Eggs Arrived Today!

[Marvelous Hunt]

I purchased eggs from Aquarius Axolotls and they have just arrived!

Eggs were laid 1/9/18 from pairing male light golden albino with female mosaic golden albino.

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

They're hatching! 16 so far! Some are already showing a lovely golden color.

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

44 hatched as of today! 5 still left in eggs...having doubts if they will hatch.

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

4 more have hatched! The final egg, unfortunately, stopped developing. 48 babies in all...but I may have 49 because I think I've miscounted at some point. Will count again next time I do a water change.

I don't think any are gfp, but I plan on double checking...once I find my black light.

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

I still am having trouble counting. All 49/50 (?) babies are alive and doing well! They have been very well-fed. Don't know if I can over feed them at this stage...but I may have left baby brine shrimp in their container a little too long. Look at those bellies!

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

Some of the larger larvae have begin growing limb buds! They're tiny and difficult to photograph.

I've separated the main group into smaller groups.

With them separated, I learned my original count of 48 was correct!

There were four "runts" in the group. Unfortunately, one of them passed this morning. It had a crooked tail and didn't seem to be eating - I was rooting for it, though!

47 larvae still going strong!

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

One of the larvae now has an air bubble in it's stomach. It was floating on it's back, but I gave it a gentle nudge and now it's right side up.

Not sure how long my little floater is going to remain a floater.

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

Moved each larvae into their own 16 oz. plastic containers. Most have front legs at this point. Now that each baby has their own "room," I was able to get a definite count: 26 goldens and 21 albinos!

Some of the goldens are already showing a high amount of iridophores! I can't wait until they get bigger! Here is one of my many goldens:

And one of the albinos:

 

[RoreyRoreyRorey]

44 hatched as of today! 5 still left in eggs...having doubts if they will hatch.

Just curious, what size bin/tank did you use?

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

Just curious, what size bin/tank did you use?

It's a 7 Qt. (6.6 L) Sterilite latch box. I purchased a bunch a while back at Walmart and just happened to have them on hand for this project (I have 20+). They're very affordable ($1.96 ea. at the moment).

They measure 14 3/4"L x 8 1/4" W x 6" H (36.5 cm x 21 cm x 15.2 cm)

I hatched about 50 eggs in one container. Once they were bigger, I separated them into three groups of 10 and a group of 17.

Now they're all in their own 16 oz take-out containers that I purchased on Amazon.

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

Oh! Look at those little back legs! They've grown so much since yesterday!

https://imgur.com/a/ADaZD

Only a select few are willing to eat blood worms at this point. None are eating pellets. Sticking with baby brine shrimp for the time being. Maybe next week they'll be ready for blood worms!

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

Nearly all are readily eating bloodworms.

There are three "runts" that still seem too small for worms. Trying to introduce small bits of bloodworm, but mainly sticking with bbs for now.

Attempted feeding all of them pellets. Only two of the 47 will actually eat them.

Personalities of each axolotl are coming out. There are a few "ferocious" eaters, a few that will greet me when I come over, and a handful that seem terrified that a giant is looming overhead.

All have back legs - some are more developed than others. One of my favorites seems to have two different sized back legs. I'm surprised it's legs aren't growing at the same rate!

In other news: I am still waiting for my 40 gallon tank to arrive. Purchased a "like-new" SeaClear tank on eBay. Would like to get it soon so I can begin cycling.

Once all of my babies have found new homes, I think I want to purchase eggs again. Would love to own a melanoid and a leucistic!

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

It's been two months and all of my axolotls are doing well!

That SeaClear tank I won on eBay? Seller never sent it. Luckily the $1 a gallon sale is back on at Petco. Planning on purchasing one and getting it cycled ASAP.

Of the 47 axolotls I was raising, one did pass. It was the smallest of the runts and wasn't developing. I believe it had stopped eating.

Two axolotls have been shipped to their forever home. Five more will be on their way this Monday.

Snapped this photo of one of the babies I plan on keeping. So gorgeous:

 

[Marvelous Hunt]

Down to 15 looking for their forever homes...

...and just in time because Aquarius Axolotls had more eggs available! The eggs were laid on 3/18, and reached me on 3/31. To my surprise, 17 have already hatched!!!

Eggs are from a pairing of freckled leucistic het copper female and dirty leucistic male from the "piebald/panda/tuxedo" Microquatics bloodline.

18 unhatched eggs at the moment...I am very excited to see how they turn out!