Question: New friends with a couple of questions

Hi i am a new to the world of Axolotis and would just like to say that this forum is a great source of information i have my tank up and running with my two co inhabitants a boy named Axil and girl Rose ( i know not very original!) I took everyones advice and set the tank up with washed play sand and not to thick.
Now i was told by the breeder 2 meal worms a day is enough to feed them which i am able to feed directly someone mentioned putting a bowl down but they just walk all over the worms and not eat them.. maybe im too impatient?
Everyone has mentioned how dilegent you have to be cleaning up the poo but what does it look like? cant seem to see any????? i have yet to purchase the magic turkey baster!
also what does one do when you go on hols can they have the weekender block thing that you put in a fish tank?

Any info would be appreciated
thanks

Hi Kennmax,

Welcome to the forums. You can learn a lot about axies here. I have included some links for you so you can read at leisure but i would also answer your questions you have now.

http://www.axolotl.org/

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/articles.shtml

http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_mexicanum.shtml

Nutrition wise, i am sorry to say the breeder's advice is not correct. Food suitable as staples include live earthworms, bloodworms, blackworms and axie pellets.

You can feed occasional treats of shrimp, fish, strips of meat, mealworms (you have to decapitate or crush the mealworm's head before feeding) etc. However they are only occasional treats. They don't contain all the essential nutrients your axie requires. Its just like how you can't possibly survive on nothing but triple chocolate donuts, melting and oozing with hot chocolate fudge, your entire life (well homer simpson can but thats bad).

The bowl method is still effective. It takes some time for your axie to associate the presence of the bowl with food. You can also try hand feeding your axie, or use feeding forceps. Just dangle the food in front of the axies face. Some people choose to randomly drop food into the tank to let the axie hunt for them.

Fresh axie poop can be anything from dark greyish to brown, it really depends on what you feed your axie. When fresh, it looks like a well formed blob that tends to sink and hence remain around the substrate. However axie poop gets disintegrated really quickly as well and before you know it, it becomes poo dust. When you siphon the substrate, you tend to stir up detritus and some of the poo dust which you can then effectively remove.

Well well congratulations for being the very first member to recieve this link for axie holiday care. Its written by Yours Truly and hope you can find it useful. And no, you don't use a weekend block type feeder, simply because its not part of an axie's diet, and it fouls the water easily too.

http://www.caudata.org/axolotl-sanctuary/vacation_care.shtml

Cheers

Hi Rayson thank for your info havent had a chance to read all about the hol issue yet but have printed off and will read properly when i have time.
I wasnt told about removing the worms head is that a problem if i havent?
basically all i was told was that you can keep them in an empty tank (how boring) and you feed them the worms or frozen beef heart occsionally and the pellets.. the water is not heated and you dont need a filter..
I have a filter one that was recommended by other forum members and i have plants to help with the amonia and nitrates ect i will having read some more fill the tank with a bit more water..
I have been hand feeding 2 worms each a day (only got them monday) but will look into some pellets or other worms on the weekend..
When i can work out how to take a decent pick will up load tank set up and Axis

thanks

Hi Kennmax,

Mealworms can actually bite, hence decapitation or crushing the heads make them safer. They also tend to have a very tough exoskeleton that can potentially cause impaction. I would recommend sticking to earthworms, blackworms and bloodworms.

Cheers

Thanks again, The worms are usually dead buy the time they get to eat them drowning in the water i use chop sticks to hand feed to ensure they dont get lost in the sand.
Will get to an aquarium for other food on the weekend.
K