Dilemma with new axolotl eggs

[Zaddiegirl]

I purchased 183 axolotl eggs with shipping for $60. The seller wanted them all to go at once or I only would have bought ten. I thought it was a good deal and wanted the potential colored axolotls. No complaint on price at all! My dilemma is that on day ten of their development only one seems to be alive! Many look like they started to, but have not changed since arriving.
The last time I purchased eggs they were shipped in a water bottle full of clean water. Not a single egg died! I have raised the babies to their current 4 inch size with no problems, so I'm sure it was not my methods.
I believe it may be the way this batch was shipped. But would like an outside opinion. They were sealed into a small zipper type bag, no larger than a snack size. There was no extra water or space for air. That bag was in a plastic tub with lid. And was padded with paper and fiber mulch. I was a bit concerned that there was no ice pack, but read that it's ok for eggs to ship without. When they arrived I thought it was odd, but assumed the seller knew how to ship them. Do eggs need water and air during shipping?
What should I do?

 

[auntiejude]

As long as the eggs don't dry out they should be OK - many people ship with damp tissue and not much else. But it is quite possible the eggs were exposed to excessive high or lows temps during transit.

Have you contacted the seller?

 

[Zaddiegirl]

I have not contacted the seller yet. I didn't want to cuase trouble if I was wrong. She was very nice and helpful.
So, if it wasn't shipping method, what else would be wrong? Sorry if that sounds dumb, I'm new to axolotls! I can't be certain but I don't think temps were an issue. The eggs came from Washington to oregon during 70-80 ish weather. So maybe warmer on a truck...

 

[bugdozer]

I think if you have a large number of eggs that don't hatch it would be reasonable to ask the seller to refund some of the money - otherwise you're being charged for nothing.

 

[Bellabelloo]

What is the temperature of the water they are in now?
Do you know how long they were in the post?

 

[michael]

shipped at 80F with no ice pack would kill the eggs.

 

[Petersgirl]

I think Mr Shrom has it. 80 degrees Fahrenheit is about 27 degrees Celsius by rough estimation with my thermometer. The advice on Axolotl.org says that eggs should be kept at a maximum of 25 degrees Celsius, so I think that they got a little too warm.

Sorry about your eggs

 

[michael]

A lot of novice sellers have gotten away with shipping eggs and axolotls by priority mail with less than optimum packing. Now that it is warming up it is catching up with them.

 

[Zaddiegirl]

Wow! Thank you all for your replies! Right now the remaining egg is kept at about 70 F. They were in the mail for 2 days, and I brought them inside within a few minutes of delivery. They didn't seem too warm at the time, but I don't know what conditions were like on the way.
I did contact the seller, she said they might have just been infertile to begin with. This batch was laid very soon after the last one, maybe to soon.
She generously agreed to send another batch the same size and parents in a couple of months. Free of any charges!

 

[Petersgirl]

Nice result! I hope the next batch goes as planned for you