Axolotl larvae feeding - help!

I have just newly received some axolotl eggs and despite checking care sheets really panicking that I don't know everything about how to care for them! I have cultivated brine shrimp (which I've never done before) and attempted to feed my one hatchee by putting him in a separate container, netting the shrimp and rinsing through before putting in. As I can barely see the things though I don't know whether I've successfully put any in or not, never mind whether or not he's eating them Are there any other non live feeds I can try? I read that the brine shrimp eggs seperate when they hatch and can be harmful to axys but I dont know how to separate them from the shrimp :/ He's 2 days old now and I dnow he should be starting to feed but don't know whether he's eaten anything or not, any help greatly appreciated x

Hi There! You will need to feed your larvae live food. However, larvae don't eat for a day or two after they hatch. You're doing good by hatching brine shrimp. I find it easiest to put the hatched brine shrimp into a coffee filter and rinse it with tank water.

This is the best resource for you Axolotls - Rearing from Egg to Adult

You'll always have some babies hatch out earlier. I wouldn't remove them to feed them as that will stress the babies out.

Just try feeding the next day. They can live several days without food do to still absorbing their yolk sacks. I just had a cluctch hatch 9 days before day 14, and they didn't start to eat until 10 days later, about when they should have been eating.

It is hard to tell sometimes if they are eating since they are small and their food is microscopic sometimes You will notice feeding behavior by quick jerky movments from them.

And most of all don't stress

The best way to tell if they are eating the brine shrimp is to check on them an hour or so after you add the shrimp. Look at their bellies, if they're orange then they've eaten. However, as has already been said, they don't eat until they've absorbed the yolk.

Thanks for that guys! Whoah had now idea they could go that long without eating if they're premature, my wee guy definitely doesnt seem to be eating anything so it's reassuring he's maybe not supposed to start until Tues
As for checking his belly I'm not sure if that would work with these shrimp as they're white? Had to get something in a hurry and the only thing I could get was a kit called JBL Artemio kids set for growing "primeval tadpole shrimp"! The guy at the aquatic store assured me they were simply brine shrimp but not so sure now after seeing them hatched
As a precaution I've ordered brine shrimp eggs (proper) which have arrived to day so I can get a hatchery set up for them now :happy:

I feel bad as I moved the wee axy to a seperate container when I seen he'd hatched :/ I'd been told to do 100% water changes on him every day which involves moving again, Am I doing this right or should I just syphon out any uneaten food instead? Bit confused and want to make sure he's got the best fighting chance so I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Mine are eating walter worms and baby grindal worms. both are clear to white, you can definetly see the white mass in their bellies
it's hard to tell if they are tiny, but if you look straight down at them you will see a little buldge where their bellies are if they are feeding.

Is the water in tank you have them in cycled?
If it is and the ammonia levels aren't off you can syphon off any gunk on the bottom and just add replacement water. personally this is how I do it for eggs and newly hatched babies so I don't have to move them so much.
I have a sponge filter on their tank though, that I start before I put a breeding pair together so it's well cycled before the eggs go in and the babies hatch.

Many people put the eggs in a tupperware or a tank with no cycling and then do the 100% water changes. And some just prefer the 100% water change even if they have a spongefilter. The 100% water change is simply to keep down harmful water chemistry like ammonia.

Eiether way is fine, it's going to come down with what works best for you and keeps your water chemistry safe.

binkiesbuns said:

I have just newly received some axolotl eggs and despite checking care sheets really panicking that I don't know everything about how to care for them! I have cultivated brine shrimp (which I've never done before) and attempted to feed my one hatchee by putting him in a separate container, netting the shrimp and rinsing through before putting in. As I can barely see the things though I don't know whether I've successfully put any in or not, never mind whether or not he's eating them Are there any other non live feeds I can try? I read that the brine shrimp eggs seperate when they hatch and can be harmful to axys but I dont know how to separate them from the shrimp :/ He's 2 days old now and I dnow he should be starting to feed but don't know whether he's eaten anything or not, any help greatly appreciated x

Click to expand...

First thing to remember is that brine shrimp take around 24-48 hours to hatch if they aren't kept warm. The easiest way I found to harvest them is to turn off the hatcher and wait about 10 mins. The unhatched eggs will sink to the bottom, the hatched bit of egg shell float to the top, and the brine shrimp float around the bottom just above the unhatched eggs. Use a turkey baster to gently suck up the shrimp. I always use that blue and white j-cloth type stuff to rinse the shrimp, as it lets water thorugh but nothing else, and newly hatched brine shrimp are tiny! My OH did buy a brine shrimp net, but they just ended up falling through the holes. Once I've rinsed the brine shrimp I put them into a tupperware box with a little dechorinated water and leave it with a torch shining at one end. Brine shrimp are attracted to the light, so if they are left for around 10 mins or so, you'll find them all swimming round the end with the torch. Then I just pipette them up from there to feed to the bubs.