Photo: Baby Axololt Photos and requesting a bit of advice!

[Kirby]

Hello Caudatians!

I wanted to share with you some photos of my gorgeous little Larvae, they're about 3 weeks old in these pics!

In the yellow tub, i actually have 3 more plants in there now as it looked a bit bare!

They're doing well so far, however, i lost quite a few of them in the first few weeks and have around 28 now.

They are all eating, pooping and generally being very axolottly!

I was just wondering - I have them in the set ups shown....

In little tubs, with lots of plasticy plants and rocks to hide under, in dechlorinated water and clean them out regularly (twice a day) and feed them little live daphneas - however, do they need any filtration or an air stone just yet? If not, what sort of age/stage would they need the filtration?

Thanks very much in advance for your help and i hope you like the pics of my little ones!

 

[NeekaLovesYou]

Being as you're cleaning them out everyday (twice!) I don't see why filtration would be needed until they're in a complete set up (in adequately sized tanks, substrate, plants, etc). Filtration is to help keep the water clean and clear - this shouldn't be an issue if the water changes are being done regularly enough, which they definitely seem to be. I feel an air stone is down to choice, in whatever set up including "nursery's". Some of my tanks have air stones, some don't. Both environments are very healthy. If you feel they're doing great (they look it!) I don't feel an air stone is necessary. :happy:

 

[EmbryH]

They are SO TINY AND ADORABLE I CAN'T EVEN STAND IT!

Cannot WAIT to see how they grow up!

 

[Kirby]

Aw that's excellent advice, thank you very much

Yeah, when i first get up in a morning, i go check on my babies (getting a bit attached, this is not good!) clean all of their poop or uneaten daphnea (there's never much of that, they eat the bits i put in for them!) and as soon as i get home from work i check them and clean them out, using a little syringe thing, so it doesn't stress them out at all. i do water changes maybe every 2 days.

Just hoping they'll do well and make it to actual axolotls!

When does the morphy thing start to happen? I tried raising babies before, but as they were the first clutch, they didn't survive unfortunately

 

[Kirby]

Embry!!! I know what you mean! I think they're so cute.. that im gunna diiiieeee!!!

My fella calls them 'Manga Tadpoles'! ha ha! Because of their big eyes!

 

[NeekaLovesYou]

You could up the full water changes to everyday (being knit picky!) just to keep the environment super clean but they seem to be doing really well. It will soon become clear if the environment is affecting them negatively. I should think limbs will start budding soon :happy: Axolotls - Rearing from Egg to Adult - Give this a read, lots of information about juvenile development!

 

[Kirby]

Thanks for the link! I have read that page SO many times, but keep on referring back to it every time something new comes up! (and i have a rubbish memory!) I will read again, thank you! I love this site!

Yep, i can do water changes every day, that's not a problem!

Bless their little souls! SO CUTE, ARGH!!! MUST...RESIST.. KEEPING THEM....... HOUSE..ALREADY FULL... OF REPTILES...DOGS...CHINCHILLAS.. AND ADULT AXXIES! he he!

 

[NeekaLovesYou]

YOU SOUND LIKE ME! XD Once you start, there is no return!!

 

[FX1C]

When does the morphy thing start to happen? I tried raising babies before, but as they were the first clutch, they didn't survive unfortunately

Morphy thing does not happen at all.

They are already axolotls & they stay in the larval form for their entire life.
When they do actually morph it is to become a salamander (not encouraged)

Your little babies will grow tiny little front legs soon & then you'll be waiting (with face pressed against the glass like me) for the little bumps to turn into back legs they all look very healthy so hopefully soon you'll have lots of leggy lotls running around & ready to sell!

Keeping them all would be tempting - but that would be a lot of lotls

Well done to you for getting them this far - keep it up




<3 >o_o< <3

 

[ArdyBay]

I audibly "awwed" at the third picture.
So. Effing. Adorable.

 

[Kirby]

Thanks lots for the advice.

I've no idea why I thought they would morph into axxies... :s that's cool.

I'm deffo keeping my eye out for some leg growing action! Face very much practically in the water, nevermind pressed against the glass..: or plastic in this case!


I would NEVER make them morph into salamanders, don't worry!

Ill keep an eye out for legs and keep doing what I'm doing, with a few extra water changes added!

The thurs photo was the only one taken on my iPhone - the rest was my SLR camera that I'm trying to learn!

 

[Kirby]

Hey guys,

I have two quick questions -

How deep should the water be? They're around 4cm at the moment.

How often should I feed them?

Just wanna check I'm doing it right!

Thanks!

 

[Lotl]

Feeding is always a tricky question. Some would argue that it is profitable to give as much as they can eat, so a lot. But I am pretty sure caudate larvae can die after eating too much, but as long as you give them brine shrimps, they'll still be able to regulate their hunger. Once a day is enough, but they'll grow slower. I'm currently raising my first batch, so I'm making mistakes, I have not fed them for two days for valuable reasons and some have died.
4 cm seems right, it really depends on the housing. I tried different techniques, I'm raising some on individual jam pots, others in a small aquarium, an attempt to raise three in a very very small yoghurt pot (and they're doing strangely better than the others), and tried some in a big tank, but failed. The best is handy, movable containers, with few water (4-10 cm) and daily changes of water.
To me, individual pots are, by far, the best way to make them grow since hatching. But this is my own opinion, so others would tell you to do otherwise.
Cheers from France.

