Why won't my axie eat night crawlers?

cmh66

cmh66

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This is the second go at night crawlers for my axolotl. He won't eat them no matter how I prepare them. Is it just a matter of him getting used to them? He eats his blood worms and black worms right up!
 
He is probably just getting used to the new food. If you persist with. The earthworms and offer nothing else he will eat them in time. You may have already tried this but just in case, have you tried blanching the worms first?
 
you can't 'ease' axolotls into new food. Bloodworms and blackworms are what its used to seeing and eating so it will always fill up on those first. If you only offer the earthworms they will eventually snap at it and realize its food.
 
Skudo09 said:
He is probably just getting used to the new food. If you persist with. The earthworms and offer nothing else he will eat them in time. You may have already tried this but just in case, have you tried blanching the worms first?
Click to expand...

What exactly will blanching do? How will it help?
 
Boomsloth said:
you can't 'ease' axolotls into new food. Bloodworms and blackworms are what its used to seeing and eating so it will always fill up on those first. If you only offer the earthworms they will eventually snap at it and realize its food.
Click to expand...

He will get part of it in his mouth then spit the worm back out...then not eat at all...so I don't want to starve him until he decides he will eat the new type of worm. Will he just never eat nightcrawlers or earth worms?
 
Blanching basically kills the worm which stops the worm excreting a foul substance that axolotls sometimes don't like the taste of. All you do is pour hot water over the worm (only for a second) and then immediately run cold water over the worms (to stop them cooking - you don't want to cook them).

He will eventually eat the worm if that is all you offer him. He won't starve himself.
 
How big is he? Worms have a foul tasting defensive secretion-blanching destroys the defense reaction, so the worms taste better. He may be more interested if you chop it into smaller pieces. If they're used to eating small bites , they can be picky about a big worm.
 
I plunk the worm in a small jam jar with enough tank water to cover for 5 min or so to remove some of the slime, put the worm on a flat piece of cardboard, snip a couple chunks off the tail end with scissors and drop them into Louis' dish. The scent of blood should pique your axie's curiousity.
 
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