Question: Newly Hatched Axolotal Advice Needed..

[Francesca]

I have read the links on breeding and caring for newly hatched axolotals, but the articles did not answer my concerns, can anyone give some advice?

I have just had about 150 eggs hatch, 1 week ago, overall, they seem 'so far' to be doing ok..

Untill yesterday I had them all in the same tank, with a net covering the suction of the filter to protect them. However, there are at least four different types that have hatched that I can identify; melanoid albinos, golden albinos, black and brown wild types, and a few that seem to appear to be black or brown with vertical stipes. I wanted to removen the left over egg sacks and slime, as well as, left over food and general maintenance and water change. So I gently removed them and put them in a bucket, yet the size difference between the different varieties, made me think it best to seperate them all into the different types, as the wild types are much bigger. I have now done this.. The wild ones have been put back in the cleaned tank, whilst I am keeping the albinos in a bucket with an air stone, whilst I am waiting for my 200 litre tank to finish cycling.

Now the problem I have noticed is with the food. I can not get hold of live brineshrimp, only frozen brineshrimp. To begin with, I know I should feed them twice a day, but with there being 65-70 wild types and approximately (have not yet counted the albinos yet) 50-80 albinos. How much is the right amount of food? I have also had a few casualties, where I have noticed that some of the babies who have perished, looked as if they may have suffoceted, as when I removed them, their heads were covered in left over brimeshrimp?? (Maybe the leftover food stuck to them after they died? I am not sure). I clean as much of the dead brimeshrimp before feeding again, I dont know what I am doing wrong... Am I overfeeding?

Finally, one last question.. Is it ok for there to be gravel on the bottom of the babies tank?I would really appreciate some advice. As I have invested a lot of time (and money) into getting this second attempt to rear babies right...

Thanks, Francesca.

 

[Francesca]

Well I lmanaged to source some 'live brime shrimp' today, But I am still questioning how much is the right amount to feed?
Please can anyone advise me, on the quantity. I counted 64 wild types and 48 albino types..

Mucho Gusto Amigos... Francesca

 

[Jake]

The food was originally the main problem. They will normally only take living foods until they're about 2.5 cm long. Be sure that the live brine shrimp you are using are newly hatched (or very close to it) so they are small enough for the axolotls to fit in their mouths.

Since the shrimp live in saltwater and eventually die in freshwater they will foul the water very quickly. It's best to do 100% water changes daily to be safe, rather than just spot cleaning the dead bodies out.

The "right amount" of food will be enough for all of the larvae to get their fill. I add much more than mine will eat just to be sure that they all have a fair chance. In fact, I like to keep them surrounded by brine shrimp (or whatever they are eating at the time).

Gravel is fine with the larvae, but it will make things a LOT easier if you just keep clean if you have them in a tub/tank/whatever with no substrate.

 

[swimupstream]

And what about the question re the dead babies with leftover brineshrimp stuck all over their gills? They do look as though they've suffocated - is that possible?

I had exactly this problem with the two batches I've tried unsuccessfully to raise, and I'm also really interested to know what that's about?

 

[Neil C]

I've no idea what BBS eat but I always assumed (probably totally wrongly) that after a baby axolotl has died they swarm onto it to possibly feed off it? Maybe they get trapped in it's mucus? I'm pretty sure the axolotl dies before it gets covered in BBS and not as a result of them. Anyone know for sure?


Regards Neil

 

[Ed]

I've no idea what BBS eat but I always assumed (probably totally wrongly) that after a baby axolotl has died they swarm onto it to possibly feed off it? Maybe they get trapped in it's mucus? I'm pretty sure the axolotl dies before it gets covered in BBS and not as a result of them. Anyone know for sure?


Regards Neil

Brine shrimp are filter feeders. If you have a lot of brine shrimp or other foods that are uneaten lying on the bottom of the tank, as it decomposes it can become clumped together by bacterial and fungal growth. This can then get tangled up on the axolotl and then suffocate it (or increase the chance that fungus can attack the larva).

Ed

 

[Francesca]

Thanks for the great information to all of you who answered my questions.

I am fairly sure that it was the frozen brime shrimp, as I have noticed once they feed and then die, they do indeed clump into small masses. Whereas with the live food, they tend to swim around until they die. Which is not as quickly, so all the babies can all get their fill, before I do a 100% H2O change. Furthermore, since switching to live feed, there are less casualties.. I have also finally sourced a place to get some Daphnia, as well as following the forum thread on growing your own brime shrimp.. Ordered the eggs or 'seamonkeys' as I used to call them as a child from EBay, so will set that process up..
I am keeping a written and video diary to record the changes made, their growth, the problems I have encountered and finally the triumps of rearing baby axies... hopefully it will be of help to someone else?
I have now moved all the new babies into tubs, with air stones instead of the cycled tank... I think the they are thriving better in tubs.

