, but twice would also be OK. After a few hours, you will want to suck out any uneaten food as the brine shrimp will die in the freshwater and foul it. You will get an idea of about how much they eat and can adjust how much you hatch by that.

Do you know when the eggs were laid? That will help you time when they should be hatching and their development. You should see some movement once they start to lengthen out.

Hi!
The person I bought them off said they're due to hatch early next week?
I haven't seen any movement from them yet they're still really tiny but everything seems fine.
I've got them in about a 4ltr sandwhich tub at the moment, which is filled not to the brim but a fair bit, is this okay?
I ordered the brine shrimp yesterday not sure when they'll arrive but hopefully within a good time of them hatching! and not too long before.
Do they need daily water changes as eggs? they arrived on Thursday and have just been in the same water (which had been left out for about 24 hours before they arrived as advised)
I haven't bought a water conditioner yet but hopefully they should be okay for now until I can get my hands on some.
Also, have possibly a silly question about "oxygenating plants" I assume it would be okay to buy some oxygenating pond plants? As most ponds tend to be cold/freshwater anyway.
Thanks!

ClaireBear said:

Hi!
The person I bought them off said they're due to hatch early next week?
I haven't seen any movement from them yet they're still really tiny but everything seems fine.
I've got them in about a 4ltr sandwhich tub at the moment, which is filled not to the brim but a fair bit, is this okay?
I ordered the brine shrimp yesterday not sure when they'll arrive but hopefully within a good time of them hatching! and not too long before.
Do they need daily water changes as eggs? they arrived on Thursday and have just been in the same water (which had been left out for about 24 hours before they arrived as advised)
I haven't bought a water conditioner yet but hopefully they should be okay for now until I can get my hands on some.
Also, have possibly a silly question about "oxygenating plants" I assume it would be okay to buy some oxygenating pond plants? As most ponds tend to be cold/freshwater anyway.
Thanks!

Click to expand...

most of what your asking is not really needed, especially plants.
Just put the eggs in some water and leave them till they hatch, it is what i did. As you can see from my pics, my tub was just as mass of jelly and eggs.
dont need water change until they are born.
you dont need much water for the eggs, just enough to cover them, i had no more than 3cm of water in a 2lt tub., even now they hatched i still only have 3cm of water as makes life easier to feed and change water,
once born i just put them in another tub and added them as they hatched.
as for water, i just been using bottled buxton still water saves in adding conditioner, so i can drink some then add some to the hatchlings, so its two in one use.
if you follow the same steps i did then you will be fine.

http://axolotlstank.blogspot.com/

Thank you!
I'm just really paranoid that something is going to go wrong so being overly cautious!
Appreciate all tips and help

ClaireBear said:

Thank you!
I'm just really paranoid that something is going to go wrong so being overly cautious!
Appreciate all tips and help

Click to expand...

thats what i thought as its something not used to, fish are completely different from axolotls. thats why kept a regular blog, following each step incase something went wrong
its so facinating watching them develop from eggs to larve to hatchlings in front of your eyes.

Yeah I'm going to start taking pics today and keeping blogs/updates
Going to pop into my local pet shop and see if they possibly sell brine shrimp as I don't think it's a good idea to rely on the internet for sending their food out quickly as from reading your blog you're saying yous has gone off after 24hours! I don't want to be left with no food for them :/
Hopefully once I have everything sorted I wont be as flustered and things will run smoothly!

ClaireBear said:

Yeah I'm going to start taking pics today and keeping blogs/updates
Going to pop into my local pet shop and see if they possibly sell brine shrimp as I don't think it's a good idea to rely on the internet for sending their food out quickly as from reading your blog you're saying yous has gone off after 24hours! I don't want to be left with no food for them :/
Hopefully once I have everything sorted I wont be as flustered and things will run smoothly!

Click to expand...

I cant see the local shops having BBS i have never seen any sell them, i just buy my eggs online and take 24hrs to hatch, i buy these ones discus fish /25 grams brine shrimp eggs / number1discus on eBay (end time 11-Apr-11 19:47:52 BST)
you will get quick delivery so order today or tomorrow and get tuesday, they mega fast delivery. I ordered at 5.15pm and next morning at 8.10am they arrived.
Since mine hatched i have missed a day not feeding them and they none the worse off missing a meal.

