Unsure if I should cull axolotl eggs

[Dhawks7]

I misgendered one of my axolotls so today I found tons of eggs in my tank. I really want to raise them (money, and time aren’t an issue. Recently retired) but I’ve read about how big of a problem inbreeding is with axolotls. One of my axolotls is from Maryland, while the other is from Michigan so I know that they can’t be super closely related, but I don’t have a good understanding of the axolotl gene pools and all that stuff. Any advice or links to articles that explain it would be appreciated. I just don’t want to hatch these eggs if I’m not positive that it is the humane thing to do. Thanks!

 

[JM29]

I don't think inbreeding will be your main issue right now. Captive axolotls' ancestors are from very few individuals :

A Tale of Two Axolotls

Abstract. The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an icon of culture, a revered aquarium pet, and a highly valued animal model in biomedical research. Unfo

academic.oup.com

Of course, if you decide to maintain axolotls for several generations, exchanging breeders with other people would be a good idea.

Now, you've got tons of eggs (let'say a few hundreds). So you may obtain hundreds of larvae within 10 to 15 days.
They will need small living aquatic preys (daphnias, artemias,...).
If everything is all right, they can reach about 15 cm (6 inches) within 18 months and breed at 2 years.

Place could be an issue because each of them will need several liters (or gallons) water and they often have cannibalistic trends when young.

 

[Dhawks7]

I don't think inbreeding will be your main issue right now. Captive axolotls' ancestors are from very few individuals :

A Tale of Two Axolotls

Abstract. The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an icon of culture, a revered aquarium pet, and a highly valued animal model in biomedical research. Unfo

academic.oup.com

Of course, if you decide to maintain axolotls for several generations, exchanging breeders with other people would be a good idea.

Now, you've got tons of eggs (let'say a few hundreds). So you may obtain hundreds of larvae within 10 to 15 days.
They will need small living aquatic preys (daphnias, artemias,...).
If everything is all right, they can reach about 15 cm (6 inches) within 18 months and breed at 2 years.

Place could be an issue because each of them will need several liters (or gallons) water and they often have cannibalistic trends when young.

Thank you for the feedback. I plan to order daphnia online today.

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

I misgendered one of my axolotls so today I found tons of eggs in my tank. I really want to raise them (money, and time aren’t an issue. Recently retired) but I’ve read about how big of a problem inbreeding is with axolotls. One of my axolotls is from Maryland, while the other is from Michigan so I know that they can’t be super closely related, but I don’t have a good understanding of the axolotl gene pools and all that stuff. Any advice or links to articles that explain it would be appreciated. I just don’t want to hatch these eggs if I’m not positive that it is the humane thing to do. Thanks!

Realistically, as a breeder myself, you should not keep any more than you can handle. For most people, that is about 30 eggs. As a first timer, I would do even less than that. Keep in mind that any you keep, you will either be raising and housing yourself or will have to find homes for all of them. The market is already flooded with axolotls from reputable breeders (and not) so you may have trouble finding appropriate homes for too many of them.

Daphnia are actually almost too big for hatchlings. The most successful food source I have discovered is baby brine shrimp. You can buy the eggs online and hatch them yourself in batches. That is the most consistent and inexpensive way I've found to keep hatchlings happy.