First time Axie owner! Help!

[mystiqueluna]

Okay, so I have two axies - Luna (female) and Mystique (Male)
I bought them about 2 weeks ago, and was told that Luna was already pregnant (though it was obvious from her size)

I read somewhere that the gestational period is around 2 weeks? Though she hasn't laid eggs yet, but I'm guessing she's been pregnant for more then 2 weeks..

Shes very big, and I've provided plenty of plants and rocks for her to lay on, but still..nothing.

Any advise? What are the conditions they normally lay eggs in (ie. temperature, etc)? What do I do once the eggs hatch?

 

[pent565]

Mine just laid her eggs at random, its supposed to happen in the dark and cool, but she started with the light on. You'll have to remove the eggs, or the parents will most likely eat them. Feed larvae with hatched baby brine shrimp, and keep up regular water changes.

 

[Neil C]

Female axolotls will fill up with eggs even without a male around. Your female will have to pick up a spermaphore dropped up a male for her to fertilise the eggs and then start laying them. It's sound like your male is being a bit lazy! Can you post a photo of your male so we can confirm he is actually a he?

Regards Neil

 

[yellowpebble]

Hey, and welcome to the forum!

She was not pregnant, she's just fat They can not be pregnant for more than 2-3 days. Once mature, the females do carry unfertilised eggs regularly, but that does not make her pregnant. Just like human females carry eggs always but are not pregnant. (even though the biological mechanism of 'egg laying' is quite different, obviously)

She will only be pregnant with baby filled eggs when a male impregnates her, and the eggs inside her become fertilised. It will only take the female a few days to lay them. There isn't any gestation period inside the mother, the eggs develop outside on plants. She trys to get rid of them as soon as possible. If there is no male around to fertilise her stored eggs, she absorbs them internally and grows a new batch.

"Between a few hours and two days later, she commences spawning, laying each egg individually."

from Axolotls - Breeding Axolotls Successfully

The male has to drop sperm packets called spermatiphores around the tank first. Mine have had eggs several times, and once you see the sperm cones around the tank, it is usually between 2 - 12 hours later until she drops eggs. Its quite quick. If you ever see spermatiphores (they look like blobs of clear jelly with white tips on top) assume she is going to lay eggs within the next day.

Because the female will quite often be carrying unfertilised eggs, she will appear rounder and a little fatter than the male. It shouldn't be that noticeable though, so if she looks massively pregnant, she's probably just a fatty.

good luck!