Feeding regimen for skinny Axolotl's?

Florieke · Jul 9, 2009

Hi everybody!

My axolotl's are with me for a couple of days now. I'm under the impression that they are quiet skinny and I was wondering if you guys could give me advise about getting them in a good body condition in a healthy way. I try to feed them small bits frequently (2-3 times a day). For example: yesterday they ate 1 worm each in the morning, 1 of them ate a piece of fish at lunch time, in the evening the one that wasn't interested in lunch ate 2 worms, the other one that ate the fish at lunch time didn't eat a worm. They are supposed to be 1 year old, but 1 of them is bigger then the other (in lenght), one is around 5 inch, the other one like 6 inch or something.

A picture of Harris, the smaller one

Zolotl · Jul 9, 2009

Re: Feeding regiment for skinny Axolotl's?

Try beef, beef heart or beef liver( give the liver a wash its quite bloody) these are not constant foods but they are high in nutrients and protein fats etc and should fatten them up a bit. I would still try to get them to eat worms as its healthier and they have less fats.

Zolotl · Jul 9, 2009

Re: Feeding regiment for skinny Axolotl's?

Also what is your water temperature from what Ive heard if its under 8 degrees celcius their metabolism slows and they require less food. Some lotls I had were naturally skinny and ate less while others were gluttons.

Peter

Bellabelloo · Jul 9, 2009

Re: Feeding regiment for skinny Axolotl's?

Zolotl said:
Try beef, beef heart or beef liver( give the liver a wash its quite bloody) these are not constant foods but they are high in nutrients and protein fats etc and should fatten them up a bit. I would still try to get them to eat worms as its healthier and they have less fats.

To quote the lovely Rayson -
' Suitable staples for axies include earthworms, axie pellets, blackworms and bloodworms. Beef liver, heart and shrimp are suitable only as occasional treats. Raw liver in particular can cause vitamin A toxicity (excessive amounts of Vit A) and malnutrition due to active enzymes.

Yucca Patrol · Jul 9, 2009

Re: Feeding regiment for skinny Axolotl's?

I have juveniles at about 4 inches, but I try to keep their bellies as fat as their heads. I feed them when their bellies shrink down a bit which is about every other day. I feed frozen bloodworms when I am lazy and freshly dug earthworms from our garden when I am not.

They don't really require 3 meals a day like we do.

Zolotl · Jul 9, 2009

Re: Feeding regiment for skinny Axolotl's?

That may be right about liver and vitamin A toxicity, but I fed my lotls liver, mortadella meat and earthworms and they thrived grew huge and bred, the only thing that killed them was the hot weather. I do know that they really thrive on earthworms. I found that bloodworms are better for the young ones later on the adults need something a bit more subtantial like a big fat juicy worm.

Zolotl · Jul 9, 2009

Re: Feeding regiment for skinny Axolotl's?

I do wish that they would eat pellets though, I dropped one earlier and he ate it but only because it fell right in front of him, when they on the bottom of the tank he shoes no interest at all.

Florieke · Jul 9, 2009

Re: Feeding regiment for skinny Axolotl's?

Thank you all for your reply! I went on a big search today and I came back with earthworms, pellets, frozen red mosquito larvae (hope they will eat it) and frozen beef heart for an occasional treat. I know they don't need to eat 3 times a day, but because they are so skinny, I thought 3 times a little bit of food could be better then 1 times a day a lot.

Florieke · Jul 13, 2009

I just wanted to tell everybody that my 2 Axolotl's are doing fine! They are finally used to me feeding them. I was quiet worried in the beginning, because they ate almost nothing, but now they're hungry little basterds ;-) One of them was already snapping before I even put the worm in the water

I'm getting my new tank tomorrow for keeping shrimps, so everything's going perfect over here! Thank you all for the advise!

Kerry1968 · Jul 14, 2009

Good to hear, glad everythings OK

sophieaxolotl · Jul 20, 2009

hi,
im really sorry to tell you but my first axolotl gilly was like this.
he onlt lived for 2 months, the guy at the petstore told my dad and i that there are just some axolotls like the one we had that will die because they dont really eat.
and in the end my axolotl just wasted away......
it sounds bad but the best thing to do if it gets skinnier and doesnt eat is to kill it, its the most humanily way because it could be in pain we didnt kill ours because we dont have the heart to do it and you might be the same way

im sorry
-soph

Darkmaverick · Jul 20, 2009

Hi Sophie,

Actually when axies become inappetant or anorexic, its often due to poor environmental conditions, stress and illness. The first thing to go when they are not feeling well is the appetite. Its better to try investigate if all other conditions are well met before resigning to the euthanasia route, although it is still a viable option if the axie continues to deteriorate despite intervention.

Cheers.

sophieaxolotl · Jul 20, 2009

hi,
i think that it might have been different because when we first got him he was very skinny and he just got smaller. we thought he was just very young. i tried everything to feed it mealworms,bloodworms,crickets,feeder fish, fish pellets and everything was hand fed.

the water quality was perfect and I was doing a partial water change every 3 days, the water temp was fine, he was just not interested in eating.

the filter didnt cause any real disturbance and he appeared quite relaxed.

He just wouldnt eat and eventually he was found dead in the tank.
the man at the aquarium was an axolotl breeder and he told us that some axolotls never develop, stay skinny and small and eventually die. sorry thats what i meant
-sophie:happy:

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