Few questions, just got my first axolotl.

Hi, I got my first axolotl on saturday after having wanting one for quite sometime. I wasn't intending to get one, but when I saw them I couldn't leave without taking atleast one! So although I had my heart set on a black melanoid, I'm now the proud only of a little WT. There was a smallish tank with 3 WT axolotls in, the water level was about 1" higher than the axolotl, the water looked unclean and a bit gross and the filter, that was only partially submerged didn't appear to be on, (I'd like to think they'd drained the tank and were going to refill it, but it looked like it had been at that water level for a long time). 1 of the axolotls was extremely malnourished, the second was still thin but not painfully so, the third one looked to be a healthy weight although did still look a bit sorry for himself.

I feel slightly bad about leaving the sick/malnourished ones, but imo as they were overpriced and it would be my first axolotl I didn't really want to buy one that would die on me. I am hoping that the one i bought was just a greedy pig and eating the other two's food, so that by taking him they'd get more food and put weight back on.

I currently have him in a 70L tank that I had set up, hoping this will be plenty big enough for him, at least for a while anyway. He has a few river shrimp in there with him, as I like them in all tanks as a decent clean up crew, and a tasty snack He ate some live bloodworms on Saturday along with a couple of axolotl pellets, tried giving him an earth worm yesterday and he took it, then spat it back out and refused to take any more (feeding from tweezers), so instead I gave him a cube of frozen bloodworm which he took happily (also from tweezers). Tried with an earthworm again today and no luck at all, any tips on getting him to eat them?

Hoping some can sex him/her for me as well, he/she is about 5.5" long and the people there couldn't give me any indication on age.

He's gorgeous! Looks male to me, although at that size it's not guaranteed. He could be anything from 5 months to a year old, but if he's still growing he's most likely under a year.

If you persevere with the worms he will take them eventually, it's just like getting a child to try something new. Earthworms are the best food for him so you need to give him time to accept them.

70L is fine for up to 2 axies. Have you cycled your tank?

Thanks

Would there be any harm in not feeding him today if he won't eat the worm so he'll be hungrier for tomorrows worm?

Tank was cycled etc, and used filter media from one of my fish tanks to speed things up a little. Good to know I could add another if I wanted, though doubt I will, really really don't want to risk getting one of each sex and ending up with eggs/babies! Though I may end up using one of my other tanks for another when it no longer has my loaches and fish in

An axie that size won't hurt if he misses a day of food, but you shouldn't make a habit of it until he is fully grown.