Holtfreter's Solution

[Anonymous]

Anyone know where I can find Holtfreter's Solution (I've also seen it as Holtrefeter's Solution) or Steinberg's Solution? For a pair of axolotls.

 

[Anonymous]

No.
But I remember learning in an evolution class the fascinating evolutionary quirk of axolotls, basically retaining a larval form through adulthood by some genetic aberration. Very cool. Sorry I'm no help.

 

[Anonymous]

No.
But I remember learning in an evolution class the fascinating evolutionary quirk of axolotls, basically retaining a larval form through adulthood by some genetic aberration. Very cool. Sorry I'm no help.

They will only go through metamorphasis under very specific conditions which are rare in nature and nearly impossible in captivity. My son has a pair (one of them was mine, but when he moved out, I let him keep her so they could stay together).

They're about five years old now. We generally used tap water with Amquel and freshwater aquarium salt and buffer, with a little bit of kalkwasser mixed in. I've read that Holtfreter's Solution is a better water conditioner for them, but I can't find it for sale anywhere.

I hear they've been put on the endangered species list.

 

[Anonymous]

Table 1.1 - Common Salt Solutions
Modified 40% Holtfreter's Solution: in 44 gallons H2O (Indiana University Axolotl Colony) - for use with embryos, larvae, and adult Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum).
KCl (Potassium Chloride) 1 teaspoon
CaCl2 (Calcium Chloride) 2.5 teaspoons
MgSO4 x 7H2O (Hydrated Magnesium Sulfate) 2 tablespoons
NaCl (Sodium Chloride) 240 cubic centimeters (dry volume)

If my calculations are right that would be 16 tablespoons of salt. Note this is to be added to distilled water. These solutions are used so water is not a factor in experiments. Your axolotls should be happy in plain old water that is around pH 7. If you are using R/O water using something like R/O right would work. All the chemicals should be easily available if you want to make it yourself. They are also cool water critters that don't like water over 75 degrees. Think pots!

If you haven't already check out http://www.axolotl.org/requirements.htm
HTH

 

[Anonymous]

I've seen that site, and the recipe dor Holfreter's. I don't know where to get MgSO4 X 7H2O etc. Well, NaCL I can find.

The Indiana U Axolotl Colony site is amazing!

Edit: Er, was amazing. Now it's moved to Kentucky, have to check out the site!

 

[Anonymous]

Mg SO4 is Epsom salt :wink: you can find it at any drug store or garden center. CaCl2 you find at your local LFS or hardware store. KCl is being sold as a healthy way to recharge your water softner. It is also used in photography so a camera shop might have small quanties.
Any Epsom Salt will have the water in it, it is a royal pain to have these water free since they need to be kept in a vacuam, etc.

 

[Anonymous]

I saw this and thought of this thread....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7161611.stm

Rare 'Peter Pan' axolotl grows up

Dilly will be growing a set of lungs to become an air breather
A rare "Peter Pan" amphibian native to Mexico has performed a Christmas "miracle" - by becoming a salamander.
William Glover, from South Molton in Devon, acquired two axolotls which are only found in Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco near Mexico City.

The creatures spend their lives as neonate tadpoles which can breed, but very rarely undergo metamorphosis.

But Dilly, one of Mr Glover's axolotls, has lost its external gills and will soon be an air-breathing land lubber.

I never thought it would happen to one of mine - I'm astonished

William Glover

"I thought they'd had a fight and the bigger one had eaten Dilly's frilly gills," Mr Glover told BBC News.

"I separated them and put Dilly in a different tank but the stumps just kept getting shorter and shorter and have now disappeared.

"I've heard about them changing into adults but I never thought it would happen to one of mine - I'm astonished."

Dilly, who is about a year old, was named by Mr Glover's daughter Katherine because its pink frilly gills reminded her of her favorite dinosaur in a children's book.

Before the metamorphsis Dilly had bright pink frilly gills

Axolotls have a life expectancy of about 10 years, but Dilly's metamorphosis will have more than halved its days on earth.

"It's a very stressful experience for the creature," Steve Eddy, from Exmoor Zoo, said.

"Its gills shrink and skin grows over the gill space, it then has to grow lungs to breathe with and it also grows eyelids and its tail changes.

"Just imagine how stressful that would be."

Mr Eddy said the metamorphosis was a very rare occurrence and the first he had heard of in Devon in his 40-year experience.

 

[Anonymous]

Wow! Dilly (in her "before" picture) looks just like Pinkie, one of the pair my son has. She (?) is white with black eyes and pink frilly gills. The other . They are about 5 years old now, and they love their new tank. I've assembled the Holfreter's ingredients together and we'll experiment with a low concentration in the next water change.

I wonder if our guys will ever metamorph. I think if they were to do it, they'd have started already, but who knows? Tom, thanks for posting the article!

 

[Anonymous]

You're welcome!