Axolotl larvae, How do i know if they are feeding?!

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Axolotl673

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elliegrace
I recently brought some axolotl eggs, and due to the mail unfortunately only two were alive when they arrived, i quickly put these into a container with the temperature at a constant 18 degrees, i added plenty of young daphnia as i didnt know how long ago they had hatched.
As i read on a post on here they seemed to grow fast when fed upon egg, which i have done every 2 days so far, they arrived on friday, and im not sure if they have been eating, they dont appear to have the orange bellys that people say they should, but would they have survived the five days with out food?
Could anyone give me some hints and tips, maybe a bit of help?
Suggestions on feeding would be very helpful
Thanks!
 
If you have baby daphnia in with them then there should be no need to feed them egg. If they had been eating the egg yolk then you should be able to see it in their stomachs. I think the babies can last for a number of days without food when they first hatch but you will lose them soon if they don't start feeding. I would suggest keeping them in a small container where the daphnia are literally swimming all around their heads and then they should snap at them.

Good luck

Regards Neil
 
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It is often hard to tell if they are eating but generally when they randomly move forwards a bit in short bursts it's cause they are sucking something into their mouths.
Cause they need live food it's hard for them to get onto the egg yolk, I *gently* swish the water around to make the egg move every now and again. Cause it's yellow I think it's harder to see in their stomachs unlike something like BBS which will make it obviously red-ish.

I'd say if they have survived this long they are probably eating something, especially if you've got daphnia in the water.
 
When they eat they look like they are jumping back in sudden bursts and then they float down to the bottom just like a big axolotl, but in mini form.
Their belly's will get swollen and go round and its quiet obvious to tell who has and hasn't eaten when you have a few to compare them to.
But seems as you don't, have a look on their right side of their belly's for any pinkish redness in their sides.
If they are not eating and haven't got any signs of eating, try lowering the water levels to just above their head's, and swishing the food in front of them slowly with a clear straw.
Make sure you don't do this fast, as they might get scared and this can cause stress.
If they start swimming around crazy your moving the food over them to fast and you should try to slow it down.
Good luck!! :D
 
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Very low water levels should be used, and make sure the waters moving by swishing around the food so faast in their faces as they prefer to snap at only moving things. I'm pretty sure mine have been eating their daphnia as there is always little left in each tub when they get big scoops. With the other babies, are you sure they were dead? as most babies dont move for the first 3 or 4 days of hatching, my 1 week old ones move a little more but also like to float on top of the water.
 
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