Question: How much shall i feed my axolotl?

Hey my axolotl is about 5 to 6 inches (including tail) I'm currently feeding him one frozen cube of bloodworms 3 to 4 times a week. When i feed him though he is very eager and will try to eat the cube whole. I'm worried I'm not feeding him enough and everyone I've asked have told me conflicting things, some are telling me to feed him every day and as much as he will eat in a set time others are saying only 2 to 3 times a week and that they will always beg and eat continuously. shall I just carry on what I'm doing?

Also the pet shop had him with fish and lots of other axolotls so he only has one foot and gills seem really short compared to pictures I've seen of others. I've had him around a month and seen no sign of his foot growing back, bless him, is there anything you can do or feed him to aid in the regeneration? Or does it just take a long time?

I think once an axolotl gets to a certain age they wont grow back limbs im not sure. I feed my axie half a cube a day. He wont eat more then that a day.

My axie get's fed when he's hungry. 3-4 times a week is normal for him. I think it depends on your axolotl, try giving him/her some earthworms for some variety. They have more nutrients for your axie and he/she will love it

He's hungry. Feed him more. Thaw the bloodworms cubes a few minutes prior to feeding. Get some Earthworms as well. :happy:

I have a quick question for you guys who use the bloodworm cubes.

Whenever I give a cube to my axies it always gets very messy with worms breaking off and getting all over my tank. Is that just something I have to deal with, or am I doing it wrong?

Gaius317 said:

I have a quick question for you guys who use the bloodworm cubes.

Whenever I give a cube to my axies it always gets very messy with worms breaking off and getting all over my tank. Is that just something I have to deal with, or am I doing it wrong?

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Try cutting the cube into smal pieces prior to giving it to your axies, it's a lot less messy that way. Remember to clean up as many bloodworm bits as you can.

If you are feeding frozen blood worm, make sure it is defrosted. If you have a large glass jar, place the worms in the bottom , gently pour the water into the jar and place in the tank.Your axolotl should be able to find them and doing it this way produces less mess.
Having said that, fresh, juicy live wriggling earthworms are the best food for any axolotl. They make next to no mess

Hehe,

I am not sure why I didn't think about cutting the cubes into smaller pieces. That should do the trick for me.

I do feed my axies chopped up waxworms. I have tried red wringers, but they can't seem to keep them down. Maybe they just don't like them.

Thanks everyone that's been really helpful. I also read somewhere that a good guide to how much their eating is to keep their body shape as wide as their head. I do defrost the cubes they tend to stay together just long enough for him to come snatch the whole thing from my fingers! also is it true they don't regenerate limbs after a certain age then?? I don't think he's even 1 years old yet :S

Hi, from what I read, there is hope for the little guy...

"The length of time it takes a salamander to regenerate varies in several ways.
As a salamander gets older, its ability to regenerate decreases. But regeneration is still possible and old salamanders continue to regenerate missing or damaged tissues. In general, smaller larval salamanders regenerate faster than terrestrial salamanders. A juvenile axolotl can regenerate a limb in approximately 40-50 days, however terrestrial forms take much longer. For example, Young (1983) found that different terrestrial ambystomatid species show a great range of variation in regeneration rate: Ambystoma tigrinum regenerates a limb in 155-180 days; A. texanum in 215-250; A. maculatum in 255-300; and A. annulatum does so in 324-375 days. So, not only do age and body size influence regeneration, but different species also regenerate at different rates. It is also expected that individuals within species show variation in regeneration."


Source: How long does it take for a salamander to regenerate a limb?

My 7 month old axolotl lost his arm a couple of weeks ago and he's almost grown all of it back.

If your axie is only five or six inches long, you probably should be feeding him/her every day. Earthworms are the best food. Some lotls spit out worms because they don't like the taste of the worm's defensive secretion. If so, you could try blanching the worms - dash them quickly in hot water, then in cold (you don't want to cook them). You can also try cutting the worms into bite-size pieces (about as long as the axie's head is wide). If your lotl gets more nutrients, s/he will probably regenerate the limb more quickly.
On the bloodworm question, when I fed my axie bloodworms, I did it in his 'feeding corner' and kept a bare-bottomed tank. That way, the worms stay in the corner, where it is relatively easy for the lotl to shovel up most of the worms, thus fouling the tank less. Some people use a feeding dish. As an earlier post said, it is important to siphon out as many leftover bloodworms from the nooks and crannies in the tank as you can.