Question: Noob with baby axie - needing a LOT of help please :)

Hi
I've been reading this forum for the past couple of days whilst I waited to be able to post & ask for your wise advice.

I'm totally new to axolotl & hadn't planned on becoming a parent quite like this I recently bought a plant for a small beta tank & as the girl at the pet shop was pulling out the plant she was pulling off "jelly balls" when I asked her what they were she said axie eggs & don't worry the fish will eat them! 0.0

Needless to say I'm a big sooky girl & I put the weed into my spare TINY tank with some water & left it be... A few days later most of the balls had disappeared or gone cloudy then I noticed a tiny moving "something" when I eventually found it, it was sooo tiny & I've struggled to keep this cutie pie alive since.

I think I've done EVERYTHING wrong so far & I'm grateful that the little guy seems to be tough & resilient enough to survive my love I'm madly in love with this cute new unexpected arrival & want to make sure he/she grows big & strong

I started with a gravel base on tank - then aquarium man said I needed to get sand substrate & he sold me a black diamond quartz sand which looks great but now I read it's really bad!!

My current tank is tiny - mainly because I wasn't ready for my new addition - but I am more than inspired seeing other people's tanks.

I need advice about the sand & what I should do... But most importantly I really need help finding food for such a little guy! He doesn't like frozen worms or live brine shrimp & to get him to eat pellet food I've only found he'll eat it if I bomb his head with it! He isn't a bright spark & has even had the food land on his head & front foot without moving! lol

I think he's about 8 weeks old already & has front legs but no sign of back legs yet & the length at the moment is only 30mm & I'm worried that seems slow I may be growing a mutant but he seem like a sweet mutant

Also can you tell what kind of colour / type would this guy likely be?

Thank you for taking the time to read that epic post =D my name is Nikki I'm in Sydney Australia & I can see this axie bug has got me good already <3

i never had/seen axie baby's.
but this IS an axolotl for sure! and by the looks of it i think its going to become a leuchisitc. (pinkish white with black freckles and black eyes)

now, to answer your questions i will kindly give you this link.
it contains a text sheet created by Olivia Clark.
which covers the "standard" rules of raising an axolotl.
from tank setup to what to feed them, and even a FAQ.
Click here!

further, i would just like to say i am very happy you decided to keep them, rather then having them be eaten.
welcome at caudata axie owner!

BTW: come join our community on facebook as well.
Axolotl-aholics

Read the sheet, it does only cover the basics and is very general however i think you'll find if you have a specific problem, caudata.org is the lace to go

I've read the very handy guide sheet

It's finding food for such a tiny axie that I'm having trouble with!

As cute as he is - getting him to eat isn't easy

(Picture is of "food bombs" sitting on head & front foot... He does tricks already - this is "leave" *laughs)

Hey Nikki, what a little cutie LOL. I have a few about 6 weeks old that arent much bigger than him .... and I have had a hard time convincing my "big boys" (about the length of my finger) to take pellets although they do at least smell out their food now.

Can you get frozen Daphnia at all? If "he" has an airstone or some other form of circulation - drop a piece cut from a cube of daphnia over it and it will circulate through the tank creating "moving food" for him to "hunt" and catch. Better to put too little in than too much though, being a singleton I wouldnt put more than about 1/10th of a cube in to begin with and gauge it from there.

I hope that helps

I used tweaserz with a brine shrimp at first (a little tricky) then quickly graduated to a blood worm with tweasers. Takes time but is fun too! Is your axie eating any of the pellets?

That sand is serious bad news for axolotl. Get a fine natural sand and clean it well. I would stray away from marble sand, will contribute to water hardness and diatom algae. Oh yeah and its not really quartz its actually coal slag, and for sandblasting.

Try some chopped with a razor blade some live black worms if you can find them or chopped frozen blood worms. You can also dig some small garden worms and chop them smaller than a pellet. You can place him in a plastic shoe box to feed him. Remember to use the tank water. It will be easier for him to find the food. After he has calmed down after a few mins drop the chopped worms in front of him. He should grow fast on earth worms, black worms or blood worms and be eating pellets in a month or two.

Success - we are now eating bloodworms, found a decent LFS & their worms are a big hit

The pics are of 1st interest / 1st worm nommed & then a smile with a worm in lips =D

Thanks for the advice - I'm looking forward to the little one growing big & strong now >o_o< I just love him!