Question: Cannibalism stage

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Karma1780

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Hey everyone,

I know these are newbie questions but it's my first raising baby axolotls and I want to get it right. When does the cannibalism stage begin? When does it end? Should I worry about it? Etc. Any help would be appreciated.

Karma1780
 
It starts as soon as they can fit bigger stuff in their mouths, usually around the second week. It lasts until they die of old age. Ambystomids will attempt to eat anything that fits in their mouths.
 
Their is no "cannibalism stage" as long as they are fed enough and housed properly. I keep most of my axolotls communally and separate by size.
 
michael said:
Their is no "cannibalism stage" as long as they are fed enough and housed properly. I keep most of my axolotls communally and separate by size.
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Ok, thanks. I've done lots of research and people keep saying that they will kill each other like they are some sort of monster. I'm a first time "axolotl momma" to 40 eggs that my two melanoid axolotls laid around a week ago.They are growing up so fast. I have some pictures if anyone is interested.
 

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Like Michael said, you have to separate them by size. They won't usually cannibalize siblings of the same size, but anything smaller is fair game.
 
I've never seen them bite each other and cause damage before a month old. It's not necessarily a cannibalistic phase, it's a growth spurt. They are growing fast so they eat a lot and if they cross paths while feeding, well, accidents happen and sometimes they'll lose a foot or entire limb. The only way to completely avoid it is to raise them in individual containers, otherwise there is at least some risk of injury, even if you have 2 in a large tank they can cross paths while in a feeding frenzy and get bitten.
 
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