Healthy amount of time between spawning?

[keysersoze]

Hey, new member here, thanks for the great site and info!

Around 4 weeks ago our two axolotls mated and spawned, highly unexpected!

We moved the eggs and separated the parents using a clear tank divider, but a few days ago Sherlock (male) jumped over the top and laid around 10 spermatophore in Keyser's (female) side of the tank!

Yesterday she laid another load of eggs and I'm a little worried it might be too much for her. Shall I try the tank divider again? They seem so unhappy with it up and spend most of the time staring at each other through the plastic!

 

[xxianxx]

The ambystoma genetic stock centre says
"We allow males at least a week or two and females at least two, preferably three months, between spawns."
If you read back posts from experienced keepers on this site you will get the same kind of info, three/ four times per year, with a few months break between batches giving them time to recover is fine. Over breeding could potentially cause a deterioration in health, especially if the female is not fully grown or given adequate food. Young females will occasionally lay every month if given the chance but they seem to grow out of this, only have experience of one female doing this so some feed back from other keepers would be helpfull on this point.
You did the right thing by separating your axolotls to prevent excessive breeding, separate tanks are probably in order as you have discovered that horny axolotls laugh at dividers.

 

[keysersoze]

Hey thanks for reply! I've got the divider back up now, hopefully it'll suffice until I can get another tank for her!

 

[CheyenneAutumn]

Hey thanks for reply! I've got the divider back up now, hopefully it'll suffice until I can get another tank for her!

Also, you could try keeping a close eye on that frisky boy; every time he lays spermatafore suck it up with a cleaning siphon! That way your female can't pick it up to fertilize eggs :happy:

 

[keysersoze]

Also, you could try keeping a close eye on that frisky boy; every time he lays spermatafore suck it up with a cleaning siphon! That way your female can't pick it up to fertilize eggs :happy:

Ha yep thanks! Frankly amazed by his tenacity!

 

[xxianxx]

Also, you could try keeping a close eye on that frisky boy; every time he lays spermatafore suck it up with a cleaning siphon! That way your female can't pick it up to fertilize eggs :happy:

They often breed at night so i doubt this is a viable method

 

[Nina Willis]

Mine did the same. Syphening it up helped to reduce the number of eggs, but did not stop it.

 

[LSuzuki]

I had my first successful spawning recently. 1 night was all it took, and I never saw a spermatophore. (I looked carefully the next time I cleaned the tank, still couldn't find it.) So I doubt that removing spermatophores is an effective form of axolotl birth control for axolotls. :happy: