Not eating much food

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bronwyn

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Have had my year old axie for two weeks now, but he dosn't seem interested in food. I have tried earthworms, polywog pellets, chicken and a little bit of ox liver. At the moment there are 4 worms in been in for 3 days. I no he was feed on earthworms as the breeder told me.Temp alright PH 6 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0. Any advice or tips would be appreciated, just don't want him to waste away. Thanks.
 
Don't feed your axolotl with anything but nightcrawlers, red wigglers, earthworms, or shrimp/salmon/axolotl pellets. Raw chicken can carry parasites and salmonella, and beef/ox or anything related to red meats just isn't healthy for an axolotl. Also, that pH actually sounds like it's far too low. At that level, nitrites and nitrates will be a very big problem. Is your tank cycled or no?
 
Uneaten worms should be removed, they will just drown and foul the water.

I don't think your tank is cycled - if you don't have nitrates you can't have a nitrogen cycle going - what type of tank and filter do you have? And yes the pH is too low, it wants to be around 7.5ish. 'Temp alright' doesn't tell us much, what is the actual temperature in degrees?

Are you hand feeding or just dropping worms in? Some captive-bred axies seem to have lost the hunting instict (although I'm half convinced it's just laziness) and prefer to be hand fed.
 
Hi thanks for the replies. Reading just taken PH 6.8 Ammonia 0.5 Nitrites 0 Nitrates 40 Temp 20c hes in a 2 x 1 tank with hang on filter 400 running slow with a artificial plant in front. I have tried hand feeding and also dropping food in.
 
OK, so if you have ammonia your cycle is not quite there yet and your axie may be affected by the ammonia.

Do a large water change, or move your axie to a tub where you can change the water daily until the cycle is complete in the tank.

You'll just have to persevere with the worms - you might try dashing them with hot water just before feeding, sometimes axies like that.
 
20 C is getting to be on the warm side for axies, they like it cool and this could be affecting his eating habits.
I second the advice on no beef/chicken produce! Stick to axie pellets and earthworms for their diet with the occasional treat of bloodworm/wax worm ect :D
And your tank isnt quite there with cycling so keep checking daily for the readings until you get;
ammonia 0
nitrITE 0
nitrATE <40

But dont let the ammonia get above .25 as this will make your lottle ill and also put him off food :(
 
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