But new news... Bit off topic!!
Purchased the most remarkable looking jevinile female today and had to house her in the small tank. Not sure what type she is? Ill post a picture tomorrow, (in addition to the set-up for my special little babies)... But she is remarkable, white with a few black spots on her head, flaming red gills, blue eyes and an orange tail? I have never seen one like her, anywhere? Plus she has a rather strange tringle shaped head.. Very skinny, and absolutely starving... (poor thing!) gave her a big feed and she seems to have settled down. Hopefully, somone will identify her for me..

Again "Thanks Everyone" for the great advice, I think I have it sorted out now, I will repost if in trouble.. XX
Francesca

 

[yellowpebble]

brine shrimp eat anything smaller than themselves, if you were wanting to raise them to maturity you would have to feed them flour, yeast, or spirulina powder. Any sort of food which comes in fine patricles. They do clump together when they die

i think the reason there is less casualties with live food is that the food which is dead is an instant ammonia source, instead of living for a few hours then dying and getting toxic.

good score with the daphnia! well done. good luck

 

[Ed]

brine shrimp eat anything smaller than themselves, if you were wanting to raise them to maturity you would have to feed them flour, yeast, or spirulina powder. Any sort of food which comes in fine patricles. They do clump together when they die

i think the reason there is less casualties with live food is that the food which is dead is an instant ammonia source, instead of living for a few hours then dying and getting toxic.

good score with the daphnia! well done. good luck

They'll clump together if you feed them flour as well (you have to be careful when attempting to get flour fine enough and to get it to suspend as opposed to clump together like paste..).. They are filter feeders and require very fine food particles. There are actually excellent foods made to feed them to help get them to an adult size. See for example Aquatic Eco-Systems: Classroom Supplies - Dry Brine Shrimp Feed

Ed

 

[yellowpebble]

i have never fed mine anything and they still clump when they die.Its meant to be more nutritios to feed them freshly hatched and not raise them on food. of course its going to clump together if you add too much flour, thats what flour does

 

[Francesca]

Well, as upsetting as it is; I had a fair few casualties :-(
Ive been following everyone's advice, doing a 100% water change everyday, even cut down on the brine shrimp, as well as scooping out the dead brine shrimp before the next feeding.... I started off with 150 and I think I am down to about 60 now.
The wild types seem to be more resiliant, but the albinos well they dont really seem to be growing much.?
Ive set up my own system to grow brine shrimp, and when I got to the shop they had no daphnia left :-(
Ive even taken a week off work to give them constant care, any further help would be fantastic..
Thanks
Francesca

 

[Ed]

Probably we should start with the basics.. as that is going to give the best picture.

With the water you are using for the water changes,
1) what is the source of the water?
2) are you letting sit at least overnight?
3) when you do the water changes, are you cleaning the containers and if so, how?


Ed

 

[Francesca]

Thanks for that Ed.
The source of the water is out of the tap, with 7.5ml's of Chlorine Neutraliser per 35 litres of water, yes I always let it sit overnight. When I clean the containers I wash them in tap water and put them in the sun to dry. But I have about 10 buckets so I let them dry completely and rotate them, before using.

But since my last post two weeks ago, I have not had any more casualties.. Thanks to all your great advice.. "Hooray" )

The wild types look amazing.. They are now between 3cm's & 5cm's long. Also there are a few with distinctive vertical stripes uniformly down their bodies. The rest are kind of mottled looking.
The albino's still seem to be growing a fair bit slower, yet there is a few that I have identified as being Golden Albinos, and they are as big as the wild types. Not sure about the rest yet..

All in all I have 30 survivors still growing and going strong. The big ones are now living on chopped up live black worms. Yet the bigger ones tend to be fouling up their water, so...
I thinking of moving the big ones into a new cycled tank today, removed all the substrate and have just a black bottom, while they are too big to fit through the filter I will cover it with a net, just to be sure..

So all in all it seems to have been a success, not bad for my second attempt, even if I do say so myself..(Cheeky!) I am wondering now about other food sources, at what point can you introduce other food types or pellets?

 

[Francesca]

P.S Was going to post some pictures and video but dropped the camera in the tank... Stupid!!

 

[Neil C]

Glad to hear that your babies are doing well. After live blackworms I move onto frozen bloodworms. These are a fair bit cheaper and easier to store etc. You can feed frozen bloodworms until the babies are a reasonable size and then move onto earthworms, small crickets etc.


Regards Neil

 

[Francesca]

Babies are loving the new tank, and seem to love swimming against the current of the filter, also was delighted to see their front legs for the first time, (awww ) I think I can see their back legs starting to form, maybe?? ..

Its so wonderful to watch their little life and bodies growing so fast and healthy... Today is a great day

 

[Francesca]

Babies growing well..

They are now about 7cms
Happy, healthy and doing great!

Been a lot of work, but happy with the outcome :happy:

Think Ill wait till next year to try it again....

Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year