sanctuary + breeding facility plans

[axolotl nerd]

introduction

i‘ve wanted to have a sanctuary and breeding facility for axolotls for as long as i can remember, and have recently started researching and planning to start one.
this thread is meant to document my plans, ideas, progress, and eventual launch of my sanctuary//breeding program- assuming i get that far (fingers crossed!)

background information

• i am 17 years old, and live in oklahoma
• i have a well paying job and i have started saving to rent an apartment, then eventually purchase a home
• i do not currently plan on going to college, however that is subject to change*
• i have kept axolotls for around 2 years, and have had three adult females so far, all of which are healthy and happy**
• i currently have one axolotl, an axanthic female named mudkip. i adore her dearly

*more information on my college considerations and related subjects in section “basic outline”

**two of the three axolotls were rescued from my schools lab. they were being mistreated and neglected, and likely would’ve died if there was no intervention- i could write all day about everything that was wrong with their husbandry, but i digress. they are now healthy and happily living with a close friend of mine

basic outline

1. beginning steps

• firstly, this spring or summer i plan on purchasing axolotl eggs from a local breeder. i intend to get around ten, hopefully five pairs of twins, and ideally with the GFP gene, as i’m running a (humane) genetic experiment. assuming all are viable and healthy, which i understand is not likely, i will raise the larve to juvenile or young adult stages, then sell them. this will be my first step into becoming a breeder and will help me get a feel for how difficult caring for hatchlings will be, as well as better understand the market (shipping, selling to pet stores,* pricing, etc.)

• next, i need to graduate high school. i wont go into detail on this, but the school i attend is very difficult and i have quite a bit of studying or homework a night, hence my hesitation in raising large quantities of juveniles until after i’m out of school

• from there, i have a decision to make; college, or not. at the moment i do not plan on attending college, but am open to advice from people wiser than i. if i do end up going to college, i’ll likely major in zoology and minor in business, as owning a sanctuary and breeding animals in order to run that sanctuary requires some knowledge in business, id imagine. i also did excellently in zoology my sophomore year, ending both semesters with a high “a” in the class. (not to brag or anything hehe)

*pet stores would have to be personally inspected by myself before i even consider selling to them. i would come into the store a minimum of once weekly to ensure good husbandry and care, as well as require that every animal is sold with a copy of the comprehensive care guide ive written. i have very strict standards, but would possibly sell to a pet store

1. moving out, renting an apartment, etc.

• assuming i don’t go to college, my plan consists of renting a small apartment for a few years, breeding axolotls out of there, and saving up for a proper house.

• i also intend to quit my current job (high stress, but $14/hour, hence why i still work there) and begin working at a local pet store. the employees ive spoken with, as i’m in there often looking at things for my darling mudkip, have recommended i apply when i turn 18. the fish specialist i spoke with urged me to speak with the manager, and i did. i was told the job was essentially mine provided i don’t have a criminal record or anything questionable like that. (which i don’t, to be clear) if i get hired, id both be making money and getting a discount on store items, such as things necessary for my breeding//rearing plans. a double edged sword, really, as i could find myself spending money on things i don’t necessarily need, (substrate, tank decor, plants, etc.) but i intend to keep myself on a strict budget

1. purchasing a home, beginning my sanctuary

• once ive saved enough to afford a small home, (with a backyard, and hopefully a nice cool basement!) i plan on starting to build my sanctuary.

• from that point, i will likely begin housing my non-breeding axolotls outdoors in filtered, monitored, and protected ponds made from various upcycled materials

1. advanced sanctuary plans

• as the dream grows and i obtain more animals, i would like to open my sanctuary to the public. tours, viewing, and information about them would be 100% free, while things such as viewing feedings, visiting gravid/laying females, watching eggs being hatched, etc. would have a small charge. (likely only $10-15, as i would like the experience to be available to most)

