My Axi will only hand feed!

When he was a juvi and in his very first tank, I could happily drop blood worm cubes into his tank and he'd munch away quite happily.

However when I up-sized his tank I began to hand feed him in order to give him a varied diet. While I enjoyed the additional contact with my dear little Spock, it seems to have had an unwanted effect. He now won't go for food on his own, I have to hand feed him it on he will simply ignore his food.

He has a separate smaller tank that I use to feed him in when I want to feed him frozen food and he will happily just sit in it for hours without even bothering to eat the food that is right in-front of his mouth. If I dangle something in above him he'll go for it.

It can be very frustrating as it is inconvenient sometimes to hand feed him as it can be rather time consuming (he is a slow eater) I've even tried putting feeder fish into his tank only to find them still there weeks later and again he will only eat them if I have hold of them.

Is there anyway to retrain him to eat independently?

Lol mines the same! Sometimes he just sits there with his mouth open expecting u to put the worm in for him. But lucky for me he is a pig n if i leave it on the bottom hunger gets the better of him and he eats the food.

You have just spoilt your axolotl. Just add food to its tank in the same spot, it will soon learn where to go to get fed, if it chooses to starve for a couple of weeks let it.

Hey!
Just thought I'd update and let you know that shortly after posting my question Spock started eating on his own AND hunting!! He hunted!!! ON HIS OWN!!
I swear it's like he can read my mind.
Thank you for all the answers I am happy to find the situation resolved itself.