Here are my latest pics

Day 27 since Eggs were laid and 10 days since first ones hatched.

Day 27 (10)

Here are the latest pics, just done a water change.

























Tail Less One

so one of my eggs has now hatched, and I'm panicking.
I ordered baby brine shrimp well over a week ago and they havent arrived although they were due to today, I bought some brine shrimp in jelly earlier but I'm not convinced they will eat it.
Unless the overdue live baby brine shrimp arrive tomorrow I have no means of feeding them, I don't know when exactly he hatched but its been within the last 2 hours.
I'm really really worried now.

ClaireBear said:

so one of my eggs has now hatched, and I'm panicking.
I ordered baby brine shrimp well over a week ago and they havent arrived although they were due to today, I bought some brine shrimp in jelly earlier but I'm not convinced they will eat it.
Unless the overdue live baby brine shrimp arrive tomorrow I have no means of feeding them, I don't know when exactly he hatched but its been within the last 2 hours.
I'm really really worried now.

Click to expand...

did you order the brine shrimp eggs from the link I gave you above?, if not you should as will be quick delivery. Some sellers are extremely slow so name and shame them.
if its just hatched then you have at least 24hours before they need food. They wont eat the jelly or anything dead, has to be alive and moving. ( actually tested by putting some frozen BBS in one corner of tub but no responce from them)
i did not have any food for mine for 36 hours after they hatched and they all survived and doing good., so dont worry too much.

try this place and see if they have any live daphnia (feed them the small ones) in stock (most LFS sell them), or they will point you to nearest shop.
R.D. RINTOUL PET CARE CENTRE 67 South Bridge Street
BATHGATE EH48 1TJ
Tel: 01506 531880

ClaireBear said:

so one of my eggs has now hatched, and I'm panicking.
I ordered baby brine shrimp well over a week ago and they havent arrived although they were due to today, I bought some brine shrimp in jelly earlier but I'm not convinced they will eat it.
Unless the overdue live baby brine shrimp arrive tomorrow I have no means of feeding them, I don't know when exactly he hatched but its been within the last 2 hours.
I'm really really worried now.

Click to expand...

Take a DEEP breath + relax!
Hatchlings need baby brine shrimp, else it's too big for them + when they're tiny, they are motion orientated, so although I'm not completely sure, I don't think the brine shrimp in jelly will do much other than dirty the water.
Hopefully, your BBS (baby brine shrimp - it gets abreviated a lot) will arrive tomorrow + I'm sure your newest addition will be fine until then.
If it makes you feel better, contact the BBS seller, explain that they haven't arrived but your babies have started hatching + ask them to send a small sample out ASAP 1st Class (or next day delivery, if they're feeling extra generous!) tomorrow, to tide you over until the 1s you bought arrive. They might say no, but it's worth asking + if you get the email sent tonight, they'll hopefully send some tomorrow, which should reach you on Friday.

Now take another DEEP breath

thanks everyone!
Panicking is slowing haha.
Yeah I sent them an email earlier, heard nothing to sent them another.
Hopefully they come tomorrow otherwise I dont know what to do as nowhere around here sells anything but frozen adult ones
A local pet shop sells daphnia? but they're also frozen.
Only one of my eggs has hatched so far other one is still in his egg haha.
DingDoo does the link you showed me sell live ones or just eggs of the BBS?
thank you again so much!
xxx

ClaireBear said:

]
DingDoo does the link you showed me sell live ones or just eggs of the BBS?
thank you again so much!
xxx

Click to expand...

they only sell the eggs but as i said they do extrely fast delivery, you should at least order tonight and they will be posted tomorrow and receive them on friday. Just add a note to them saying you have hatched and urgent but will arrive, they not like some sellers. if you check the feedback you will see everyone gives good reviews.
If you get eggs on friday by saturday you will have loads of food.
you can see my basic BBS setup here

When my platy gave a surprise birth I panicked and bought some live BBS online, i used this seller, i paid extra for newxt day delivery but was worth it just to calm myself down.
Live Baby Brine Shrimp 110ml on eBay (end time 26-Mar-11 17:45:54 GMT)

The last link you posted are the sellers that have mucked up my order unfortunately I'll have a look at your setup info for the BBS, I'm giving those sellers til tomorrow for them to arrive if not I'll need to take some other measures!
Thanks!