Question: Axolotls won't eat! help please

Hi all! I'm from Chile (southamerica) and I have 3 axolotls about 5 months old. A wild one, golden albino and white.

It was all doing very good, I bought them Sera Raffy Mineral food (floating pellets for water turtles) since they dont sell food for axolotls in Chile this is the best option we have. They were all eating, but two days ago this happened: I put in the tank stones from a lake I got in a trip, but they started to swim really strange, and stopped eating.... I thought the stones had toxic stuff on then maybe, so I took them out, cleaned the tank, cicled the new water with Nitrivex and put the axies in today, but they still won't eat!!! they take the pellets but spit them out and they look frightened..... although they swim normally now and don't look sick.... what should I do???

PLEASE help, I'm worried!

Are you able to get earth worms or frozen blood worms?

I can get californian earthworms....are they good?

They just ate dried shrimp...but the still spit out the pellet

Californian earthworms also known as red wigglers produce a slime that axies dont like, and most wont eat them. You can try to use the red wigglers but they need to be washed before given to the axolotls. How about nightcrawlers, can you get any of those?

hmm I dont think so... I'll try to get regular earthworms, although they just started to eat the pellet!!

Im so relieved... thank you so much anyways

I would really try to get some suitable earthworms as they are a more complete food for them. Im glad they are eating again tho!

Red wigglers are fine as long as you don't cut them in half. If you have to, give them a good rinse before feeding and your axolotls should take them just fine.

Do you test your water for ammonia and nitrites?

Hi - hope the Axi's are doing better now!

From all I read on this site, Axi's are really quiet inquisitive, so if you changed their environment they will probably spend time exploring and looking around before going back to their feed. If you changed their environment a fair bit, that would be my best guess.

I would never presume to lecture to anyone, I had a steep learning curve myself, but Earthworms are considered the best all round food for Axi's. I am sorry that my knowledge does not extend to include the name local to your locations but I am sure another poster could help with that. They are easy to keep and breed, provide a balanced diet and probably also make it easier to keep a stable and clean tank (pellets can dissolve and create a local and biological mess).

I do feed my axi's pellets, but only as an addition to a variety of foods (prawn, chicken, fish, etc) but always underpinned by earthworms.

Hope I have been of a little help.
regards

Hi!!! thank you all for the tips... I havent tested the water yet, I'll do it as soon as I can... and I will get earthworms for SURE!!!