Are bloodworms good for axolotls?

When I went to the pet store for food the guy there reccomended me blood worms for axolotls so I bought them. They are the frozen cubes and since my axolotl is small I gave him half a cube today and he ate almost all of it. But I noticed there's only 5.8% min protein. I feel like that's very little. I saw omnivore pellets with significantly more protein then that. These guys are solely carnivoures right? So I can't imagine these blood worms really being much at all for them. I'm thinking of getting those salmon/axolotl pellets since that's what the breeder fed them. So can these guys live on just blood worms? The pack came with a lot so I'd like to use it up and not waste it but if it's not nutritionally worth it to feed them then I'd rather feed pellets. I'm not opposed to feeding earthworms but I don't think my parents really want live worms in their fridge. So I'd like to hear what you feed your axolotls and what category they fall in for example. Treats only once in awhile, supplements like maybe once or twice a week but not good enough to be the main food and staple foods which you feed everyday.

When they are juvies, pellets and blood worms are fine. You can also try glass worms and mysis shrimp. When he gets a little bigger, switch to earthworms and pellets. Mine is 5-6 months the old and I still throw blood worms cubes in between feedings as a snack.

My babies are still only 4-5", I'm feeding mostly baby nightcrawlers (yes, I found baby crawlers at Wal-Mart! lol), the occasional serving of axolotl pellets every other day or so (so they don't forget to eat them when I can't find live worms), and a cube of blood worms every once in a while.

Blood worms are like axolotl candy. They love them! They are good for the juvies as they are growing, but once they are big enough to eat earthworms, nightcrawlers, or red wigglers I would really switch. The live worms are so much more nutritious for them, so as soon as you can switch the better.

Where do you suggest finding the other forms of food? I have an Axol now that's about 5-6 inches big, and he will down a full bloodworm cube like no ones business. But most places around here dont carry worms.

Savvy1985 said:

Where do you suggest finding the other forms of food? I have an Axol now that's about 5-6 inches big, and he will down a full bloodworm cube like no ones business. But most places around here dont carry worms.

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Many pet stores will carry worms or bait shops. You can even find them online. I went on kijiji and found someone with red wigglers for composting, so I've started a colony for my guy.

Wal-Mart usually carries night crawlers and red wigglers in their fishing section as well.

My Petco actually carries red wigglers, so you could check with them.

Start a compost heap if possible. All the worms you'll need for free and in all sizes.

Bloodworms have a bad reputation, but if you look at the Caudata Culture nutritional comparison, you'll see that they are actually higher in protein than a lot of other options, including the majority of leading pellets.

The protein looks low on the package, because (I think, someone please correct me if I'm wrong) they take into account the water that the worms are packed in, not just the worms themselves, when they tally the nutritional information.

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“Nutritional Values of Amphibian Foods” by Jennifer Macke
Caudata Culture Articles - Nutritional Values
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That said, I don't use bloodworms except to supplement their diet when they're small juveniles (under 3 inches), since once they get bigger than that, it's a bit like watching a toddler eat. More goes on the floor than in their faces. Also, the worms are so small, it takes a lot to fill them up, and they're much more expensive than earthworms, by weight.

There are lots of other options though. White worms are one of my favorites, and are comparable in size to bloodworms. Great for growing juveniles, along with blackworms or baby earthworms.

Here are a bunch of other good options: “Food Items for Captive Caudates” by Heather Björnebo: Caudata Culture Articles - Food Items for Captive Caudates


“Food Items for Captive Caudates” by Heather Björnebo: Caudata Culture Articles - Food Items for Captive Caudates

You can use live black worms too, they are higher in protein and easy for little ones to eat. I raise my babies on them.

Nina Willis said:

You can use live black worms too, they are higher in protein and easy for little ones to eat. I raise my babies on them.

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While I would agree that live foods like live blackworms or white worms are an ideal food for juveniles since they usually live quite a while in oxygenated water, and don't foul the water the way that frozen bloodworms do, blackworms are actually slightly lower in protein than bloodworms, according to this Caudata Culture article:

Caudata Culture Articles - Nutritional Values