Feeding juvies: help!

So I made the mistake of feeding a small earthworm to each of my juvenile axolotls. they took it down easily, but sure enough they have thrown up EVERYTHING they have eaten today. I know I'm lucky that they didn't choke. I have read that a good rule of thumb is to cut the worm about the width of the axolotl's head; is there truth in this? the worms aren't big wrigglers from a bait shop. they're the skinniest earthworms I have seen, about 2mm in diameter when stretched out. could I offer them a little bit longer piece? the smallest lotl is about three inches, the largest getting close to four and a half inches. I know it's early to feed them live earthworms, but they are going through two bloodworm cubes a day and require a lot of them. I figured they would grow quicker and enjoy a more substantial meal. I'm open to all help and opinions and I'm not going to cry about answers that I don't like. thank you!

correction: the smallest is three and a half inches long and is a melanoid. the wild type is four inches long, and the leucistic is four and a half inches long.

My axolotl did the same thing when I first started giving him red wrigglers, but he was about 5 inches long. I fed them whole, about the length of his body and after doing what you mentioned a couple of times he started keeping them down.

Make sure you check under rocks or decor. I thought one day he was taking them in with no problem only to find them under some large rocks in his tank. A day or two after that and everything was fine and he was eating them up.

But he doesn't like them anymore.

It's probably just the change of diet. Persevere with the worms - maybe every other day - until they learn to love them.

My new copper is 10 cm (4") and she(/he) is eating earthworms without any trouble. I'd guess yours are just not used to them yet. I usually feed her a couple of tiny worms rather than one bigger one.

My Axies at about 3-4 inches are the same way, I have 4 of them and they LOVE bloodworms, but with all four of them I have to feed 3-4 cubes a day, and since I feed them twice a day I feed them 3-4 cubes TWICE!

With that being said I'm currently trying to wean them off of the bloodworms and onto earthworms/dew worms I get which are meant for fishing bait.

The way I do it, I cute the earthworm into bits and pieces the size of the width of the Axies head, and feed them. Problem is, some take it, some don't, and I've also noticed my Axies tend to hate the darker part of the worm, the side where the ring is, and this goes for my 6-7 inchers which I have two of and for my 3-4 inchers which I have four of. But I feed the 6-7 inchers differently I cut a big worm in half and feed them each one half twice a day, the unlucky one seems to be the one that gets the darker half of the worm and its HELL trying to get that one to eat that half of the worm, little bugger spits the worm out over and over until he finally gives in and eats it. No idea why, could just be my worms though. ?

Sorry for going off topic haha. Oh and also with the smaller ones I have seemed to notice that if I give them a piece from the darker portion of the worm, it seems to just ruin his appetite and he won't eat until I stop offering for a bit, may just be my guys being picky but eh.


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