Breeding fire salamanders (S.s.terrestris)

[Stupot1610]

Well, as expected the gravid female S.s.terrestris has started depositing larvae! So far there's two and there was also one unfertilised egg. She's still spending quite a lot of time in the water dish in the evening. I'm looking forward to having more larvae, I have a question though. I won't be able to get any tiny live foods until Monday but I have some small frozen bloodworms, will they be ok on these until Monday? I could also try get some tiny live food from my pond.
Larvae:

Female in the water tray;


Stuart

 

[sde]

I would think that bloodworms would be ok, but I don't know for sure. However you can collect Daphnia etc. from a local pond. It is great food for the larvae and is free. Congrats on the larvae, and good luck!

 

[physalia]

they will be ok until monday. food from your pond risks introducing diseases/pathogens/parasites.

 

[Stupot1610]

There's now three larvae. I have got some tiny live food for them now, from my existing tanks. So, hopefully they'll be ok on this for a day or two.

Stuart

 

[Stupot1610]

Up to five larvae now, there were six but one was deposited on land and I didn't find it in time. I have put them in a 45 litre tank which has been set up for ages, it is full of aquatic plants and tiny insects, this should be fine until I get daphnia and tubifex on Monday and I'm ordering a grindal worm culture which should arrive Tuesday. The female has been moved to her own seperately tank in a dark room, the tank has 4cm of water with a hide and moss at one end which is above water. This seems to have settled her and she has deposited larvae every few hours since I moved her.

Stuart

 

[John]

Just go straight to frozen food or pelleted food. Fire salamander larvae are easy to raise than almost anything else (just watch out for drowning at metamorphosis).

 

[Stupot1610]

Ok, thanks. I should be getting some live tubifex today and have loads of live bloodworm coming tomorrow or Wednesday. She has had a total of 23 larvae but one was born on land and died, so she's had 22 living. 3 are going to Jake (Jaffa Cake) so I have 19. I'm pretty sure she's done having larvae but I could be wrong, she's still quite a bit fatter than the other female but I think it's because she'll take a while to go back to normal size.

Stuart

 

[Stupot1610]

This is how they are now;

 

[stanleyc]

Nice looking larvae and congrats! The tubifex worms should be great for them!

 

[HodgeaPodge]

They look chubby and healthy. Great job!

Larvae are so cute...

 

[manderkeeper]

So cute! Good luck and congrats!