Axolotl Growth.

inkozana

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I've sort of half mentioned this before.
My Axolotl Lance is over a year old, he is golden and his total length is about 12cm.
That is as long as he will grow.

He's kind of a dwarf axolotl.
Is that possible/does it exist?
Please don't tell me he will grow eventually because it's been over 14 months and he has a beautiful diet and eats regularly and his set-up is decent enough not to effect his growth rate.

Thanks.
 
Just like all other animals, including us, they come in all sizes.
I have a male that is 14" another 10" these are about 3 years old and yet i have a juvvie of 10 months and he is already 10" , so i wouldny worry.
They say the best things come in the smallest packages.
 
Just like all other animals, including us, they come in all sizes.
I have a male that is 14" another 10" these are about 3 years old and yet i have a juvvie of 10 months and he is already 10" , so i wouldny worry.
They say the best things come in the smallest packages.


Indeed. Animals are always much cuter when they're smaller. :D
 
I've sort of half mentioned this before.
My Axolotl Lance is over a year old, he is golden and his total length is about 12cm.
That is as long as he will grow.
That is not as long as he will grow. Axolotls go through a growth spurt when they're young. The older they get the slower they grow, but they never stop growing. Keep in mind a watched pot never boils;) Just keep feeding it earthworms or a quality pellet food, and it'll grow in time.

He's kind of a dwarf axolotl.
Is that possible/does it exist?
No, he is not a dwarf.

Please don't tell me he will grow eventually because it's been over 14 months and he has a beautiful diet and eats regularly and his set-up is decent enough not to effect his growth rate.

Thanks.

Sorry, but I have to break some bad news to you...
Your axolotl will grow if you keep it healthy. They can grow the same size in a 55 gallon aquarium as they will in a one gallon squat fish bowl (like they use in many labs). Some just grow slower than others. I've had on group that at 7 months old some were only 6 inches but others were 10-11! Just be patient, keep the water clean, and keep it well fed.

What are you feeding him on? What temperature are you keeping him at? Do you have any photos?
 
He is in a big tank that houses him and a baby of his size.
I feed him on tubifex worms, bloodworms, feeder fish and little slices of steak.
The temperature is about 19 degrees celcius.
He hasn't grown since I got him- he has always stayed baby size. There was no growth spurt :/

Please note~ This photo is very old, the tank set up has changed for his health and the black axolotl nolonger resides in the same tank as him.
He is still the same size as he was in this photo (taken roughy 6 months ago).

IMG_0715.jpg
 
In my opinion you should reconsider his diet - tubifex and bloodworms are rather a snack for an Axolotl this size; bloodworms contain a high amount of water and not much calories. Steak would be rather unsuitable since it is hard to digest for animals that seldom eat mammals in their natural habitat.

I would advice some earthworms, salmon pellets, waxworm now and then.
 
I never knew that axolotls could stay short... that's kind of shoking...:eek:
I bought one on the 1º of february, it was 5 cms long... and now (two months after) it's 17 cms long... and it's a golden albino too...
But I can see that your axolotls are very nice and healthy... It's just an special Axolotl... =)

Take good care of it!
 
I agree with Daniel. That diet would be good for small juvenile axies (except the fish and steak), but adults should be fed a quality carnivorous pellet food and worms. Also, if you still have that size gravel in the tank remove it as soon as possible. If your axolotl has ingested too much of it then maybe that has something to do with it not growing as fast.
 
Thank-you :) I will (he is my favourite :eek:)
Are you sure it's a he?
It should be much more difficult to recognize it's sex... but not impossible!!:D
I still don't know my golden albino's sex... I hope it's a male!! So that they can procreat... :wacko:
 
Hi Inkozana,

Big or small you have to beautiful healthy looking axies. It may well be just a case of genetics. I have never heard of dwarfism in axolotls but that is not to say it doesn't exist.

Im with Jake and Daniel on the diet thing.

Good Luck
 
The gravel is removed he now lives with sand. I half mentioned that already.
I think Lance is a boy, there is a small bump but he is sort of structured like a girl (he's very stubby).. I'm not sure :/
 
Hello Inkozana,

It could be because your axolotl mated with another axolotl before it reached sexual maturity, thus hindering its potential to reach its fullest size.

Jay.
 
It could be because your axolotl mated with another axolotl before it reached sexual maturity, thus hindering its potential to reach its fullest size.

Jay - do you have any supporting sources on this (hypo)thesis? And just for definition - how could an animal mate if it is not mature?
 
Jay - do you have any supporting sources on this (hypo)thesis? And just for definition - how could an animal mate if it is not mature?

Hello Phoenixtear,

I got this information from the following webpage:

http://www.axolotl.org/breeding.htm

Unless, I read this material incorrectly- I'm pretty sure that's what it mentions. Also, Inkozana appears to be unsure about Lance's sexuality. Thus, if Lance is in a female, the above link could hold more relevancy.

Jay.
 
Lance only got a room-mate after about 4 months. In which he did not grow at all.
No mating occured.
 
I know what part of the breeding-site you mean:
Axolotl.org - Breeding
There is a very good reason for not breeding your female axolotl(s) too early. A female axolotl can lay in excess of 1000 eggs. Producing so many eggs is a strain on the animal's metabolism, and the body prioritises production of eggs over body growth while the animal is in conditions suitable for breeding. Since females may breed several times each year, as soon as the first batch of eggs are laid, the body attempts to produce new eggs to replace those that have been laid. Female axolotls may fall ill at this point unless due care is taken, and for a female that is still growing in length, the strain is increased.

An Axolotl mating "too early" (not before reaching sexual maturity since as far as I know female Axolotls can not be forced to mate by males, they are stimulated by pheromones) may slow down its growth but in this case "she" had to lay eggs for several times. If that was the case, you might be right, although I have never seen a female with 12 cm lay eggs (what does not mean that this is impossible since in my experience Axolotls tend to become sexually mature at younger age in the last years - I think this is a side effect of domestication).
 
Hehe, it's a good thought but Lance hasn't laid any eggs at all. He's just a healthy, content little guy who is strangely small.
 
My axolotl is now 10 months old and is about 6cm, HE WONT GROW:'(
 
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