Axolotls reproduce by laying eggs, but after how many days do they hatch? And how many eggs do axolotls lay?
Female axolotls usually lay their eggs 12 to 72 hours after mating. After 10 days you can already observe the first movements of the axolotl babies in their eggs. The young Axolotl hatch, depending on the water temperature after 14 to 21 to days.
The speed of their development depends on the temperatures and can thus also influence the time until hatching. The ideal water temperature for axolotl eggs is 68 to 71 °F (20 to 22 °C).
If the temperature is lower, the embryos grow more slowly and take longer to hatch. For example, at 64°F (18 °C), axolotl eggs often take longer than 20 days to hatch.
At higher temperatures they develop faster, but it should never be warmer than 77°F (25 °C). If the water temperature is around 77°F (25 °C), axolotls can hatch in 14 days or less.
What do baby axolotls eat?
For 24 to 28 hours directly after hatching, baby axolotls do not need food, they still feed from their yolk sac until then.
A peculiarity of feeding baby axolotls is that they only eat live food, they ignore pellets or flake food. This is because they react to the movement of their prey and this is the only way to trigger them to snap at their food.
Live food for freshly hatched axolotl:
- freshly hatched Artemia*
- Daphnia*
- Microworms
Another point to pay attention to is to feed the baby axolotls at least once, better twice a day. Since the young axolotls in particular are cannibalistic, they may otherwise nibble on their siblings.
The older the axolotl gets, the less they tend to want to munch on their siblings. But, for young axolotls in particular, it is important to separate them by size, when some of them develop more quickly and are already significantly larger than their siblings.
Once axolotls have developed their front legs, you can begin to introduce them to pellet food. Once their hind legs have grown as well, Axolotls only grow in length and they have completed most of their development.
Here you can learn more about the reproduction and mating rituals of Axolotl.
When do axolotls lay their eggs?
In nature, female axolotls lay their eggs in spring, when the water temperature drops due to meltwater flowing into the lake.
In the tank, axolotls can lay their eggs all year round, but usually in the months between December and June.
By providing the right conditions in the aquarium, you can also encourage your Axolotl pair to mate.
Water temperature
The water temperature should be about lower than normal. Temperatures between 53 and 59°F (12 and 15 °C) cause axolotls to get ready to mate.
Day length
You can also get axolotls in the mating season by lowering the lighting for 2 weeks.
How often can an axolotl lay eggs?
Axolotl females can lay eggs several times a year.
How many eggs does an axolotl lay?
Axolotls can lay up to 1100 eggs at a time. Females that lay their first clutch often lay only 40 to 150 eggs.
How big are baby axolotls when they hatch?
Axolotls are about 0.5 inches (1 cm) in size immediately after hatching.
Conclusion
On average, axolotl eggs take 15 days to hatch. The time depends on the water temperature and the axolotl babies can take much longer to develop in cold temperatures.