# raising axolotl tadpoles



## shiftylou (Apr 27, 2008)

So I recieved some spawn today, and set up the tank with some oxgenating plant, a filter and a heater set on 20c.

Should hatch next week so id like to get a food supply set up. Can anyone give me advice on what is best to feed them and an easy supply?

Have done some research into daphnia and brine shrimp but not sure where is best to buy etc. 

Any info please?


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## GemzD26 (Sep 22, 2009)

Hi ShiftyLou,

Best advice i can give you is to log onto Caudata.org Newt and Salamander Forum

Thre is a whole topic dedicated to Axolotls and a sub section on egg and breeeding.

I would def use this website as this is my bible.

In my opinin i dont think you should need a heater for babies you dont for adults and 20C is the maximum temp your axolotls should be kept at i would try and drop it down to 18C.

As far as feeding im sure you can start feeding them on chopped up bloodworms and when the get a bit bigger feed them on daphnia.

Ive just ordered 5 bags of daphina for my 6 month old youngsters.

Anyway best of luck :2thumb:


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## shiftylou (Apr 27, 2008)

I have them in the celler and the temp drops really low out there at this time of year so wasnt sure they would survive?

I read that they like to eat live pary would the blood worm have to be live?


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## AeonFLux (Apr 6, 2009)

They are from glacial lakes in Mexico so they shoudl be kept cold. Unless your at risk of freezing then I wouldn't bother heating the tank as low as 5C is fine. At lower temperatures growth will be slower but higher temperatures will encourage fungus and bacteria and cause the babies stress.

As for feeding food has to be live until the legs have developed as they are stimulated by movement. Brine shrimp are the best live food source at this size. You will need to set up two brine shrimp hatcheries. (you can get kits to do this-basically a pop bottle with airstone to maintain constant bubbling) as brine shrimp take two days to hatch and you will need to feed everyday. The brine shrimp do need to be heated and hatch best at 25C so maybe put them next to a radiator/ on a heat mat. The kit comes with a little sieve so once the brine shrimp hatch they need to be sieved out from the water and fed to the babies. Take care not to feed the egg cases as these are dangerous to baby axies.

Once the axies have legs start to introduce bloodworms-i found the frozen cubes very useful! you may have to chop them up a bit at first depending on their size.


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## AeonFLux (Apr 6, 2009)

When the babies hatch they don't need to eat for the first two days as they digest the remainder of their yolk so set up the hatcheries (staggered by one day) as the first babies hatch and they should be ready for their first meal.

Hope this helps :2thumb:


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## shiftylou (Apr 27, 2008)

ok thanks! seen a hatch kit on ebay for brine shrimp will order that. am I able to place the brine shrimp in a tub with a airstone aand place on my rack?(its a book shelf with heat cable running along the back.


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## Gemificus (Jan 26, 2007)

got some this morning also, hope theses ones survive the last ones seemed to just melt into goop and i followed everything on the axolotl site


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## AeonFLux (Apr 6, 2009)

The best thing to do it in is a pop bottle so the eggs are continually going up the water column and back down again if get what I mean. I have never tried it in tubs so i'm not sure but all the hatcheries I have seen are a vertical based system.

I have used this kit before and found it to work well :

SERA Brine Shrimp Artemia Hatching Kit Brineshrimp on eBay (end time 11-Nov-09 15:40:01 GMT)

- it also comes with a little sieve thing too which is useful-I tried to do it though a homemade version made from tights the first time....Failed badly! :lol2:


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## shiftylou (Apr 27, 2008)

do you need to pump an air stone in? and if so, where do you put the pump?


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