1. hopes for the future

• the eventual goal is to breed and sell axolotls for a living, run a sanctuary as an information and conservation effort, and support myself as well as my animals full time. though i understand this will take many years, is not even ensured to be successful, and could quite easily crash and burn, i believe that if i give all my attention and ambition to this project, it’s possible (then again, i’m a teenager with a big heart and bigger dreams)

breeding musings//ideas

1. starting out

• i would start breeding beginning with mudkip and her future breeding partner, and gradually building and adding more diversity to the gene pool. (via purchasing eggs, juveniles, and adults for breeding purposes from sources around the states)

• once ive sold enough offspring to afford more animals, i would also like to be a sort of rescue center, in which people could contact me and give up axolotls they can no longer care for. all animals would be quarantined for a minimum of a month before joining the breeding system or outdoor colony*

*more on this in section “outdoor colony ideas”

1. genetics & inbreeding prevention

• i fully intend to keep my gene pool as diverse as possible, and am likely to change breeding pairs every so often. i will likely have a group of ten adults that i breed from, and will document who breeds with who to ensure no inbreeding occurs.

• a quick note; i am highly against inbreeding, and though i understand all axolotls are inbred to some degree, i absolutely will not contribute to the muddled gene pool by allowing directly inbred (that is, sibling//sibling, parent//offspring, or cousin//cousin) individuals into the pet trade.

• any inbred offspring will be culled as soon as eggs are discovered,* however, i plan on keeping animals separated by sex, so this shouldn’t be a problem

• any offspring i may have that are hatched with deformities, neurological problems, or otherwise issues will be either culled, kept solitarily, or in a small group of monitored of same-sex individuals- depending on the severity of the problem.

*more on culling in section “culling, the necessary evil”


culling, the necessary evil

1. overview

• i may have a big heart for animals, especially axolotls, but i fully acknowledge culling is a necessity at times. thus, i decided to document my current position on what kinds of animals should be culled, and the process i would go about doing so

1. position on culling

• first off, my opinion on what animals should be culled. i personally believe that if an animal is able to eat, function, and pass waste, (and seems to be content) without hindrance or considerable difficulty, they have the right to live. therefore, i believe that axolotls with bent spines, neurological disorders, bodily deformities, or other issues should have a chance. oftentimes i see dwarves or animals with bent spines euthanized early on in life, but i advocate to give them a chance at a normal, happy life- provided they can preform basic functions. however, that is not to say that an animal who is unable to live without considerable and irreparable pain should continue on. i don’t condone euthanasia unless the animal is in clear pain, or would die in a slow, difficult way without it. ergo, if an animal has something “wrong” with it, and cannot eat, pass waste, or otherwise function, i believe it would be kindest to humanely euthanize. it is naïve to think we can save all animals, but we must take a chance on some, even if they require a bit of special care

1. preferred methodology in euthanasia

• secondly, the process in which i would euthanize an axolotl. if the animal is merely an egg, and less than 5 days old, i would simply put them in the freezer (as they have no nerves before the age of 5 days old, freezing wouldn’t be a painful way to go.) if an egg is above the age of 5 days, a clove oil overdose would be my route of choice, as clove oil acts as an anesthesia in axolotls. if an animal is a hatchling, juvenile, or adult, clove oil overdose would also be the most likely course of action. i’m currently researching drugs that can be used to euthanize after the animal has been anesthetized, but have discovered that legally obtaining such drugs without being a veterinarian or chemistry instructor is rather difficult.

outdoor colony ideas

1. general information

• i would like to have and outdoor area dedicated to my rescue and non-breeding axolotls. ive done my research on general pond matinence and upkeep, and feel well prepared to have a few in my yard

1. building materials

• i would use upcycled materials such as used tractor tires with pond liners inside them, reused galvanized stock tanks, old bathtubs, hand-dug ponds with liners inside, and probably a few (not upcycled, but still good) premade plastic pond liners.

1. separation and other general information

• ponds will be separated by sex and size, monitored daily, covered by mesh netting to avoid predation, heavily shaded and deep to avoid overheating. i also intend to collect each animal at least once a month for a regular health check up, and to make sure there isn’t any cannibalism occurring.

1. contamination and predation prevention

• ponds would be in a fenced backyard, in hopes of avoiding contamination of the local environment and preventing predation. as aforementioned in section b of “outdoor colony ideas,” every pond would also have a sort of protective netting over the top of it.

