When my Axolotl got pregnant, I was so excited to see the baby Axolotl., but I didn’t know how Axolotl eggs are raised and how they can become an exciting hobby. I learned about that, and now I will share my knowledge and experience with you.
Many people ask, how many eggs do axolotls lay? And honestly, each healthy female can lay hundreds of eggs. These jelly-covered dots slowly grow into a cute tiny axolotl baby.
If you want to raise eggs first, you must know “how to breed axolotls” Read this article. Let’s start our journey.
How to Raise Axolotl Eggs
Always buy healthy or unrelated axolotl because a healthy female lays hundreds of eggs. In the first two weeks, I use shoebox tubs, condition water with salt and colloidal silver, and keep them in the dark.
Once they hatch, baby axolotls live off the yolk. Before they start eating normally, they begin with brine shrimp. Now, begin daily care for axolotls, which includes water changes and checking for deformities.
When they grow legs, I move them to individual containers with filtered water flow for safety. When they got bigger, I slowly moved them from living and her favourite food, for example, Blackworms, Bloodworms, and pellets.
By 2 to 3 months, they’re ready for new homes if your axolotl is well-fed and healthy.
How Long Do Axolotl Eggs Take to Hatch? (Time, Temperature & Tips)
Axolotl eggs normally take 14 to 21 days to hatch, but it depends on your tank temperature and water conditions:
- In the tank, the temperature is 18-20 degrees Celsius. The eggs normally hatch in about 14 days.
- If tank water is a bit cooler (for example, 16 degrees Celsius), it can take up to 21 days.
- In colder water conditions, it may take more than 20 days. However, ensuring the temperature exceeds 25 degrees Celsius is not safe for the eggs.
- Water conditions are also very important. Please make sure the tank water is clean, dechlorinated (without chlorine), and gently aerated(with some air bubbles to keep it fresh for axolotls) to avoid fungus or bacterial growth on the eggs.
- Avoid strong filters or water movement because this can disturb the eggs. A gentle sponge filter or air stone is best for your tank.
From my experiences, it is also seen that hatching usually happens in 10–14 days, but sometimes it can be delayed up to 2–3 weeks.
To make it even easier for you, I’ll explain it using a table.
| Temperature | Hatch Time |
| 18–20 degrees Celsius | 14 din |
| 16 degrees Celsius | 14–21 din |
| 22–25 degrees Celsius | 10–14 din (maximum 21 din) |
Caring for Axolotl Eggs in the First 2 Weeks
In the first 2 to 3 weeks, I gently place eggs in shoebox-size containers, with 25 fertile axolotl eggs in each container. Make sure when you transfer the eggs, you can’t touch them.
When they started the embryos(also beaning), I moved them into clean water. Their conditions were around 400 TDS. Also added a pinch of Himalayan salt and one drop of colloidal silver to help stop the fungus.
This part is very simple but still very important. I always keep my containers in a dark place because the eggs don’t need the light if they are growing. As they grow, you’ll see them turn, and if you look closely, their little gills start forming, which is so cute to watch.
These tips can help you, but make sure to maintain proper oxygen flow in your tank and keep your hatchlings healthy.
Handling Hatchlings in the Second 2 Weeks
In the next two weeks, if you need to remove the empty egg covers, do it gently, and don’t rush. If you apply even a little pressure, the membrane can break, and the baby can come out too soon. If that happens, there’s no need to stress, just let it be, and the rest of the eggs will hatch on their own in time.
Most of the babies are perfectly fine. Sometimes, newly hatched babies just lie on their side and look lifeless, but after a while, they often start swimming. Some babies might have a strange shape, like a curved back or a head that looks a bit off, they need to be separated, which is normal.
And it also happens that some babies die for no reason, just make sure this doesn’t happen too frequently.
Always keeping the water clean is very important, otherwise the risk of infections increases.
If any baby seems very weak, separate it from the other healthy babies to prevent any impact on the rest.
And yes, during the hatching days, avoid touching too much; only touch when necessary, otherwise it might cause stress.
Hatching & Feeding Time
When a baby axolotl hatches, it doesn’t need food immediately. For a few days, it survives on its yolk sack.
Yolk Sack
The yolk sack is actually a small pouch located under the belly of each axolotl hatchling when they emerge from the eggs. It contains a yellow or white nutrient-rich liquid, which is the first food for the baby axolotl. When an axolotl baby hatches from the eggs, it doesn’t eat anything for the first few days, as it is only absorbing its yolk sack. It has enough energy from this to easily undergo its initial growth. When the yolk sack is depleted, it then requires external food; this is the time when you need to start giving it live food.
That’s why you also get a little break, at least until the real hard work begins. As soon as the eggs start to hatch, your hatchery setup should be ready. The best option is brine shrimp, especially when the babies are brand new.
The tiny movements of brine shrimp trigger the instinct of axolotl babies, and they start to eat them on their own. You will have to feed them daily, and keep feeding until their little bellies look pink and full.
I personally took care of these babies full-time for two months, I had to spend hours taking care of them every day! Be careful not to overfeed. If too many shrimp are left over, the water gets dirty, and when the shrimp start to die, fungus can also develop.
My method is very simple, it will be easily understood. Here are some steps:
- step take a clean container,
- add 3/4 cup of water and 1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt. You can try other salts as well, but I find this one the best.