 

[Kirby]

Hi,

Thanks for your advice! Very interesting.

It seems raising axxies is very subjective and I guess different people have success with different ways. There's no straight simple text book way to do it.

My axxies are in the two tubs pictured above, however, some are starting to get bigger than others, so I'm thinking of separating the small and big ones now. I don't think they have front legs yet, but I don't think we're far off. Yoghurt pots, huh?

I actually have been feeding them live Daphnea (i buy it from a fish shop but have to syphen out the small from the big) not brine shrimp... You do you think I should feed them both?

I feed them in a morning a night, but only just enough so that they'll eat it all without having any left over to pollute the tank if the Daphnea dies.

They appear to be doing really well, I haven't lost any in well over a week now, I think I've got a cool routine going with the daily cleaning out/feeding/water changes.

Ill keep you all posted!

Good luck with your babies!

Oh btw. I have another question, in the Daphnea packs, there are these other weird water type creatures in with them - they are long transparent things that have a black dot either side of their body - does anybody know what they are?!

 

[layna]

I asked about those in the fish store today, they said if i remember correctly, mosquito larvae?

Anyway it will eventually turn into some sort of flying thing if it isnt eaten in the mean time

 

[Lotl]

Thanks man.
But your containers are perfect.
Daphnia are good as they do not die in freshwater, so you can leave extra ones. I started my youngs early with big brine shrimps, but BBS are the best. Daphnia is also a good food source, but hard to find, and you need to separate them by size.
Keep it up !
And last thing, I noticed that when they age a month, they become more affected by food lacking, and diseases, so extra care and attention will be rewarding.
Cheers
W.G.

 

[Kirby]

Layna - Thanks for the advice, however, I just Googled Mosquito Larvae and the images don't really look like what im finding in my Daphnia bags! Ill try and take a picture of them, because I have no idea what to google! The guys at the stores don't really know either.

Lotl - Wow! Thanks for sayng my containers are perfect! ha ha, sweeet! I am very pleased with my little ones so far Bless 'em! Hope them and me can keep up the success rate.

I dont have a problem finding Daphnia, there are two shops near by that sell them, I alternate every week - one shop do really small Daphnias but are usually all dead - and the other shops are all alive but pretty big, so i have to pick out the tiny ones to feed to my babies, but its no problem, i almost enjoy looking after these lil bubbles! (my nick name for them!)

However, I have an extra problem today... the Axolotl Mom (housed with two males) laid more eggs today..... she last laid eggs on the 3rd December (hence, the babies photographed) and then shes laid them today. Is that too much for her? Does she need separating from the male? I have an extra tank but not really the space - so would a tank splitter be OK? Argh, poor little Juggernaught! (shes actually quite massive!)

Let me know what you guys think! eeeppp!!

 

[Axolotl4life]

Breeding in quick succession can hard on a female. Producing hundreds to a thousand eggs is very taxing on female axolotls. I think every four months should be enough time before broods.

I would advise not using a tank divider. In my experience, using tank dividers caused my axolotls to breed. I separated mine so they'd stop nipping each others' tails. I put the dividers in and the next day I walk in to see my male and female swimming about with my first batch of axolotl eggs, 150 or so. You may have better results than me, but I'd put them in separate tanks.

I wish the best of luck to you, I'm currently raising my first brood that are about 3 months old along with two other broods, each a few weeks behind the other. Its an amazing experience to witness these guys develop!

 

[Kirby]

Hi,

Thanks VERY much for your advice, thats great.

yeah, i thougth i might have to separate her, she lays eggs like a machine. i separated them once before, with a tank divider, but she managed to bust thruogh and get to her males. :s She was ery sad without them, but the toll this msut be taking on herbody isnt worth the risk. Ill find the space and money for a new set up for her. I have a tank just not the space or a filter. Can they live with an air stone? I have an air stone, but im guessing she'll need an actualt filter. I deffo dont have the heart to get rido f her either,.

Will she be able to go back in with the males at all? Or is it best to keep them separated?

it looks like the 'right' thing to do in my situatio is euthensize the eggs she has just laid, as i dont have the rescouces to raise them, as im already raising some babies. They are actualy 1 month old today! They hatched on 14th December! Happy 1 month birthday babies! he he!

Thanks again for your advice and friendliness guys!

 

[FX1C]

Keep an eye out for a sponge filter they are usually very cheap under £10 or look on eBay there is always lots of cheap ones on there.

They come in different shapes/sizes
they run off an air pump & they'll filter as well as oxygenate the water

Sorry the pics are small - just quickly snapped them off the web.

Good luck with giving your girl a rest in the day spa tank



<3 >o_o< <3