A couple of questions!

Hi, we are getting our first Axolotl hopefully next week or possibly the week after, and I have a couple of questions.

I've read up quite alot, both here on the forums and axolotl.org, but the one thing I find a wee bit confusing is feeding. The local petstores dont seem to have sinking pellets, or at least its not stated on the package. Its pellets for reptiles and turtles btw.
Will it work if you feed it to the axolotl?

EDIT: I talked to the local fishing gear's store and they've got earthworms all year round so it shouldnt be a problem to get a hold of those. Do worms work well as base food for the axo, even when its little, till its grown? Is it better to vary with pellets or will worms suffice?


Here's the tank setup up btw:


The pepples are are large, about 40mm across for the smallest, there's a cave that he can swim into or be atop of, and the green tube is a flow-reducer I built for the filter since water flow is a stress factor (works like a charm, the water is almost completely still).

Got any tips or general suggestions that would be great :happy:

Thanks,
CML

If you buy a juvenile earthworms will work just fine, you will just have to cut it up into small pieces. Earthworms are actually the ideal staple diet. I fed my larvae bloodworms when it was too small to take earthworms and that has worked great for me. looks like a nice setup, just make sure your axolotl cannot swallow those pebbles.

How often and how many earthworms should you feed a juvenile and then later adult?
Thanks for the reply! :happy:

I usually just cut up a piece that is big enough for it to fit in their head once a day. Once they get a bit bigger you should slow down the feeding. I feed my larvae once a day, and my juvenile whose getting pretty big once every other day. If his belly bulges larger than his head from the earthworm I skip a day or two until his stomach goes down.

Lose the stones.

Thanks for the replies carsona, they have been most helpful!

blackdog said:

Lose the stones.

Click to expand...

May I inquire as to why? I understand that the concern is that the axolotl can get gravel stuck in its intestines during digestion. From the material here and on the axolotl.org site, and I quote: "I recommend pebble-sized gravel, about 2 cm or greater in diameter". (source, axolotl.org)
This is to prevent just that from happening.

Our pebbles are double that, 4 cm or greater in diameter, just because I wanted to be on the safe side :happy:. I would have thought that to be enough?

Best Regards,
CML

those pebbles I believe are a big no-no. in a smaller tank like that you will have trouble keeping water chemistry constant, as waste gets trapped between the gaps and no amount of siphoning between them will help keep it as clean as possible.

sand or no substrate is always the best option.