T. natans diet

I just aquired 3 T. natans. I've read every caresheet and info sheet I could find but I have some questions about diet. Freeze dried tubifex cubes are mentioned frequently. Is this really a good food for them? I currently keep axolotls and I feed them a combination of live black worms, Rangen salmon pellets and frozen blood worms with the occasional night crawler. I've always thought tubifex worms were too high in fat. I realize the environmental needs of caecilians are very different from axolotls but are thier dietary needs different too? I gave them blackworms tonight, they were very enthusiastic.

Hi Sara,
T. natans do very well on a diet of larger prey items (particuarly as they can grow to about 18 inches in length and over 250 grams) although the National Zoo does feed them blackworms. The ones I work with feed well on nightcrawlers, crickets, the occasional wax worm, the occasional red eye tree frog that does not get out of the water in time, frozen/thawed prawn, very small pink mice and rarely frozen thawed fish (although the majority of the diet is filled by earthworms and the crickets that the red eye tree frogs miss.
In general most of the care sheets are often lacking in some important information. Do you know the pH and the hardness of the water you in which you are keeping them? They should have water with a pH between 5.5 (although in some streams the water is more acidic) and be very soft (low in dissolved minerals not softened with a water softener). I keep the ones I work with between 78 and 82 F.
Let me know if you have any other questions (I will be away at a conference this week so the earliest I will get any responses will be next week).
Ed

i feed mine on bloodworms, canned cat food, beef heart, mysis shrimp and red wigglers. they will eat crickets-if they can find them. i have 3 adults and a juvenile-the juvie has a voracious appetite and will eat the smaller prey with relish, the bigger ones only really come out for catfood, worms and beefheart. i keep ghost shrimp in the tank to keep it clean-they eat some of these occasionally cause i have to replenish them. i tried dried tubifex-but since it floated it was hard for them to locate and get a hold of, most of the cubes molded-what ever you try to feed them it is best if it sinks so they can find it easier. i have borrowed my moms digi cam-if you'd like i can post a pic of their set up-these are the first i have had in 3 years and i have yet to loose one to either escape or disease/stress (i had 3 before)., one thing though with tubifex worms-fat is not the main concern-since they are bottom feeders-heavy metal contamination is a bigger issue-i am not sure exactly how commercial dried tube worms are obtained (captive bred in controlled conditions or dredged up from farm ponds). i usually feed larvae live tubifex and have always been warned to rinse them a few times to help clear their systems out (this doesnt make total sense though because the contaminants would be in their tissues)..what i need to know is what makes them randy, id like to see a new born with their feathery gills and all.ive had a d mexicanus give birth before, id like to see aquatic babies that were captive bred by me.

Thanks for all the help. I have been careful with the water quality and temp (all the conditions you DON'T want for axolotls). I hand fed them some shrimp meat last night. So far they've eaten everything I've offered. (shrimp, blackworms, frozen blood worms, Rangen salmon pellets).
I would love to see some photos of other set ups Can anyone tell me what the normal life span is?