Wont eat!!

My new axie that i brought almost two weeks ago wont eat anything a few days after i got it it had spat out a big chunk of meat but still looked as tho it had more in it so i wasnt too worried but now its starting to get a bit long i have tried a few different things but still nothing it is 16- 17cms long, my other one is fine though

What is the temperature of your tank? What type of substrate do you have? What are the parameters of your water?
Also, the best thing to feed axolotls are earthworms. Try chopping one up and dropping it right above their head. Blood worms can also be fed, but they are a lot messier.

I'd forget the meat. Mine have never had it as even a "treat" (my dog gets "treats" for sitting and fetching, i personally think axies need nutrition, not treats)

I still chuckle at the mental image of a wild axie bringing down a cow and tearing it's heart out....

Anyways, i'm not trying to get into that argument .... worms or pellets, as above.

Different stressors can effect their appetite - tank parameters, temp & cycle

Is you tank cycled? Is it getting too much light, too much noise or passing traffic - you probably already have, but check out the requirement page and check the list, make sure you aren't doing something to stress him a little - Axolotls - Requirements & Water Conditions in Captivity

Other than that, persist with the food.

Just last week one of my guys went off his food.

normally, i only have to walk past or up to the tank and the greedy buggers are poking out of the hides for food, i've always fed by hand, and they follow my "magic food hand" everywhere. For no apparent reason one of them just refused anything last week, avoided me like the plague, wanted nothing to do with the magic food hand.

I tried all sorts of different ways to try to feed him (without stressing him, i tried a few times then just left him, the fat bugger would take weeks to starve! )

After about 7 days and only 1 small worm and a pellet or two eaten, he did a nice big poop. A sudden interest in the magic hand the next day! One big worm and 3 pellets next feed, and he came straight out for it!

So, try some different things, make sure the set up is not stressing him, the cycle is working or done, but persist with it without stressing him if uou can
Bren

It was the person i got it off that was feeding it meat ive only had it a week and a half or so, ive been to the pet store and brought axo food for them, the axo i got b4 it is fine and i no the tanks big enough for them ive checked tht part, as for water temp i dont think it could possibly be too high just because here in nz its not exactly hot yet at all.

i live in a sleepout/guest house type thing thats just one room with a bathroom could the tank be getting to much noise with the tv and ppl in here?? they have a huge cave tht takes up alot of space that im looking at changing to two smaller ones to give them more room. im just worried it wont eat and will die of starvation! and i really dont want this to happen!

At the moment there are large rocks on the bottom but i am changing to silica sand soon, i learnt small pebbles were no good for them after the first one i got came with a tank with them in it i soon fixed that and the 2nd one i got was kept in a tank the same (both axo's i got from other ppl that no longer wanted them)

i am also a little confused about cycling could someone please explain this to me?? i have tried looking online but still confused??

Attached file explains the nitrogen cycle pretty well.

But in a nut shell -

Animals & Plants produce waste (poo) - waste = Ammonia

Ammonia is harmful to your axies, luckily....

Ammonia is eaten by a naturally occurring bacteria (you only need to have ammonia and the bacteria will be there) - Bacteria produces waste = nitrites

Nitrites are also harmful to your axies, luckily......

Nitrites are eaten up by another naturally occurring bacteria (u have nitrites, then you will have the bacteria) - Bacteria produces waste = Nitrates

Nitrates are also harmful to axies in large doses, but they can tolerate some.

Plants use Nitrates and produce waste......

And so the cycle continues........

the cycle can take weeks to establish and even out.

When you start, first you will ammonia readings when you test with the kit you are going buy- You will change 20 % water (probably daily to start with) to keep the ammonia below 0.25

After a period of time (weeks maybe) you will start to get nitrite readings - again, keep changing the water by 20% because readings above 5 are harmful - At this point the ammonia might drop off a bit or altogether (but you are not out of the woods yet)

After another period of time (maybe weeks) you will start to get nitrates readings. At this point your nitrites & ammonia readings should drop to zero - the cycle has started and should be pretty much self sustaining as long as you maintain good conditions.

Amm 0 - Nitrite 0 - Nitrates <40 - PH 7 - GH 180 - temp 18 is just about ideal for your guys.

Hope that helps
Bren

oh, and the noise and people might be a little stressful, but if you have a nice dark hide it should be ok

My guys are in the front longe which is probably the busiest room (apart from the kitchen) but we had nowhere else they would fit

I think it was a little hard for them the first few weeks, but with plenty of hiding space they have settled really well

I guess it could be like living next to a train line - after a while the windows will shake when a train goes past but you barely notice it

Bren

o ok thanks, they do have a large cave and i recently put some plants in it, the one im worried about it the newest one ive only had for almost 2 weeks i put a worm in there earlier and i think it mite have eaten it while i popped out but im not 100% sure, could it be afraid of taking it from my hand?? the other one takes it from a straw or my hand, but the new one seems to just back away when i try to feed it.

How long can they go without eating? im just getting worried the longer it gets!