Photo: New Starter Axolotl Questions

[DiceSan]

Hello!

I'm a new Axolotl keeper after doing a few years of research I slowly compiled my tank over 4-5 months before getting my axolotl to allow it to cycle.

I don't -think- my axolotl is sick but simply for seeking other opinions. We got our axolotl a few weeks ago and Iv'e wondered if it was a little on the skinny side?

we got back from vacation a few days ago and the waste wasn't cleared out from the tank so Iv'e been doing regular water changes.

I suppose my main point of concern is.

is my axolotl healthy looking?

Iv'e been slightly concerned simply because he doesn't seem to be keeping food down very well. He's on a diet of bloodworms. We tried Nightcrawlers but for whatever reason he really doesn't like them.

So I was wondering what the best way would be to feed him over the next few weeks to get him to a healthier weight. larger feedings when we do feed him?

Or smaller feedings every day. He doesn't seem to keep large meals down regardless so Iv'e been putting in bloodworms in a jar daily and just taking out what he doesn't eat in five minutes. If I allow him to eat too much he'll just barf it up.

otherwise I'm hoping he looks quite healthy.

 

[SammyTheLotus]

Welcome to the forum!
Do you have any other pictures? He looks to be a good size in my opinion, the goal should be to have his belly as wide as his head!
Mine love earthworms, but I have to cut them into small pieces first or they aren't able to properly swallow them.
And since mine are still young I do two small feedings a day instead of one large one. How do you feed the bloodworms, do you just put them in the water? Hand feeding has worked wonders for me with my little guys! I have a pair of reptile feeding tweezers and feed them a pinch at a time.

 

[DiceSan]

Welcome to the forum!
Do you have any other pictures? He looks to be a good size in my opinion, the goal should be to have his belly as wide as his head!
Mine love earthworms, but I have to cut them into small pieces first or they aren't able to properly swallow them.
And since mine are still young I do two small feedings a day instead of one large one. How do you feed the bloodworms, do you just put them in the water? Hand feeding has worked wonders for me with my little guys! I have a pair of reptile feeding tweezers and feed them a pinch at a time.

Yup! I've just uploaded some more. I'm aware Axies can just be really clumsy eaters in terms of how much they keep down/ how much they're swollowing. So I'm likely worried about nothing.

We have a light for the tank but it's kept off most of the time.

 

[DiceSan]

Also in regards to feeding. I Jar feed him for less mess. I gently coax him in there sometimes if he's having problems finding it but this isn't usually an issue.

 

[Donna001]

Hi DiceSan.
Ideally you need to move your axolotl on to a diet of earthworms as they are the best food, nutritionally, for axolotls. You can also try axolotl pellets, pieces of prawn, shrimp, mussel, etc., but earthworms are great as the main part of the diet. They are also useful because they can be individually hand fed, which creates less mess.
My juvenile wild type used to eat so much that he would be sick, so I keep an eye on what he eats.
Your axolotl does not look too thin, and I think your tank looks great. :happy:

 

[SammyTheLotus]

Your tank is really pretty and your little guy looks cute and healthy! I don't think you have much to worry about, but like Donna said, a diet of earthworms is the best thing for him nutritionally.
If he doesn't like them at first try cutting them into smaller pieces and offering them, eventually he'll accept! They can be known to be a little stubborn when switching between foods, but I think hunger is the best cook haha!

 

[DiceSan]

Your tank is really pretty and your little guy looks cute and healthy! I don't think you have much to worry about, but like Donna said, a diet of earthworms is the best thing for him nutritionally.
If he doesn't like them at first try cutting them into smaller pieces and offering them, eventually he'll accept! They can be known to be a little stubborn when switching between foods, but I think hunger is the best cook haha!

heya

yeah iv'e tried him on earthworms - I'm not sure if he's a juvie as he has the black on his fingertips which suggests he's an adult. But I didn't have much luck with them. i tried cutting the earthworms up as well but this just made them secrete. I could also try blanching them first.

I fed him one pretty successfully but after a while of keeping the earthworms in a container he went off them so i'm wondering if it was something to do with how I was keeping them/ what i fed the earthworms to keep them alive. We bought some nightcrawlers from a worm breeding place near us that specialises in reptile/ambhibian keep and fishing tackle so.

I'm thinking it may have been an issue of what I'd fed them as I read once they become compost worms they don't seem so keen?

and he won't eat pellets at all. bloodworms were sort of an inbetween whilst I find something else as I think he was raised on them so so far it's been the easiest thing to feed him.