1. potential technicality issues

• living in oklahoma, the outdoor pond idea does pose some challenges. in the summertime, it can get up to 100+ degrees outside, which can be a deadly problem for axolotls. to avoid this problem, i intend to have a heavily shaded backyard, either by trees or a gazebo-like structure, as well as heavily planted tanks with plenty of hides and natural shade. for the winter, in which bodies of water occasionally freeze up, i plan on having a sort of aquarium heater running, if necessary. i’ve read axolotls can survive under ice, but would rather not risk it, if at all possible.

1. plants and husbandry

• as for plants, that’s a different topic entirely. i'd like to use plants native to oklahoma, but am vastly uneducated in aquatic plants locally. more research is required before i make a decision on what plants i will use, but i am rather fond of duckweed, hornwort, java ferns, water lettuce, and others.

• in terms of terrestrial plants, i intend to use large broad leaved plants around my ponds in order to 1.) provide shade and 2.) protect the area from wildlife

that’s all for the moment, but this document will be updated as i continue to plan and implement my ideas

and finally…
if you have any ideas, questions, or suggestions for my plan, please feel free to respond! notice anything that seems off? don’t agree with something? have a better suggestion? let me know!
with love,

• ren (and mudkip!)

 

[axolotl nerd]

i hate to reply to this immediately after posting it, but a fellow caudata member (basilbear!) contacted me and suggested i have a sort of ”babysitting” or boarding service available, and i thought it was a fantastic idea! i definitely plan on expanding on the idea and adding it to the rapidly growing document i’m recording my progress on

 

[xxianxx]

Theres little difference between raising 20 and 200 axolotl. Most of the work is in the early stages, if your using brine shrimp with daily cleaning, the return is far greater for the larger number. Your cleaning the tub not the axolotl and the difference between cleaning a small tub vs a larger tub is minimal. For your first attempt at raising axolotl 20 eggs is a more sensible number than 200, not because its harder to raise a greater number but because you need to establish a customer base. If your raising 20 axolotl you can probably sell them to private individuals, if you raise 200 the bulk of your sales will be to retail outlets and wholesalers and if you fail to establish your commercial customers you could be stuck with a couple hundred axolotl which will eat your time and cash to the extent that they cost you more than you earn. If your raising axolotl for fun your time has zero $ value, your payment is the experience. If your raising commercially you can earn $14 an hour in your current job, this has to be factored into your descision on how many to raise.
Ive been breeding for around a decade, it took years to establish a customer base but im now in the position i can sell every thing that i produce for a decent profit but that wasnt the case for the first five years. I still owe 3k on my initial failed business venture, this will be finally be cleared by march as i have 800 axolotl on the go, all of which are preordered. When i started my breeding business my breeding skills were very good, unfortunately my business skills were very poor. So my advice is learn how to breed and establish a customer base.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Theres little difference between raising 20 and 200 axolotl. Most of the work is in the early stages, if your using brine shrimp with daily cleaning, the return is far greater for the larger number. Your cleaning the tub not the axolotl and the difference between cleaning a small tub vs a larger tub is minimal. For your first attempt at raising axolotl 20 eggs is a more sensible number than 200, not because its harder to raise a greater number but because you need to establish a customer base. If your raising 20 axolotl you can probably sell them to private individuals, if you raise 200 the bulk of your sales will be to retail outlets and wholesalers and if you fail to establish your commercial customers you could be stuck with a couple hundred axolotl which will eat your time and cash to the extent that they cost you more than you earn. If your raising axolotl for fun your time has zero $ value, your payment is the experience. If your raising commercially you can earn $14 an hour in your current job, this has to be factored into your descision on how many to raise.
Ive been breeding for around a decade, it took years to establish a customer base but im now in the position i can sell every thing that i produce for a decent profit but that wasnt the case for the first five years. I still owe 3k on my initial failed business venture, this will be finally be cleared by march as i have 800 axolotl on the go, all of which are preordered. When i started my breeding business my breeding skills were very good, unfortunately my business skills were very poor. So my advice is learn how to breed and establish a customer base.

