Axy won't eat earthworms

Hi all

This has been bugging me for a while, but my axy refuses to eat earthworms, I gave it one a while back and it just swallowed it then two minutes later brought it all up again then refused to eat it. It (axy) now refuses to eat all earthworms in the tank, and will only eat frozen bloodworm cubes. I have been told by the petshop i got her from (but dont believe them), that all i need to do is leave the worm in the tank, and she wil eventually eat it, they said catagorically that she will NOT DIE from starvation she will eat the worm instead.

Can I add any vitamins etc to the bloodworms, to make them more nutrious.

Any advice gratefully appreciated as I am still a novice at axy keeping.

Thanks for reading

Ryan

Hi Ryan,

A couple of thoughts...

How long are the portion sizes you are feeding the axolotl? If the portions are too long the axolotl may spit it out. A general guide to portion sizing is that the food portion be as long as the axolotls mouth is wide. Some axolotls will suck a long worm in like spaghetti and consume with no problems - others find it a challenge however and may need their worms cut up for them.

Red Wriggler earthworms let off a noxious smell when cut or bitten into which can put an axolotl off their meal. When feeding red wriggler earthworms I soak the worms for about 20-30 minutes before feeding them to the axolotls.

If you are able to get hold of 'nightcrawlers' - these types of earthworm are most nutritious, and better yet - they don't stink when cut up!

These articles contain a wealth of information on axolotl food:

An axolotl menu - with treats if you wish to spoil them
Nutritional value of foods accepted by axolotls
Earthworms - all the nutrition an axolotl needs

Axolotls are most active at night. Leaving an earthworm or two in the tank overnight...you may find the next morning they have mysteriously vanished. If the worms are still in the tank however the next morning, please remove them so they don't foul the water.

Thanks Jacquie for your input, I am unsure where to obtain "nightcrawlers" in my area of Scotland but I will look in all the exotic pet shops where I live.

I will buy some new worms this week, and try soaking them. Do I cut them up before soaking or after.

Thanks again

Ryan

I think Nighcrawlers are just a type of earthworm that comes out of the ground at night. There's some methods of catching them here: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070602170624AAO0DFF
(Although electrifying them sounds a bit extreme the dishwater idea sounds more feasible)

Two weeks ago I spent a pleasant half hour picking 'tiger worms' out of my much heap, & was pleased that my 'babies' (hatched Feb) accepted them. They had refused them a couple of months back, but I reckoned that was the change over from blood worm + size. I fed them Friday lunchtime, & when I popped in before going home (they are in a school classroom), ALL the carefully cut to size morsels had been regurgitated - quite a few from 6 mouths of various sizes.

I worried all weekend, & first thing Monday I popped in expecting a very mucky tank & hungry axies........not a bit of it - all eaten back up.

I am now washing these muck-worms & leaving them in soil for several days & now appear to have no problem. They have been fine with 'ordinary' earthworms (of many varieties) all along, but winter approaches, & presently the ground is VERY hard, so earthworming is difficult.

Sparkle & Heather