Baby axolotls - First time breeder!

[natalia23]

Hi all! I have two adult axolotls (I’ve had others in the past) that are about 3 and a half years old. They are a happy little couple, a wild male and leucistic female. I have been saying for a while I thought she had eggs, but everyone said I was wrong. We went on a little get away and when we got back I checked on the axolotls looking closely for eggs because I was still convinced. Over the next five days I didn’t check as closely and apparently during all that time I had missed the eggs. When I finally saw them I removed them from the adult’s tank and started researching. Within a week they were hatching. There are only a few left still in eggs and the hatched babies look great. By the time I found the eggs I assume the adults had consumed most of them because I only got about 120. I would say I have 80-90 babies, I believe they are mostly wild and melanoid with what I hope are a few leucistics mixed in. I’m sort of looking for any special tips, especially for hatching BBS. I have some packets of eggs with salt mixed in, but I must be doing something wrong because it seems most of them don’t hatch. I have seen the baby axolotls darting forward here and there, but they don’t have round orange bellies. I put some eggs sacks in with them (healthy looking ones), but I feel like they need more food. I don’t know where to get daphnia or any other type of live food that is small enough so I need to make the BBS work. I have included some pictures of the babies because they are just so cute! If anyone sees any they think are leucistic please say so.

 

[Calgarycoppers]

For morphs I see...

Wild
Black/grey Melanoid
Leucistic
there will be Melanoid Leucistic as well - solid black eyes no shiny eye ring

So your wild is het leucistic & melanoid and your leucistic is het melanoid

For Brine Shrimp what are you doing for a set up?
There is an entire thread of BBS hatching

Do you have access to microworms or grindal worms?

 

[natalia23]

Wow thank you, I’m excited to watch them grow and change. I have a little hatchery set up I bought on amazon, it’s a black box with a clear container on top. I will check that thread, thanks. I’m not sure if I can find those, but I will start looking. There is only one pet store near me that isn’t a chain.

 

[Calgarycoppers]

You need a heat source either a desk lamp right over it or a small tank heater if its an open top hatchery

also do not dechlorinate the water

 

[natalia23]

Oh great, I have a desk lamp. Thank you I will put it under the light right now. I used tap water per the instructions. I really appreciate the information.

 

[Calgarycoppers]

Good luck!!

The eggs may be your issue as well. There are many many eggs that are so old they dont hatch anymore

I use Brine Shrimp Direct eggs

Oh great, I have a desk lamp. Thank you I will put it under the light right now. I used tap water per the instructions. I really appreciate the information.

 

[natalia23]

Thank you so much!! I will google that and try them.

 

[natalia23]

I thought you may want to know things are going very well. Thanks to your advice and some additional research I made my own BBS hatchery and it has been very successful. We now have round orange bellies! Thanks again.

 

[Calgarycoppers]

Awesome!!!!

Start sourcing bigger live food for in a few weeks - the longer you use live food the faster they grow.

I thought you may want to know things are going very well. Thanks to your advice and some additional research I made my own BBS hatchery and it has been very successful. We now have round orange bellies! Thanks again.

 

[natalia23]

Awesome!!!!

Start sourcing bigger live food for in a few weeks - the longer you use live food the faster they grow.

Thank you! I will do that, I don’t want to have to panic looking for food for all of these little guys.

 

[Calgarycoppers]

Daphnia are a good intermediate but I use blackworms once my babies hit about 4 weeks old - find a reliable source

They are not cheap

You can use white worms as well.

123livefoods may be a good source for several things in the US - notnsure on reliable blackworms though Im hearing conflicting about eastern aquatics

 

[natalia23]

Oh wow, that is all great to know, thank you again!