great information! thanks for replying!
so you would suggest raising a smaller number of animals the first few times, then increasing the amount gradually as demand grows and a customer base is established? ive spoken extensively with a local pet store, and they are very interested, willing to pay around $30 per 5 inch animal- but i’m not sure i want to sell to them yet. ive visited the store and their husbandry//care for their animals is overall good, but i worry about axolotls especially as they are more sensitive than most reptiles and overall not as well known. anyways- do you have any advice for commercially selling animals? i understand if you don’t want to air your secrets in a public forum, and would gladly accept a pm, but also understand if you wish to keep your secrets
overall, i’m excited to learn and grow in this experience, and hope i’m not just naïve in thinking i can do it

 

[xxianxx]

Pm me, i wont discuss commercial info in detail in public.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Pm me, i wont discuss commercial info in detail in public.

alright, thank you!

 

[MnGuy]

I think a college degree in biology or zoology would be very helpful to your future plans. Good luck!

 

[axolotl nerd]

I think a college degree in biology or zoology would be very helpful to your future plans. Good luck!

good to know! definitely looking into it

 

[axolotl nerd]

ive added a small portion to the section on outdoor colonies, and to save everyone the scrolling, i decided to just copy and paste the new portion here rather than copy+paste the entire document again

here it is!

1. aquatic plants overview

• as for plants, that’s a different topic entirely. i'd like to use plants native to oklahoma, but am vastly uneducated in aquatic plants locally. more research is required before i make a decision on what plants i will use, however i will list both native and non-native plants im fond of

1. native plants

• yellow water lily
• elodea
• hornwort//coontail
• southern water nymph (or guppy grass)
• american water lotus

1. non-native plants

• duckweed
• frogbit
• water lettuce
• java fern
• hairgrass
• anubis
• java moss

 

[axolotl nerd]

a quick question that i may have to post a proper thread over, but how many animals would i be able to raise without having my own bbs or daphnia hatchery? i’ve discovered recently that one can take water from a healthy ecoystem and use the microorganisms living in the water as food for hatchlings, but wondered about the density of microorganisms per unit of water. i’m not sure how to word it better, but my questions are essentially;

1. (generally) how many microorganisms are in ~16oz of water from a healthy lake or pond?
2. how many microorganisms are required to feed a batch of, say, 10 axolotl hatchlings?
3. how long would i be able to sustain my axolotl hatchlings on the organsims from the lake water? at what point do i need to start a proper microorganism (bbs or brine shrimp) hatchery?

——————————————————————————————

i decided to add a second part to this, as i thought of more questions while writing the first section.
this bit is on starting a culture of blackworms. i plan on having an earthworm farm, but will mention that in a later post. my questions in this field are the following;

1. where in the world do i get blackworms? all the local fish stores i’ve been to have only nonliving blackworms, which is not what i need
2. at what age/size can axolotl hatchlings accept blackworms? ive heard it said that they can be raised on them right off the bat, but hesitate to start offering newborns blackworms (i have a phobia of worms, especially small, threadlike ones such as blackworms, which is rather unfortunate, but for some reason i feel as though the hatchlings will be… overwhelmed..? by the blackworms? realistically i know they can do no harm to the axolotls, but in my anxious mind they will all be devoured by blackworms if they’re too small to eat them first)
3. related to question 2, cAN BLACKWORMS EAT AXOLOTLS??? (mostly a joke, but i did see a thread about someone having microworms eat their hatchlings. quite disturbing for someone with a phobia of worms to read, tbh)

 

[WaterLily05]

This is an awesome plan! You must be so passionate

1. where in the world do i get blackworms? all the local fish stores i’ve been to have only nonliving blackworms, which is not what i need

Check Ebay! Some axolotl breeders (such as Ivy's Axolotls) sell live blackworms as well. My LFS sells blackworms, though that isn't helpful to you!

 

[axolotl nerd]

This is an awesome plan! You must be so passionate


Check Ebay! Some axolotl breeders (such as Ivy's Axolotls) sell live blackworms as well. My LFS sells blackworms, though that isn't helpful to you!

i’ve been told i’m a very passionate person, yes
ill have to check ebay and other sellers for blackworms, good idea!