- Heat the water to 80°F, then mix the salt until it completely dissolves, then lightly sprinkle the brine shrimp eggs on top.
- Place the container in a slightly warm spot, like next to a laptop charger or under an aquarium light (but not too hot), this will help the eggs hatch quickly.
- After 24-48 hours, shine a light on one side of the container, and the shrimp will come to that side.
- Use a pipette or dropper to remove the shrimp and strain them with a coffee filter or shrimp net.
I always keep two separate batches ready, so I can get fresh shrimp whenever the babies need them.
Maintenance Tips
I usually clean the tank with a vacuum, but I am very careful not to suck up any baby axolotls, especially when they are small.
I try to change 25-50% of the water daily or every other day, especially when they are kept in a setup like a shoe box. This helps remove their poop or any leftover brine shrimp.
If you are also looking for axolotl tank cleaning tips, these things will be useful: a turkey baster is very helpful when the babies are very small, but I don’t move them unnecessarily because they are fragile and can get hurt easily.
I always keep an eye on the water quality, I test for ammonia and nitrite and do a water change if needed. Anyway, baby axolotls tolerate warm water better than adults, and their growth also speeds up around 70°F.
If you add a cleaning crew, like cherry shrimp or ramshorn snails, the tank stays cleaner and the babies get good help in the early stage.
1 Month Mark Progress
So far, the baby axolotls have grown quite a bit and now start to look like real axolotls. In about 2 or 3 weeks, you will notice that their front legs start to appear like small cloudy bumps.
Then, when they reach 4 to 6 weeks, their hind legs also start to develop and gradually take the shape of complete legs. Believe me, these small legs grow so quickly that just watching them is enjoyable.
Separation Tips That Worked for Me
As soon as baby axolotls start to grow their front legs, it becomes essential to give them more space. Otherwise, they begin to bite each other’s gills and legs — seriously, these little creatures can be very aggressive! I usually keep only 10 babies in a shoebox.
By the time their back legs grow, the babies have often outgrown their original container. Whether you provide them with ample space or feed them twice a day, sometimes the biting issue still persists.
My own method is to shift them into separate containers. I got this idea from a betta fish breeder who raised axolotls in the same way.
I use small plastic containers that have holes on the sides for proper water circulation. I make these holes with a hot knife. I connect all the containers to the same filter system, so the water remains clean, but the babies are also safe from each other, especially when one is a bit hungrier or larger.
In each cup, I also place a small plant — this keeps the water cleaner and gives the babies a place to hide or cling to. To remove waste, I use an eyedropper or a turkey baster whenever necessary.
The cups should be long enough to stick out above the tank; otherwise, sometimes the babies jump to the next cup. I usually let each cup stick out about a quarter of an inch above the water surface.
Some people manage by just providing more space and feeding more live food, so it really depends on what setup works best for you.
Feeding as They Grow
When baby axolotls grow up enough to start eating solid food, I begin to give them chopped blackworms in small containers. This way, they eat a little throughout the day, as if foraging at their leisure.
At this stage, their growth becomes quite rapid, and their gills start to appear larger and fluffier, especially when you feed them high-protein items (like blackworms). After some time, I shift to frozen bloodworms because they are easier to handle.
Later, I also try crushed salmon pellets or very finely chopped earthworms. Some people even go so far as to shift their axolotls to adult frozen brine shrimp — but honestly, my experience is that the babies grow the fastest on blackworms.
At the end of the day, you have options, but what suits the babies is what is best.
After Two Months
By now your axolotls must have grown quite a bit, so this is the best time to start planning for their new homes. Usually, babies become ready in about 3 months, especially when they develop both their front and back legs, and they start eating things that are easy to feed, like pellets, etc.
From here, you can easily shift them to separate tanks or bigger setups so they can grow healthier. Planning ahead is also important because axolotls grow quite quickly and require more space.
Conclusion
While raising axolotl eggs, I truly understood the meaning of patience and planning. This process is not just a care routine, but also the joy of watching a small life grow. Each batch is different, and there is always something new to learn.
Sometimes it gets difficult, and sometimes everything seems easy.If you are trying for the first time, don’t stress – everyone takes time. Just learn from the mistakes and try to keep the babies healthy. I hope this guide will make your task easier and you will be able to see your axolotls happy!
FAQS
What to feed axolotl eggs?
When axolotl eggs hatch, I keep young daphnia ready beforehand, this is the easiest and healthiest food. Daphnia is also perfect in size and if you culture it yourself, it costs almost nothing. The most important thing: always keep the water clean and only give live, moving food so that the babies can eat and stay healthy.
How long do axolotl eggs take to grow?
When my fertile axolotl eggs start to develop, I observe whether their shape is becoming like a bean—this is a sign that the embryo is alive and growing. Usually, it takes 14 to 21 days for hatching, but this depends on the temperature. Warmer water speeds up hatching, but too much heat can also cause harm. Therefore, it is important to keep checking the tank’s temperature. At first, all this seems difficult, but once you understand these basic things, the first stage becomes easier.
How to keep axolotl babies alive?
I always use a tub, not a tank, because babies are very small and fragile. To keep them healthy, a daily 100% water change is essential. I feed them twice a day, in the morning and evening.During feeding time, I check if the thickest part of their body has become equal to their head — this is my sign that they have eaten enough food. This is not a perfect formula, just an estimate, but it works.
