Question: Few questions

A

Albo

New member
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Gloucestershire
Country
United Kingdom
Hi, I'm new to keeping axolotls and thought this forum looked like a great place to look for info and ask questions! So I'll start straight away:

1. Can you tell from the picture if my axie is male or female? (if not let me know of a better angle to take a picture).

2. I bought him/her from a pet store on Monday (3 days ago) and he/she was missing the long gills (?) that they usually have. They have started to grow a tiny amount now. Why would this be?

3. Im assuming its a wild type, but I'd rather not assume. So could you clear that up for me? :p
 

Attachments

  • Axolotl.jpg
    Axolotl.jpg
    76.2 KB · Views: 162
1. I personally can't tell the gender (Try to get a picture of its, er, underside. Males are fairly obvious 8D)

2. The gills or gill filaments could have been burned off by poor conditions such as high ammonia etc. If you keep it in good conditions, they will likely grow back!

3. Wildtype, yes :)
 
I'd guess male, but a better picture wouldn't hurt.
 
Sorry about picture quality, took it on a blackberry camera... :lol: I will try and get a better one. How do you tell the difference between male and female?

Yeah I thought the pet shop probably had him/her in poor conditions. They'd had it for about a year and said they wont be getting anymore in now they've sold it. The gills are looking slightly longer already so hopefully be back fully soon! I've kept tropical fish for a few years so I should be able to keep big dave (as he's called at the moment) in tip top water condition.

Thanks for confirming he is wild type as well :D
 
Albo said:
Sorry about picture quality, took it on a blackberry camera... :lol: I will try and get a better one. How do you tell the difference between male and female?

Yeah I thought the pet shop probably had him/her in poor conditions. They'd had it for about a year and said they wont be getting anymore in now they've sold it. The gills are looking slightly longer already so hopefully be back fully soon! I've kept tropical fish for a few years so I should be able to keep big dave (as he's called at the moment) in tip top water condition.

Thanks for confirming he is wild type as well :D
Click to expand...

Males have a very noticeable bump behind their back legs called a cloaca. Its very large compared to a female's because it has their man bits. Gills can take longer to grow than things like a leg and stuff but they will grow back and you'll definitely notice it over time. Glad to see he has better home!
 
I'm going to digress and assume those are decaying frozen blood worms in your picture. If that is the case, they need to be removed after your axolotl loses interest in eating, around 15 minutes.

You may also consider a food source more nutritious than bloodworms for an adult axolotl, especially if he will be recovering from poor conditions. Earthworms and sinking salmon pellets are both good choices.
 
Thanks, I'll try and take a closer look and get a better pic when he comes out of his house.

The bloodworms were in there for a maximum 30 mins. I left them in there with him incase he wanted to eat more then used a gravel cleaner to suck them out. I am new to keeping these beauties so any feedback is gooood! As for earthworms, im guessing you cant just pick them from out of the garden? and I can't say I've seen them for sale in any local pet shop (although I haven't really been looking).

Thanks again for any help :D
 
Albo said:
Thanks, I'll try and take a closer look and get a better pic when he comes out of his house.

The bloodworms were in there for a maximum 30 mins. I left them in there with him incase he wanted to eat more then used a gravel cleaner to suck them out. I am new to keeping these beauties so any feedback is gooood! As for earthworms, im guessing you cant just pick them from out of the garden? and I can't say I've seen them for sale in any local pet shop (although I haven't really been looking).

Thanks again for any help :D
Click to expand...

You can pick them out of your garden if you're certain there haven't been any pesticides or chemicals used in the area. You can also buy them from places that sell bait.
 
Is he growing moss on his face lol?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
     +1
    Unlike
  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
     +1
    Unlike
  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
     +1
    Unlike
  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
     +1
    Unlike
    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
    Back
    Top