 

[axolotl nerd]

ive discussed the issue with a friend of mine, who also lives in oklahoma, and he brought up the temperature and weather
fluctuations in our state. this poses a problem in keeping animals outdoors, as axolotls are sensitive towards temperature changes. perhaps i could keep them outside in fall and spring? then indoors or in a shed of some kind during the more intense months? i’m not worried about freezing, as ive read that axolotls can do fine under ice, (though not for extended periods) but i am concerned about heat. i’m not sure if having a large, deep, shaded pool with lots of free floating plants would do it, and i’m afraid that animals will suffer if i tried. maybe i could build the pond, introduce plant life and zooplankton, then monitor the water temperature for a few months before deciding to put axolotls in? then again, what in the world would i do if i spent all the time/effort/money/etc. on building a pond for nothing? maybe i could use it for culturing daphnia or something similar? i’m really just thinking out loud. (or rather, through text) id like to know everyone’s thoughts, and perhaps some advice?
anything is appreciated, and i thank you all for even bothering to read about my big nerdy dream

 

[JM29]

maybe i could build the pond, introduce plant life and zooplankton, then monitor the water temperature for a few months before deciding to put axolotls in? then again, what in the world would i do if i spent all the time/effort/money/etc. on building a pond for nothing?

Hi,
I don't know the climatic conditions in Oklahoma, so my remarks could be irrelevant. I'll just tell very general remarks from western Europe observations :
- The deeper the pond is, the softer are temperature fluctuations. Moreover, temperatures are more stable in the bottom, which axolotls can adopt as a refuge.
- You can imagine building a simple cheap prototype pond with a large deep tub and something around it (straw for example) as an insulation.
- Place the pond as near as possible from a house. In winter, you can win several degrees. Of course, don't place it on the southern side of the house (or summer will be painful).
- Zooplankton and plants growth will probably be seasonal. If you rely on zooplankton from an outside pond like this, then you'll have to plan breedings according to zooplankton seasons.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Hi,
I don't know the climatic conditions in Oklahoma, so my remarks could be irrelevant. I'll just tell very general remarks from western Europe observations :
- The deeper the pond is, the softer are temperature fluctuations. Moreover, temperatures are more stable in the bottom, where axolotls can adopt as a refuge.
- You can imagine building a simple cheap prototype pond with either a large deep tub and something around it (straw for example) as an insulation.
- Place the pond as near as possible from a house. In winter, you can win several degrees. Of course, don't place it on the southern side of the house (or summer will be painful).
- Zooplankton and plants growth will probably be seasonal. If you rely on zooplankton from an outside pond like this, then you'll ahvae to plan breedings according to zooplankton seasons.

thanks for the response!
oklahoma is kind of like normal weather but on crack, we go from like 75 and sunny to 12 degrees. no in between. i’m mostly worried about sudden temperature changes tbh :/
- i like the deep pond idea, but would have to spend a good amount of money on a large enough pond liner to go that deep
- i have a 50 gallon premade pond liner that i got for super cheap, idk if it would be deep enough though. the straw idea is useful, thanks for that
- i plan on having an overhang of some sort over the garden. perhaps a pergola of sorts? id like them to be in-ground ponds, but i’m not opposed to the idea of having ones above ground. i plan on using old tires as makeshift tanks (with pond liners in them) and would like the idea of stacking a few, i’ll add pictures below
- ive decided i’m probably going to go with a blackworm culture with zooplankton as a backup

pictures below

 

[axolotlnewtlover]

You can use vegetation to shade your pool. It's a long term approach but, it can improve the overall design of your pond. Or, parasols and shade sails are good options too. But as long as humidity isn't too high, evaporation could help cool your pool down. Best of luck!!

 

[axolotl nerd]

You can use vegetation to shade your pool. It's a long term approach but, it can improve the overall design of your pond. Or, parasols and shade sails are good options too. But as long as humidity isn't too high, evaporation could help cool your pool down. Best of luck!!

i plan on using plants such as lilies and frogbit to almost completely cover the surface
i hadn’t thought of a shade sail! great idea!! thank you!