A surprise breeding

[HMontross]

Hi all!

I added my third axolotl to a tank with two others about three weeks ago. I rescued her from a pet store a little over a year ago, and she was malnourished, and about two inches long. They said they had her at the pet store for four months . I didn't even think to check gender when I added her to the tank, but now I have eggs! The female (the one I moved) is a leucistic albino, and the father is either the leucistic, or the wild type. This is the female's first spawning.

I have moved the eggs from the parents' tank (they were all attached to plastic plants) to a six-gallon "bookshelf tank", and culled about a hundred eggs in the freezer. I think I kept around 100. I added a heater to the nursery tank, and now the water is at 20C/68F. I live in New Mexico, where we have very hard water, so I used dechlorinated tap for the nursery, and also added an aerator. Thank you for the helpful articles, because I don't feel so lost! And, luckily, I have MANY family members and friends who want axolotls in their lives!

I have never reared axolotls, so I wanted to check in and ask for some help in determining the health of the eggs. Comparing them to the egg development photos on the breeding/rearing page, I think these guys look great. The tank I have is plastic, so getting a clear picture is difficult. I photographed another set of eggs for Day 4 because it appeared that the four in the first two photos hadn't changed (but they have as of this afternoon...). What should I be looking for as far as healthy eggs? Should I be worried about the female's difficult beginning and her ability to lay healthy eggs? She has been eating salmon pellets for the past year or so. She definitely isn't the same stature of the males, and is probably a good two inches shorter than they are. She just stopped growing about three months ago, and is now at about 7in in length.

As far as getting ready for hatching, I have a 40 breeder and a 20L cleaned and ready. I ordered brine shrimp eggs, which should arrive on or before this Friday (Day 9 since laying).

Right now, I have a few questions:

Should I move the plants/eggs before hatching to a larger tank so I don't have to move them once they hatch? I know that it's best to have a very low water level, so I'm assuming that's a no...

What is a safe way to move the babies? Are they hardy as hatchlings?

What is a good water temp for the babies?

And, do I sound like I have everything under control? I'm in a state of excited frenzy, and I imagine this is how a new parent would feel in the days before their little one arrives :crazy:

Thank you, in advance, for any advice and well wishes you guys have to offer!

-Haley

 

[SnuffyPA]

I'm in much the same boat; my daughter called me at worn to inform me that her's had around 250 eggs ALL OVER THE PLACE. We're lost but did everything the forums said. So far the only thing we're upset about is that she has an albino, a leucistic, and an albino GFP, and ALL of the eggs appear to be wild-type; we were hoping for at least a couple like the parents.
If you don't mind, I'm going to tag along on your post to avoid "junking up" the forum ?

 

[Biev]

If I understand correctly, the color of the egg reflects the color of the mom, not the color of the offspring. So you'll just have to wait for the surprise : )

 

[Tarabull]

Hi! Congratulations! I have babies too but it's the second time I've kept the eggs to hatch. Mine are now a little over a month old. The best advice I can give is for your first time go small on your batch. They are more work than they seem.

You don't need an aerator or a heater. They should be fine. I keep my house at about 65°.They hatched at the about 14 days and are as happy as can be.

When they are tiny I use a turkey baster to gently suck them up. I hold the end of the baster so the water stays steady and transfer them to the new spot. Once they get a little bigger I use a small scoop like a measuring spoon.

One thing to keep in mind, is that you will need to separate them in their own containers, or be sure to have enough space for them when they start biting at anything that moves. This is starting to be a challenge for me. They are too small for food foraging in a big tank so I keep them in food safe containers and have divided them into more as they grow. I have a little over 50 babies. I did just build a new way of keeping them apart. It's a flat clear Rubbermaid container, I cut plastic mesh, and silicone glued it so there are 9 compartments to a container. I guess I'll post it. It's not pretty but it will be easier in the end I think. I just made it tonight so I'll have to see how it goes when I add them in. I plan to build another in the next couple days.

 

[HMontross]

The eggs are now on Day 11. I see that most people remove the eggs from whatever they're attached to. I did not do that.....so hopefuly that wasn't a wrong decision.

I have the hatchery ready for brine shrimp eggs, and a 40 breeder cleaned and ready for when everyone hatches. I'll probably get small storage containers to separate the different sizes over the next weeks.

Do the babies require aeration once hatched? I know that I will need to keep up with water changes because brine shrimp die off quickly.

 

[Nina Willis]

I would move them, plants and all, to the 40 breeder now. Otherwise it will be difficult to get them all once they hatch to move them.

 

[Cloppy]

Yes, you should move them to the breeder now because they will be hard to catch when they hatch out and become free swimming. and also the breeder will require some gentle aeration so they can have enough oxygen.

 

[SnuffyPA]

We have one hatching this evening. They aren't kidding-that little sucker is FAST! So far so good. How's it going in your tanks?