 

[Donna001]

It can take quite a while to get them to change their food from something they are used to. You need to keep trying to get him to change to earthworms as the majority of the diet, with other things occasionally for a bit of variety and to ensure they get all the nutrients that they need. I seem to remember (but I could be wrong) that it took AxolotlChris around a month to move his to earthworms because he says his axolotl was being stubborn. However stubborn yours is, it would be great if your could persevere with the earthworms, plus pellets, and perhaps some seafood as treats, because if you keep feeding just bloodworms your axolotl will not be getting all of the nutrients that it needs to be healthy.
I have been very lucky with all of mine, but even so they do have preferences, and sometimes even with earthworms they will eat blanched, then they wont. At the moment they al seem to be happy with fresh, live worms. I get mine from an aquatic centre that has a reptile section, which includes live foods. I tend to get baby worms when available, and they are sold in tubs with tiny air holes, and the worms have an earth substrate. I tend to take the worm tub and a glass of water to each tank, pick a worm, quickly rinse off the earth, then feed it to the axolotls. Be careful as worms can release an unpleasant tasting substance when stressed, and axolotls do not like the taste, so blanching or feeding them immediately after rinsing can reduce this substance and wont put the axolotls off.
Best of luck, persevere with the worms, and keep us updated on your progress. :happy:

 

[DiceSan]

It can take quite a while to get them to change their food from something they are used to. You need to keep trying to get him to change to earthworms as the majority of the diet, with other things occasionally for a bit of variety and to ensure they get all the nutrients that they need. I seem to remember (but I could be wrong) that it took AxolotlChris around a month to move his to earthworms because he says his axolotl was being stubborn. However stubborn yours is, it would be great if your could persevere with the earthworms, plus pellets, and perhaps some seafood as treats, because if you keep feeding just bloodworms your axolotl will not be getting all of the nutrients that it needs to be healthy.
I have been very lucky with all of mine, but even so they do have preferences, and sometimes even with earthworms they will eat blanched, then they wont. At the moment they al seem to be happy with fresh, live worms. I get mine from an aquatic centre that has a reptile section, which includes live foods. I tend to get baby worms when available, and they are sold in tubs with tiny air holes, and the worms have an earth substrate. I tend to take the worm tub and a glass of water to each tank, pick a worm, quickly rinse off the earth, then feed it to the axolotls. Be careful as worms can release an unpleasant tasting substance when stressed, and axolotls do not like the taste, so blanching or feeding them immediately after rinsing can reduce this substance and wont put the axolotls off.
Best of luck, persevere with the worms, and keep us updated on your progress. :happy:

Heya Donna - I keep trying him with earthworms - did the other day in fact with a mixture of blanching cutting or simply offering them to him straight up. I'm going to keep trying as I know these are best for him. He's just being a fussy bugger.

He's having problems keeping his food down currently hence why i made the post but everyone says he looks pretty healthy. still worried about him however.

 

[Donna001]

My juvenile wild type went through a brief phase of regurgitating his food. That one has always been very keen on his food, and he was eating too much too quickly.
That doesn't sound like yours, but it does happen.
Yours still looks a good size, even though you say he's having trouble feeding.
For now I would suggest you keep a close eye on your water parameters, and if you could post your most recent results for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates & temp so we can have a look, that would be great.
Perhaps try feeding your fella small pieces of food more often, so that you can monitor how much he is eating. It would also be worth noting how much he poohs as well, just in case you notice a problem with that as well.
Sorry I can't give more definitive advice, but I think it's a case of close monitoring until something else happens. I expect that "something else" that happens is that he just starts eating regularly again, but please keep us posted on your progress.
:happy:

 

[DiceSan]

Heya, yeh the water temp frequently sits at around 18-20 depending on day or night. averages out at about 19 during the day iv'e not seen it go over 20.

i'll need to buy some more test kits but last time I tested everything seemed fine. I'll probably just take some water over for the aquatic store to test for me.

 

[DiceSan]

So I tried feeding my axolotl a worm today we ordered some specially from a farm that deals in reptile feed. I tried cutting it up but he was spitting them out - he won't eat dead food at all unless its bloodworms or frozen prawn.

I did however get him to successfully eat a whole worm. Cutting them or feeding them to him dead seems to turn him right off them however.

My only real worry is that he seems to have difficulty swallowing and spits out food frequently so I'm just hoping at this point that he keeps it down.

I knew axolotl were clumsy eaters but he seems to take the record. haha.

he also doesn't seem to eat worms that iv'e kept for over a week so that's a shame. >:

I tried composting/raising them but iv'e also heard compost worms release a nastier secretion that makes axolotls not eat them. so as fussy as mine is I recon thats a sure fire chance he won't eat them.

I'll keep encouraging him however and keep people posted. cross fingers he doesn't sick it up.

 

[Donna001]

Well done on getting him to eat a whole worm.
I'm very lucky that a local aquatics centre also has reptiles and sells live food, and they often have the choice of standard size worms and smaller worms. I find it much easier to feed small worms.
This evening I bought some plaice fillets from the supermarket and cut some strips for the axolotls. All 3 juveniles accepted the plaice strips, but only 1 out of 3 of the mature axolotls ate it. I'm going to try them again tomorrow. They love prawns and will usually accept worms, but it's useful to have something else that they will eat, especially as the mature ones don't like pellets.

 

[DiceSan]

we have some live shrimp in the tank. they're amano's so they're pretty quick and he doesn't normally catch them but...every so often he gets lucky haha. I was cleaning out his tank today and he used the opportunity of lack of hides to catch one.



anyway he seems like he's doing much better! with the worms he only seems to want one, I fed him one last monday? ish.

tried today and he wouldnt have it.. But the shrimp! oh the shrimp was fine to eat. lol

fussy buggers. as you've said I think hunger will be the best motivator for him.