Question: Possibly infertile male?

I've asked this before but never got an answer and it's still a big mystery.
(Sorry for my cwappy English but here's my story)

It's about Xotl, my ugly axolotl again. He and Frangipane (female) are in the same tank for 3 years now, nothing ever happened, no breeding, nothing. When Xotl was young he dropped spermatophores in his tank. He was on his own back then (he was quite young and I was glad I found out that he was a boy at that point because I only had females so far. A little surprise!).

Anyway. He got sick more than 2 years ago. Internal parasites and something strange that 'paralyzed' him for a day or so. I managed to save him, thank god, he started to eat again, gained weight was able to move like a normal axolotl again. He's been through a lot of things, little illnesses but nothing threatening. He also became quite ugly because of all that. His gills never grew back properly (one of them is long without filaments, the others are short, some are fluffy and he has a pimple on his lip somehow). He's always been a little thin, not skinny, but he LOVES to eat. He's a little piggy!

The thing is.... He's healthy - but ugly - for more than 2 years now. He's in the same tank with Frangipane and also with other females over the years, but I haven't seen spermatophores since more than a year. I never see him chasing Frangi or other females. He's just not acting like a real dude.

Frangipane also laid 15 unfertilized eggs last year. I mean, they are old enough to breed and I tried different things to encourage it, so I don't see why.

A few months ago I bought another male, he was separated for a month before I added him to the tank as well. That same night he was chasing Frangi. Nothing happened so far. No spermatophores at all, and a week ago I found 22 unfertilized eggs again.

What is going on?
My main question: Is it possible for an axie to be infertile, if yes, do you think Xotl is? (Maybe because he got sick or so?)

Other question: Why is Frangipane laying unfertilized eggs (even when there's another adult male axolotl around who seems 'interested') and is it harmful? Last week she had a floaty bum because of the 'eggs'. Now everything is back to normal, no 'love' activity. However, the new male has a slightly enlarged bump when I turn on the lights in the middle of the night to check and sometimes I hear some activity in the middle of the night. Bumping their ornaments around and spashy sounds. He does 'love' her in some way. :lol: But I'm waiting for the spermatophores to come. But nothing....
Ugh, frustrating... Please help me.

Of course it's possible for an axie to be infertile, but I have no idea how common it its. There may or may not be a reason Xotl and Frangipane are not mating, it could be she is pixky and won't accept a skinny 'inferior' male or she just doesn't go for ugly axies

Some females will 'leak' unfertilised eggs, it's usually just an overflow reaction because they have not been fertilised. Normally they reabsorb unfertilised eggs, but if there simply isn't space inside them they can drop a few.

Some people have tried to induce breeding behavious by cooling the tank by a few degrees, but I don't know how successful that method is.

I'd be more inclined to think the female was the one infertile rather than the male. If she's laying nothing but duds and it isn't what auntyjude said then it's something to be considered. It could just be that the conditions are not right for them, again as auntyjude mentioned.

Try separating the males out, both of them. Leave the girls in their tank as they are. Wait 2/3 months, do a water change with nice cold water and drop the boys in, dim the lighting and see how that goes. Every time I've seen eggs or had eggs it's always been directly after a water change, it helps spurs it on in fish, so I think it's safe to assume that it can work on axolotls too. The fresh water + cooler temp + reintroduction may be what it takes.

Life seems to happen like that.
You try to get your axies to breed and nothing happens.
You think both your axies are girls and BOOM! you end up with 300+ eggs (cough, cough)

I think you have happy, healthy girl and boy axies that will breed when you less expect it.

Sorry I can't really answer your question.


May I see a photo of Xotl?