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Bit of a silly question about live feed...

women158

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Our axolotl is about 7 and a half inches long now and we're thinking of moving her on to a different food source than bloodworms - earthworms or feeder fish probably.
We're both a little squemish about the whole process and, as she swallows food whole, are a bit worried and creeped out at the thought of live things wiggling around in her tummy! Can live food hurt an axolotl's insides?
 

scrappa

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It depends what type of live food.

Meal worms will chomp away but earthworms are fine.

But as always some info from kerry, kaysie or davemaverick would be better :p.
 

Kerry1968

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I'm honoured Drew to be listed alongside Kaysie and Darkmaverick!



@Neil and Charley, the thought of live food is a little off-putting at first, you'll soon get used to it, earthworms are the best food source for your axolotl and she will love you for it!

Don't worry about the live food in her tummy, it won't bother your axie, believe me! The only live food that could cause a problem inside your axie is mealworms (as Drew mentioned), they have strong jaws that can damage your axie internally.

Feeder fish are fine for an occasional treat, but they need to be quarantined for at least 30 days before giving them to your axie. If you look at the 'sticky' at the top of this forum (axolotl free for all) there is one about guppies, these are one of the recommended feeder fish for axies and if you set up a breeding tank, they look pretty too!

If you look at the information pages on axolotls, or search round the forums there is more information about other live foods you can treat your axie to. In my opinion though earthworms are the easiest live food. Easy to get hold of (either pesticide free garden or online), cheap, easy to keep, axies love them and they are nutrtionally complete, what more could you (or your axie) ask for?

Good luck, keep us informed how you get on or if you have any more questions.

By the way, there is no such thing as a silly question, we're not about to laugh or ridicule you.
 

Berrie

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I'm not gonna give advice, because I'm still new, but I'll tell you what I do, because I wasn't keen on live food at first either. I get a toothpick, and sort of pierce their skin (mealworms) and slide the toothpick down a little. No guts or anything go anywhere, and it's easy for her to slurp them off the toothpick :)
 

scrappa

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I'm not gonna give advice, because I'm still new, but I'll tell you what I do, because I wasn't keen on live food at first either. I get a toothpick, and sort of pierce their skin (mealworms) and slide the toothpick down a little. No guts or anything go anywhere, and it's easy for her to slurp them off the toothpick :)

You would still be in a risk mabye unless its now dead or now its unable to bite.

And for kerry are there any methods to feed them mealworms?

My local pet shop sells about 50 meal worms for £3 and they live for 4 weeks apparently just in room temp :0

And are meal worms as nutritional as earthworms?

If so i would be intrested in having these instead because if theres a method of stopping them from eating your axies precious little organs i could be very very happy :).

Also would impaction be a risk?

My axies are only 3"-4" long and about 1-2cm wide so they need fattening because theyre heads are about 4x the width of their bodys because i dont have enough worms to go round :(.
 

Mark

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a bit worried and creeped out at the thought of live things wiggling around in her tummy! Can live food hurt an axolotl's insides?

It's ph 1-2 in your axies stomach. Nothing will wiggle for long....

Mealworms have tough exoskeletons and are nutritionally poor. Avoid them as a staple. As a treat they're fine, even with their heads on. Just don't feed more than 1 or 2 at a time.

Earthworms are way to go. Compost bin + worms + patience = free food for life.
 

Greatwtehunter

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Crushing the mealworms head is the best option to keep them from biting back.

Nutritionally, mealworms are weak compared to worms and I would advise against using them as a staple diet.
 

blabberwort

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Drew have a look at wormsdirect, they sell earthworms and I find to be cheap. You do have to buy a minimum of 500 worms I think (about £12) but you can make a wormery with all those worms :)
They also sell them in different sizes so you can choose which size you prefer. They have advice sheets on how to set up a wormery etc too so if you can afford a bulk purchase like this, it's well worth it :)

Edit - just looked and you can buy less worms for a few pounds cheaper but theyre the larger size ones.
 

Darkmaverick

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Due to the highly undigestible exoskeleton of the mealworm, constipation and impaction can occasionally occur. In addition, mealworms are quite high in fat. They have to be fed very sparingly otherwise a liver problem called hepatic lipidosis or fatty liver can occur.
 

scrappa

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Drew have a look at wormsdirect, they sell earthworms and I find to be cheap. You do have to buy a minimum of 500 worms I think (about £12) but you can make a wormery with all those worms :)
They also sell them in different sizes so you can choose which size you prefer. They have advice sheets on how to set up a wormery etc too so if you can afford a bulk purchase like this, it's well worth it :)

Edit - just looked and you can buy less worms for a few pounds cheaper but theyre the larger size ones.

Hi,

Thanks blabberwort.
 

flan123

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I'm not gonna give advice, because I'm still new, but I'll tell you what I do, because I wasn't keen on live food at first either. I get a toothpick, and sort of pierce their skin (mealworms) and slide the toothpick down a little. No guts or anything go anywhere, and it's easy for her to slurp them off the toothpick :)

Hi Berrie.

I probably wouldn't recommend the method you currently use, as your could very easily lurch too far and injure itself on the toothpick.

The best way to do this is to use a pair of blunt, plastic tongs and grip the mealwom in front of your Axie's face. No risk of injury.
 

Blaze

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OH MY GOSH I didn't know mealworms could bite =[ Not that I was planning on getting them anyway. Wow that was a wake up, things moving inside their tummys!
 

rnocera

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It's generally accepted in the reptile world that the whole mealworm biting inside mouths/stomachs is a myth. Lots of people say it happens, no one can say it ever happened to one of their animals.
 

jclee

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As Mark said, stomach acids quickly dissolve mealworms. They don't live long enough to bite from inside.
 
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